Because Owning And Flying Your Beechcraft Can Be Done Safely AND For Less Money!
  CSOB Gauge Components for SID97-3D Fuel Pressure Set Up

 

 

Of course every Beechcraft owner with a fuel injected TCM engine knows about TCM SID97-3E for setting up the fuel pressures in our engines, don't we?

 

This SID requires a special gauge set up with 1% accuracies and two taps into the fuel pressure system. Beech Lister and fellow B55 owner, Blake H. was looking for an inexpensive way to get this gauge set up (without spending a million dollars on a new fangled set) and sought the wisdom of the Beech List in finding the components.

 

Read the Tennessee Aircraft Services Article on the TCM SID Set Up HERE

 

Bo owner Paul S. identified all the key gauge components at The Valve Store and Blake found the manifold "T" connectors at RAPID and Genuine Aircraft Hardware. This complete gauge set up is reported to cost right around $100 plus fuel line.

 

For non-turbo'ed engines SID97-3D calls for a 0-30 PSI and a 0-60 PSI  gauge (1% accuracy). These can be had pretty reasonably, at The Valve Store. The SID also calls out use of TWO swiveling "T" fittings, MS51523B4, to measure the metered and unmetered pressures. This "T" has been found available at RAPID!

 

              

MS51523B4                                                                   6602-04-04-04             

 

Here are the three main components and sourcing to make your own fuel pressure gauge set up:

 

    • #36278 Industrial Pressure Gauge 4", 60 PSI, L1 $51.89

     

    • #36277 Industrial Pressure Gauge 4", 30 PSI, L1 $51.89

     

    • RAPID has the tee MS51523B4 (You Need Two) for $13.95 or whatever the price is nowadays at Textron!

     

    • A low cost substitute for the MS51523B4 could be: #6602-04-04-04 hydraulic fitting, JIC 926-04, SAE 070432, Aeroquip 203102: available at Genuine Aircraft Hardware (GAH also has the MS fitting as well for $11) and this PN: 6602 has also been seen on eBay for very low cost of about $5 each.

       

       

The rest of the set up would be conventional aviation fuel line long enough to keep you away from the prop and resulting prop blast (DUH!). A Baron owner reports needing about 8 feet to go from the right engine to the cockpit, assuming you bring it in the pilot storm window. If you have a co-pilot storm window you'll not need as much length. Bo owners - feel free to make this set up 8 feet long so your Baron buddies can borrow it <vbg>.

 

Check with your mechanic about leaving the "Ts" in place and capping them off for easy gauge connection access at annual time to check your pressures as recommended by the SID.

 

Big thanks to Beech Listers Blake H. and Paul S. for their tenacious pursuit and identification of the component sources.

 

Another Beech Lister (SS), with A&P and IA certificates, offers the following thoughts on his gauge set up:

 

My fuel injection test apparatus consists of two gauges, three hoses, one Tee and a couple of swivel fittings. One gauge is a 0-30, the other a 0-60. Both are about 2.5" diameter, glycerin filled and not expensive at under $20 each. I have tested them for accuracy.

 

The TCM specs are plus and minus a couple of pounds and I see no need for 1% accuracy across the scale, as long as the 9 psi and the 30 psi regions area are close on the two gauges respectively.

 

Each gauge has a 1/4" NPT coupling and a 1/4" NPT to -4 flare fitting to accommodate the hoses. The hoses I use are all -4. One 18", one 30" and one 40". I hook up the gauges and tie them to the engine mount so that I can see them from the cockpit. I saw no reason to have the gauges accompany me in the cockpit.

 

Enjoy your home made CSOB pressure gauge set up, courtesy of Blake & Paul's sleuthing!

 

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