PA28-236 Dakota fuel selector

DesertNomad

DesertNomad

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DesertNomad
When switching tanks, I am getting a very brief (2 seconds) smell of fuel.

When studying the selector on the ground and moving it between tanks, there is no smell but if I go back and forth, a few times, and then get my finger to the metal shaft and wiggle it, I can sometimes get a tiny drop of wetness on my fingertip - maybe half the diameter of a pencil eraser.

My A&P says they need to replace the entire valve for $530 + 2 hours labor. Other people have told me it is just an O-ring, but my A&P says the O-rings and other component parts are not listed int eh Piper Service Manual.

Extra makes a certified plane and has a service letter (300-09-02)

http://www.extraaircraft.com/docs/service/SL300902.pdf

This seems to be my same valve.

I don't want to pay $530 for a $1 part, but it seems I'd have to fly it at least an hour away to another shop - if they will even do it (or if it is even possible).

Thoughts on this?
 
It's possible but you'll need to find a shop or mechanic willing to do it. There are no real incentives other than possibly acquiring you as a steady customer so for such a small, low cost job with perceived high liability it might be tough. The other option is some maintenance fairy sneaking in behind closed doors in the middle of the night when nobody is watching and putting a new o-ring in :dunno:
 
Silvaire said:
The other option is some maintenance fairy sneaking in behind closed doors in the middle of the night when nobody is watching and putting a new o-ring in :dunno:
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As a newbie I'm curious about stuff like this as well. If someone you didn't know sneaked in and replaced your valve who would Know? How would you even know other than the gas smell went away? Some of these planes are 50+ yrs old. Someone must have changed that valve in 1986 and forgot to log it I guess. :dunno::dunno:
 
2Airtime2 said:
As a newbie I'm curious about stuff like this as well. If someone you didn't know sneaked in and replaced your valve who would Know? How would you even know other than the gas smell went away? Some of these planes are 50+ yrs old. Someone must have changed that valve in 1986 and forgot to log it I guess. :dunno::dunno:
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It happens that people do this, but it's not particularly frequent. Even if the odds of success are very high, the risk attached is even higher for most people in a position to own an aircraft. If you are completely successful in getting things repaired, the odds of being found out are slim. But, if you aren't, you may end up with a lost license, a broken plane no A&P will touch, and, of course, worst case is an accident.

Taking this particular item, the replacement part may be cheap, easy to find, and relatively simple to repair. However, you need to get the valve out of the plane first. That means digging into lower panel, disconnecting five fuel lines (the Dakota has four tanks), overhauling the valve, reconnecting everything, buttoning back up, and testing the system. Are you confident that you've got all the knowledge you need to do all that? Do you know how to connect and disconnect the fuel lines? Without making a mess or creating a fire hazard? And have it not leak after? And not fail later? Do you know what size and type and material O-ring to get? Did you nick the O-ring going in? Are you sure? How do you test the whole thing after? Remember, you're not an A&P, so you probably do not have the shop manual and if you do, it's probably not current.

It's really easy to see a part that has been recently disturbed. In case of an accident, it's not that hard to put two and two together to figure out that someone opened up the valve and it wasn't any mechanic, as there's nothing in the log book.

I'm not saying it's not possible or that it doesn't happen. The experimental folks do this stuff perfectly legally all day long. For certified aircraft, though, even a $500 part starts to look cheap when you look at the cost of risks.

But, holy hell is it frustrating to spend $500 on a $1 part!
 
arnoha said:
... disconnecting five fuel lines (the Dakota has four tanks)...
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Not sure which Dakota you're referring to, but my 1983 PA-28-236 Dakota has 2 tanks and 3 lines on the fuel selector.
 

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arnoha said:
Taking this particular item, the replacement part may be cheap, easy to find, and relatively simple to repair. However, you need to get the valve out of the plane first. That means digging into lower panel, disconnecting five fuel lines (the Dakota has four tanks)
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I am unable to locate the other two. ;)

I have two 36-gallon tanks. I also have no intention of repairing the valve myself.... I have to let my wife open cereal boxes for me so that I don't screw something up. :D
 
Arnoha--
Good info, but just fyi: the 235 (Cherokee 235/Charger/Pathfinder) has four tanks, the 236 (Dakota) has only two.
 
DesertNomad said:
I am unable to locate the other two. ;)

I have two 36-gallon tanks. I also have no intention of repairing the valve myself.... I have to let my wife open cereal boxes for me so that I don't screw something up. :D
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Well, if you are stuck having to have someone else work the tools, then you can't dictate the rules unfortunately. Either you need to find someone else who will repair the valve, which may be difficult, or just replace it. The thing is, if it is leaking from there, it's more than one O-ring that is bad.
 
It looks like my valve is brass and not the newer 6S122 valve so my A&P said they are going to try replacing just the o ring
 
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