Fuel Lines - 1 hours (310 Total)

Today I rerouted the fuel line that runs to the fuel pressure gauge with some 90 degree fittings. This prevents the fuel line from rubbing against the wing root.

I also placed fuel line clamps on all of the fuel lines that still needed them. I had ran out and needed to purchase more.

Instrument Pod - 3 hours (309 Total)

Today I did the final assembly of the instrument pod and mounted it to the inside of the plane.

In the three pictures below you can see the mounting of the fuse block, cigarette lighter, and head phone and speaker jacks.






































In the two pictures below you can see how I glued my interior fabric to the instrument panel. I used a heavy duty role on glue which is water proof and heat resistant. I chose a synthetic canvas type fabric for the plane's interior. This fabric is intended for exterior canopies and is sun and mildew proof.




























After a few hours and the glue had set, I started cutting away the excess material with a soldering iron.














I then reattach the instrument panel to the bottom panel and proceeded to secure the instrument pod into the airplane.


























I needed to use my Dremel Tool to notch out one of the corners to allow the bottom panel to fit around one of the brackets that holds the pod in place.














I also needed to reposition one of the rear holes to allow for a secure fit.














And lastly, I needed to add washers between the brackets and back panel to allow for proper alignment.

Wing Fuel Lines - 4 hours (306 Total)

Today I routed the fuel lines from the wing tanks to the fuel bracket. This included creating the site gauges to allow me to see the fuel level in the tanks.




















































In the picture above you can see a white plastic bracket that is yet to be connected. I was unable to drill the hole or screw in the bracket because of the small amount of room between the wing and the root tube. I will need to connect this when I take the wings off.



























When I reconnect the wings prior to flight, I will add a cushioned hose clamp to secure the fuel lines to the engine mount bolts.

Instrument Pod - 5 hours (302 Total)

I am now at the point where I can start finishing up my instrument pod. I recently received the handheld radio that I plan to use with my plane. I will mount this with velcro to the right side of the instrument pod.

I removed the switches, wiring, and Stratomaster from the instrument panel. I then drilled a hole on the far right of the panel to allow for a power cable for the radio. You can see the hole drilled for this purpose in the picture below.

I also drilled a large hole in the backside of the instrument pod for a cigarette lighter and two smaller holes for the headset and speaker jacks. You can see these holes in the last picture.

I wrapped the top and bottom panels of the instrument pod in plastic wrap to protect them from being scratched while I assembled the panel. The top and bottom panels were pre-drilled with fastener holes. I needed to transfer these hole to the front and back instrument panels. This was easier than I expected but was still quite tedious.

I started out by riveting the bottom panel to the front instrument panel (panel that faces the pilot) with single rivet in the center. This held the two pieces together securely while I transferred the other holes. Before I started on the holes which are on the curved corners of the panel, I fastened the panel together with the provided sheetmetal screws. This held the panel pieces in place while I bent the bottom panel around the curved corners of the front instrument panel and transferred the remaining holes.

Once I was finished transferring the holes to the front panel, I repeated the process on the back panel. Once that was finished I started the same processes on the top panel. Since the top panel is attached with rivets instead of screws. I was not able to transfer the holes at the very edge of the top panel. I will need to do this when I fasten the top panel in place for good.

Fuel Bracket - 3 hours (297 Total)

I wanted a way to disconnect my fuel lines to allow easy removal of my wings. To do this I used some quick disconnects with integrated shutoff valves. I selected quick disconnects that mounted into a bulkhead to allow for a solid mounting point.

I fabricated a sheetmetal plate or bracket to hold the four quick disconnects. The front of the bracket has a fold to help protect the quick disconnects and keep the bracket rigid.

Once this bracket was in place, I was able to complete the fuel line routing from the bracket to the fuel selector valve.






































The two wing tanks have forward and rear pickups. The pickups are connected together down-stream from the quick disconnects.













The fuel lines that run from the quick disconnect for the right tank (bottom of above picture) run underneath the bracket and are held in place by a zip tie that is attached to the bracket.






































I still need to secure to hoses with hose clamps. I ran out of enough hose clamps to finish the routing.

Wing Clearance - 0.5 hours (294 Total)

I put the wings back on the plane for the first time since I wired up the engine. There are several wires and hoses that are rubbing the roots of the wings: the fuel lines to the carbs, two of the four spark plug wires, and the fuel line to the pressure sensor.

The carbs have banjo fittings on their fuel inlets. I'll be able to rotate the fittings to increase the clearance on the fuel lines.

The fuel pressure hose will need to be re-routed with a couple of 90 degree fittings.

The sparkplug wires will need to be re-routed. I will remove the clamps that are holding the wires to the intank manifolds and secure the wires to the balance tube with wire ties and standoffs.

Here are some pictures of the items that are rubbing on the wing roots.

Oil Valve - 1 hours (293.5 Total)

To make changing the engine oil easier. I purchased a Fumoto engine oil drain valve. This valve will allow me to change my oil without the hassle of removing the oil plug. I have heard stories of people dropping the hot oil plug into the funnel they were using to collect the oil. The funnel then overflows and makes a huge mess.














I purchased the F-106 model which fits the 14mm by 1.5mm thread used on the oil tank.















Unfortunately, the valve ran into the oil temp sensor when I tried to install it. I had to remove the temp sensor with the intent of installing it after the valve was fully installed. As luck would have it, the valve seated with its larger end interfering with the temp sensor hole.

To alleviate this, I combined the gasket type washer that came with the valve with the copper washer that was used with the orignal oil plug. This allowed the valve to seat with it's large end pointed in a slightly different direction. I will need to watch the valve for a while to make sure the combination of the washers remain leak proof.