Fuel pump and filter mounting

OK, not a lot done tonight. Tasks like this make me understand old sayings like “90% done, 90% to go.” Things move along pretty quickly when you follow the plans, but when you get to something where you have to figure things out yourself, it’s amazing how much slower you have to go.

Anyway, tonight I countersunk both mount brackets and riveted them in place. Next, I mounted the filter and pump in place, along with the fuel selector, then spent a whole lot of time staring at everything and trying to envision how the lines would be routed. One of the obstacles I ran into tonight is that I can’t find the adel clamps I need to use to route the line from the left wing across the cockpit to the fuel selector. There’s a bag with an assortment of clamps, but none of them are the right size. And reviewing the contents of the hardware bags, none of them list the proper clamp part number. I hate to make an order to Spruce just for four stupid clamps, but it may come to that. If I can’t find the things, I guess I’ll move on to tinkering with the rudder pedal assembly or brake lines or something like that.

Anyway, here are a couple photos; Here’s the fuel selector clecoed in place with the fuel filter clamped to the floor beneath it:

IMG 6758

And the fuel pump clamped in place just behind the firewall:

IMG 6755

I’m a bit torn about how to orient the fuel pump. Currently it’s mounted with the inlet forward and the outlet aft, so both lines would have to make 180° bends and sort of go the “long way around.” Doing it this way eliminates the concern of trying to carefully align the aft part of the pump with the prepunched hole in the tower that the line will pass through. It seems to me it would be challenging to get the line bent just right in that area. On the other hand, it means using an extra 2’ or so of tubing, and I don’t know how much excess is provided – and I’m sure I’ll ruin some lines along the way here. On the other other hand, it’s not as if it’s impossible to buy more tubing if needed…I dunno. I’ll have to keep thinking about it, I guess.

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