Rotting fuel connection worth a check

[Gary Ward]

I also agree that the tanks need to be inspected inside the wing and that rubber be replaced. I did not replace the rubber hose on the discharge at the bottom of the tank. I believe you need to remove the tanks to do that? That is a job for another day.

That other day was today. lol

The discharge hose turned out to be the easiest hose to change. Other than removing enough fuel and jacking the plane it was easy. I still have to get the correct hoses though. Plenty of flex in the fuel line to do the job, no reason you can't do it every 10 years let's say. No reason to disturb the tank.

The plane is jacked up in this picture and the right tank is being worked on.

 

[Gary Ward]

I went to do a prebuy on a 172 we wanted for the flight school. "Just out of annual," we were told. Found two of the four exhaust risers cracked almost all the way around just below the cylinder flanges. Had to travel the eight hours home, order the stacks, then go back out and put them on and fly it home. Pulled the engine right away, since it was the original and was past TBO and was going to commercial registry, and the hoses were all originals, 30 years old. Hard as wood, rusty steel braid. Also numerous other things not easily picked up on a three-hour prebuy. Bought it knowing we were going to spend serious money on it. You pretty much have to assume that on old airplanes.

I was lucky enough to test fly/rent my late buddies 172 for 6 months before I bought it from him. It was a 1400 hr airplane all original after 40 years including the motor and panel. I helped his long time AP/IA do a annual on it during that 6 months I was renting it. So that helped a bunch. Bought it from my buddy at a very fair price knowing everything was going to be need to be updated. I am coming to the end now as I have updated pretty much everything while flying it about 250 hours a year.
Replaced the sending unit gaskets earlier this year with new McFarlane gaskets and screws.