One Black Pipe

[davevramp]

I will look through the logs this week end I am out on the road working and only get home on Sunday. Will inspect the plane but I am 98 % sure I don’t have a vent. If I don’t have one what is the best way to put one in?
Thanks
Dave

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Dave

Should you find you don't have a vent the hardest part would be finding an old vent tube. Your fuselage probably has the hole patched just behind the windshield.

You'll have to pull the headliner down at least in the front which shouldn't be a big deal. Remove the patch I assume you have and rivet in the vent. Reconnect the vent lines to the tube.

I don't have a headliner installed in my plane and you are welcome to fly over to Quakertown and check out would be involved.

[davevramp]

Inspected my 54b today. The sheet metal is with out any patches smooth, no holes. And the logs reference nothing. The more I look, the more that I see that the logs were deficient. I have ordered the cd from the FAA. I will start to assemble information on installing a vent. Any suggestions are welcome. Should I install one like the 170b or a late model 172?


Dave

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Dave I may be incorrect cause I'm not real familiar with the 172 vent but isn't it all in the wings probably requiring wing tank removal and of course some kind of approval.

The normal 170 A/B vent would be much easier to install even if you had to make one and there would be no approval necessary.

[doug8082a]

The simplest thing to do is to find an original vent in the salvage yards and install it since that is the original approved item. As Bruce points out, the 172 vent would require approval (there may be an STC for this, but I can't remember offhand).

While the routing of the fuel lines changed a couple times over the years, this roof top vent remained the same for all models - 170, 170A, 170B. If you have a 170B IPC you can see it on page 34 - Figure 18, Item 4: Vent Assembly - Fuel Tank (p/n: 0511118). There is a better drawing on page 104 - Figure 63, Item 1. The above part number is the same for all model years so that should improve your odds of finding one. Any salvage yard with 170 a fuselage would hopefully have it still attached and it wouldn't matter which model it came from.

[davevramp]

I have installed the vent and replaced the check valves in the new gas caps. First 2 hr at 8 gph quite a change from 13 gph. I can not thank you guys enough. There are one ones that truly look out for their fellow owner/pilots. I have a c140 with no vents and though that the 1954 170 b was the same way. It was only after you gentlemen keep telling me that I should have a vent that I got it. People with strong opinions are required in these areas. I truly am indebted to gentlemen for your efforts.

Thanks
Dave