5052-0 grade aluminium fuel line

[martc]

Seeking 5052-0 ALUM TUBING 5/16 X .035

Currently long delay on sourcing from the USA (like months!) and appear to be no stocks in the UK - anyone know of any lying around or potential UK stockist? Or anyone with spare to sell? Our Jodel has been in bits for weeks for the sake a few short lengths of this pipe.....

Thanks
Martin

[Leesr]

Martin: I have every other size apart from that. Are you sure it's not metric (being a Jodel) or is it firewall-forward US fittings with a Continental?
If the latter, and if you have or can get the blue fittings, I have some 1/2" pipe that might suffice (bigger diameter will be approved).

Rob

p.s. This site is crap for your kind of appeal; too low a footfall...try the same question on Flyer Forums

[mike newall]

It's on 5 day in stock at supplier delivery via LAS.

Type in the Aircraft spruce part number 03-39400

I have 1/4" and 3/8" in stock here

[martc]

Hi Mike, the LAS stock /delivery information is actually misleading. We have an order in place there that’s been 6 weeks and counting, even though they said 1 week from order at the outset - the problem is that their supplier, Aircraft Spruce in the US have no stock and there appears to be no reliable confirmation of when that will change.

Rob, thanks for your offer of the 1/2 “ pipe, but that would involve us changing the whole fuel system and all tank and selector connections (its a Mascaret 3 tanks). We explored that but concluded that it would not be viable to substitute the original 5/16 the aircraft has been built with.

Anyway, we have since tracked down a coil of 5/16 at Wicks Aircraft in Ilinois, US and that’s been ordered and is on its way via Fedex, so it looks likely we might actually have it in our mitts next week, unless there are any customs delays

Thanks all again.
Martin

[mike newall]

Other alternative is just get some teflon/stainless braided hoses made up to length. Firesleeve if FWF. A lot of us in the RV world do that - much easier and neater. Most hydraulic shops will make up the hoses, AN fittings available from Earl's or similar.

Time to adapt maybe ?

[maxmotoring]

Hi Martin, Our Jodel 1051, originally with a Potez 105hp, now with an 0-200, has copper fuel pipe from the tanks to the firewall and mechanical pump to carb. I am pretty certain this tube is 6mm (1/4”) As originally fitted, aluminium tube was never used. Copper pipe is freely available in the UK. Just a thought!

[martc]

Hi David, thanks for the suggestion. Our 5/16 ally pipe has now arrived from Wicks, Illinois, so we are sorted. We had considered changing out all the existing pipe, but this would have involved much more stripping out of other system components and accessing difficult areas than we wanted to do, rather than achieve a simple replacement of the failed component involved (replacing the fuel selector). In this case, we relied too much on LAS saying the parts order was on 1 week delivery, but that didn't cover the fact that neither they nor their US supplier had any stock - the original order placed with them now 7 weeks ago is still unfulfilled.

Martin