Avgas smell PA 39

[Terry Rawlins]

Please note that this query has also been poste on thr "other" forum for max attention.

I have just flown a couple of legs in the right hand seat and my wife was not exaggerating (oh me of little faith) and she is correct there is a very strong smell of avgas in that seat.
Then yesterday we wanted to put the heater on and I tuned the fuel valve on and Avgas started spewing out around the knob. I immediately turned the knob the other way to close the valve and the fuel stopped spewing out. The smell continued.

Coming back to France today solo, I leant across to the RHS position and the smell of avgas is still apparent.

So my un-mechanical mind tells me that there is a problem with a seal somewhere in the heater fuel on/off valve. A little is always leaking causing the smell, and when the valve is switched on fuel goes past the seal.
Does that idea make sense?

Terry

[Andreas Riedel]

Yes Terry, it does make sense and don't fly the plane till you sorted it out.
Andreas

[N3322G]

Terry,

I do agree with Andreas - no sense in having a fire. Harold Haskins in Alabama did the last work on our heater and we are happy with it.

[md11flyer]

Have your mechanic take off the nose cover and reseat the valve's O ring. The valve is like the small water valves installed for the humidifier in your home.
If you turn to agressively on the valve the nut securing the valve inners backs off allowing fuel to go past the o-ring.
This might solve your problem.

Good luck.