If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
water ballast leak
I have an LS4A glider that has developed a leak in
the left wing. The bags do not leak and I have had the bags out of the wing and checked for the cause but cannot come up with the answer. If anyone has had a similar problem I would like to hear from you. thanks Bob Harvey |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Bob,
I had an LS4 with a leak. Actually, several leaks: 1. If it still has the factory original shower curtain (tan) bags (highly unlikely by now, but I guess still possible), then really make sure they're not leaking. One of mine had a pinhole leak that only showed up when I put about a 4 foot head of pressure on it. It was very small, but over a couple of hours... 2. I also had a leak where the hose clamp attached the bag to the valve. This was a simple matter for reattaching the bag with a wider clamp and adding a layer of RTV sealant. Items 1 and 2 contributed to water in the wing. 3. Finally, I had a leak through the dump orifice due to the valve not seating properly. This was a nightmare job, requiring disassembly of the valve through the root rib on the wing. It's a sliding ball valve with a wide o-ring. IIRC, the o-ring on mine had somehow been pinched and wasn't seating. I took it apart, greased everything up, and it worked fine. It still helps to slap your palm over the dump orifice after filling the bags to help seat the ball valve firmly. Though item 3 wasn't an issue inside of the wing, it was a problem on cool days where a brief climb above the freezing layer would result in a little ice patch around the valve. Hope one of these is the cure. Erik Mann P3 Robert Harvey wrote: I have an LS4A glider that has developed a leak in the left wing. The bags do not leak and I have had the bags out of the wing and checked for the cause but cannot come up with the answer. If anyone has had a similar problem I would like to hear from you. thanks Bob Harvey |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
I owned an LS-3 for many years, which has the same water ballast
system, I believe. [I was also a moderately willing participant in Erik's "nightmare" job on his LS-4 ]. I've heard from other LS owners that the little rubber boot that seals the valve pushrod where it enters the valve body can leak, either from a crack or hole in the boot or from loose clamps at either end of the boot. The difficult part of any work is getting the valve assembly out of the wing. I can't recall the specifics but if you've had the bags out of the wing, you've already conquered loosening the big nut that secures the bag/dump tubing to the valve. The rest of the difficulty is working nearly blind through the hole in the root rib to remove the valve. No cutting required, just long skinny arms with powerful fingers. I know the factory had at least one special tool (a long-handled wrench to loosen/tighten the aforesaid nut) and there may have been others. One question I would ask is whether the leak occurs anytime water is in the tank or only during filling/dumping? Is it better/worse when the left wing is up/down/level? Etc. This could help indicate where in the system is the leak. Chip Bearden "JB" ASW 24 |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Schempp-Hirth water Ballast Cap vent Mod | Paul M. Cordell | Soaring | 11 | May 25th 05 10:33 PM |
Std 102 water ballast plug | Tom Dukerich | Soaring | 3 | April 12th 05 05:10 PM |
Induction System Water Problem | Mike Spera | Owning | 1 | January 30th 05 05:29 AM |
astir cs-77 water ballast | pete83 | Soaring | 4 | May 27th 04 05:21 AM |
Water Cooled Jet Engines: a possibillity then and now? | The Enlightenment | Military Aviation | 3 | December 18th 03 09:41 AM |