Double check everything

[rodsmith]

Getting ready for a fuel flow test I started adding fuel to the main wing tanks, pouring from a 5 gal fuel can. I poured about 1/2 of the can into the left tank when it occured to me to stop and look for leaks. Turned out I had a puddle quickly growing under the left gear leg. I quickly removed fasteners to lift the lower part of the boot cowl skin to access the 3/8th T fitting. Turned out the line coming from the front fuel pick up wasn't even finger tight. I have no idea how I missed that. I have torqued and torque sealed virtually every bolt and fitting in the plane, but not that T fitting. Somehow I had covered it up before verifying it was secure. I pulled up the boot cowl on the other side and the T fitting was properly torqued and sealed. In hindsight, if I wasn't so sure everything was good, I would have gone slower with the initial fill, checking for leaks. On the bright side, so far no other leaks in either homebuilt tank or the rest of the system.

 

[alaskabearhawk]

Good catch Rod…it happens. I remember helping a friend getting ready for a first flight. I looked over all the fasteners and found an aileron bolt with a nut just partially screwed on.​

FWIW, I pressure tested my fuel system from the wing root fittings to engine fuel pump inlet fitting. I capped everything, put on a gauge, pressurized it and let it sit overnight.