PA-30 Battery Vent Tube positions

[Fred Horne]

Was told by a shop that the battery box vent tubes on my 69 PA-30 were installed wrong but they won’t tell me how they are to be connected. Greedy at $100 hour labor. Does anyone know the correct position of the three tubes from the battery box to the vent block on the bottom of the nose bay?

[N3322G]

Fred,

Hmmm. Does it show the position in the service or parts manuals? These are under the Tech tab on the home page. This is one thing i don't have a picture of on my 39. Are they still required if you have a closed battery like a Concorde?

[Ed Asmus]

My Maurice Taylor Tech Tips video shows the center tube as a drain and is to be clamped off so as to trap corrosive battery acid in the battery box should a malfunction occur. The intent is to be able to drain the acid from the battery box on the ground rather than have it blow all over the belly. The front tube is the intake vent tube, which should be cut at an angle such that ram air is forced up the tube, and the rear tube is the exhaust vent tube. They should be unobstructed and our designed to vent the box of whatever gas is exhaled (I forget what kind of gas) from the battery as it is being charged by a properly functioning electrical system. I am not a mechanic so please please verify this but I believe this to be the correct configuration. I just had this checked on my recent annual by Cliff Wilewski at Heritage Aero.

Good Luck!

Ed

[Zach Grant L1011jock]

Yes, that is the correct configuration.
Zach

[Fred Horne]

Thanks Guys. I also called piper engineering and they replied with “What kind of stuff are they smoken” and “You may want to consider finding another A&P”. You are correct in the detailed description above. I’ve since found a new shop.

[Ed Asmus]

Glad you found the solution!

Enjoy your Comanche!

Ed