Installing Steve's Gascolator - helpful hints?

[stevesaircraft(Bri)]

I use TiteSeal or Fuel Lube (EZ Turn) on the fittings. TiteSeal is a grey color paste in a tin can that you can get from AC Spruce.
Lately I have been using the EZ Turn more as it is easier to use and seems to work just as well as the TiteSeal does.

If you really need to you can run a 1/4 NPT tap in the inlet to "clean" the threads if the fitting tightens in the wrong location. The threads are at minimum depth from the machinists.

Brian.

[JPerkins]

Also, isopropyl alcohol cleans Ez Turn up quite well FYI.

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[Kelliots]

I use TiteSeal or Fuel Lube (EZ Turn) on the fittings. TiteSeal is a grey color paste in a tin can that you can get from AC Spruce.
Lately I have been using the EZ Turn more as it is easier to use and seems to work just as well as the TiteSeal does.

If you really need to you can run a 1/4 NPT tap in the inlet to "clean" the threads if the fitting tightens in the wrong location. The threads are at minimum depth from the machinists.

Brian.

Thanks much, I will use a tap to go in a little more depth to allow it to tighten further.

[JHowe]

Have you installed a Steve’s Gascolator? Any installation tips or advice or things you’d have done differently?
Pictures would be very welcome!

[pa20]

I have had one on my PA-20 for over 20 years! It is (IMHO) the best investment in the name of ease of maintenance and safety that you could do for your plane. I do not have any photos. As far as installation goes, it is pretty straight forward. Highly recommend!

[Jim Hann]

I’ve had one in my Pacer nearly a decade, just reread Mark’s statement because I’d say the same thing!
Attachment 22931

Attachment 22932

[walt.buskey]

I put one on my plane back in 2020. It was fairly straightforward, just really tight in there with the engine mount & nose wheel frames. I had a hell of a time getting the gascolator mounting screws to line up with the holes on the bracket -- not sure why, but I ended up elongating one of the bracket holes a bit so I could get the second screw in. And of course, this was all accompanied by the usual "how do I do this with only one person?" dilemma when installing the fuel connection and bracket bolts through the firewall... All in all, however, it was a good Covid project!

Later, I found I had to have the engine overhauled; with the engine & frames out, installing Steve's Gascolator would have been a piece of cake....

DSC08381.jpg DSC08421.jpg DSC08422.jpg DSC09694.jpg

[JHowe]

Thanks, Jim!
i wasn’t able to open the attachments
John

[stevesaircraft(Bri)]

First some terms. The SA3-00 gascolator assembly is comprised by two main parts. SA3-01 Cover and SA3-02 Bowl. I will use those part numbers in the following tips below.

Separate the cover from the bowl for installation.

On the Tri-Pacer, it is easier to remove the bracket from the firewall. Do all the necessary modifications to get the SA3-01 cover to fit properly into the bracket with it off the aircraft. It is very common to elongate the holes as Piper did not bend them to exact specifications and no two seem to have the holes perfect. Just use a larger washer on your mounting screws if you get the holes too big.

When re-installing the bracket, remove the O-Ring and set the SA3-01 cover in it but DO NOT have the screws bolted into the cover. This way you can manipulate the cover around to get the bracket screws into the firewall but still have the cover in location and you won’t have to fight getting it around the nose gear/engine mount tubes. Having the O-Ring removed lessons the chance of damage when moving it around to bolt the bracket on

Once the bracket is tight on the firewall, slip the cover back into position, insert the screws or bolts into the cover, re install the O-Ring and SA3-02 bowl then proceed to attaching the fuel lines.

Keep in mind we make 5 covers and 3 bowls. We can make up to 15 variations of gascolators with these combinations and each assembly has its own assembly number.

The Piper series primarily uses the SA3-00 assembly although there are a few instances where higher sediment capacity is needed. In that instance we use our SA3-09 4 oz bowl on the SA3-01 cover making an SA3-00-A assembly. This would only be used if you have main fuel tanks over 60 gallons capacity. So you F Atlee Dodge guys need the bigger bowl to comply with the regulations.

-Brian

[walt.buskey]

Thanks, Brian, that's what I should have surmised -- my installation would have gone a lot easier if I had pre-fit the gascolator to the bracket BEFORE re-installing the bracket on the firewall. Wish I had asked ahead of time, it would have saved some exasperation! Thanks for the explanation about the less-than-precision fit by Piper back in the 50s. I really struggled with getting BOTH those screws in at the same time.

Good advice to remove the bracket first; I did that, but mainly to clean it up -- it was covered with several layers of old paint and oil residue.

Anyway it's now in, and what with re-finishing the firewall & mounts while the engine was out, that gold 'shore looks purty' against all that silver!

Thanks for a great product! Walt