Twin Fuel Selectors (again)

[Gomer Pound]

Hi, I am making the same request Pat made, that is, does anyone have a set of fuel selectors for my 1967 B PA-30? My Left Aux tank is leaking into the L main, as another ICS member recently observed, so, I will need my fuel selectors overhauled. It would be nice to have a set to send in for overhaul so when my plane goes into annual in November, the overhauled selectors are ready to go into the plane as soon as the current ones are removed. I already have Matt's fuel selector switches and harness in hand for the job.
Clear Skies,
Gomer

[Kristin Winter]

Is Webco's turnaround time that bad. I thought they could turn them in a few days.

[Gomer Pound]

Hi Kristin, When I spoke to Phillip at WEBCO earlier this summer, he said the turnaround depended on how busy WEBCO is, and more importantly, if the unit needed cadmium plating. He said most units do not need plating, so the turnaround time may be only a few days if they are not busy. The cadmium plating is only done if there is a certain amount of corrosion, as a small amount of metal must be removed to resurface some areas. If there is too much corrosion, I believe the selectors are scrapped, as the cadmium plating is only a thin thickness.

Phillip said the cadmium plating is currently done at a very few shops these days because of EPA and OSHA regulations. Those shops turn out to be propeller shops. The propeller shops do the plating runs when the batch of parts is large enough to justify their setup and cleanup requirements so they can make a profit. I guess it is possible to hit a time when the prop shop is either too busy plating their own parts or just overhauling propellers, or not busy enough to do a run of plating. I am not super-anxious about having them beforehand, as I am sending out the fuel senders during annual and Geoffrey of Avionics Place is doing some more involved work while the plane is in annual at Heritage. I was just going to do it ahead of time to help out.

By the way, Paul, at Phill-Air will also do fuel selectors, but he is faced with the same cadmium plating dilemma, as is Matt of Comanche Gear, from what I understand from conversations with him when he had a set of overhauled selectors for sale.

Clear Skies,
Gomer

[Gomer Pound]

Hi All, Both fuel selectors are being overhauled by WEBCO.
Gomer

[N3322G]

Be sure the selectors comply with the AD and the red dot is placed on the arm of the selector located under the sump access panel to indicate the AD has been complied with. The ones Webco did for me in 2010 did not have the dot.

[Kristin Winter]

AD 70-22-02 applies to the twinkie fuel selectors and the computerized searches that the IA's use almost never pick this one up.

[N3322G]

Kristin,

Bless you for posting and appreciation that you educated me on this in the first place. Thank you.