gas stick

[pooch]

Originally Posted by Slowplane

Wrong. JD died 'cause he wasn't payin' attention to what he was doin'!
(check the NTSB report)
...measuring sticks work.

Ok, I just read the NTSB report and it does not mention any tank dipping.


I suppose that has to be final. Fair enough.

But I have read on many other reports , this.....

The Bad Interface
John Denver's aircraft had a fuel selection valve with only three positions: Off, Left, and Right. Burt Rutan's design called for that valve to be placed on the front panel of the aircraft, making it easy to switch among the options. The builder of the aircraft, however, elected to place the valve back behind the pilot's left shoulder. He did so with the best of intentions. By placing the valve behind the pilot's compartment, on the other side of the back firewall, with only a long rod leading to the handle behind the pilot's left shoulder, he avoided running the gas lines through the passenger compartment, eliminating any possibility of a gasoline rupture occurring inside the compartment.
He did so, however, at a terrible cost to the human interface, because the only way to switch tanks was to let go of the controls, twist your head to the left to look behind you, reach over your left shoulder with your right hand, find the valve, and turn it. As the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) discovered, it was difficult to do this without bracing yourself with your right foot—by pressing the right rudder pedal all the way to the floor. And that's what killed John Denver. His plane was seen veering to the right and plunging into the ocean from only a few hundred feet up, consistent with the NTSB's reconstruction.
Making things worse
The fuel: Denver had three ways to ensure he had enough fuel. Evidence suggests he made use of two of them:

1. He had fuel gauges in the rear of the aircraft, behind the pilot, and a mirror (!) used to look at them. However, the fuel gauges were not linear and had no markings to indicate that apparently half-full was really close to empty.
2. He dipped a rod into the fuel tanks while pre-checking the plane before flight to test the fuel level. He may not have been aware, however, that, because of the way the Long-EZ rests, the fuel tends to slosh toward the fuel tank filler port, giving a highly-optimistic reading.
3. The third method is adding fuel to the tanks, which Denver failed to do. Because the Long-EZ has very large tanks, the common practice is to add an amount of fuel suffient for the flight, plus a healthy margin. It may be John Denver was told not to fill the tanks, but was not told of this partial-filling practice.

The valve: The builder not only placed the valve in a non-standard location, he also rotated it in such a way that turning the valve to the right turned on the left fuel tank. This ensured that a pilot unfamiliar with the aircraft, upon hearing the engine begin missing and spotting in his mirror that the left fuel tank was empty, would attempt to rotate the fuel valve to the right, away from the full tank, guaranteeing his destruction.

[50B]

Originally Posted by C26Pinelake

You can buy a measuring stick at Macs.
Wayne

What page or part number

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

In my "old days" we rocked the car sideways & IF we heard sloshing, we figgered we could get to the fillin' station. If worried, we would GO FAST & coast up to the pump. Most folks then, would always carry a gallon can of gas in the car.
Bill W.

[MVal]

Do a searcj for "gas tank measuring stick" and you will find what you want.

[Hoogah]

Originally Posted by pooch

Ok, I just read the NTSB report...
...However, the fuel gauges were not linear and had no markings to indicate that apparently half-full was really close to empty.

Nothing's changed. How many fuel gauges on modern cars take forever to get to 1/2 full, and then rocket down to Empty at an alarming rate??!!
Come to think about it, so does the battery indicator on my mobile phone! (...which I always carry with me when out in the Model A - there's the link!!)

[C26Pinelake]

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Originally Posted by 50B

What page or part number

http://www.advertigo.net
I don't know as I got mine two years ago. I think it was likely very reasonable as it has their logo on it.
Wayne

[davehc]

Originally Posted by 50B

What page or part number

Here is one on e-bay right now .
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Model-T...item486f352d3f

[Harley03joe]

Originally Posted by Lona

Attached photo of a stick that came with our '31 roadster bought last year. It's for a model T and supplied by Lang's old car parts which is still in business but, apparently at a different location. Haven't tried it on the Model A yet.

Glen

Mac Also Has The STICK For $4.50 I Just Orded 3

Click here: Ford - Ford Model T Ford Gas Gauge - Wooden Stick - Macs Auto Parts
Harley03joe

[C26Pinelake]

Less than $5 problem solved !
I am curious, how many tankfulls did you think you would use while rebuilding the gauge ?
Wayne

[DougVieyra]

Ofcourse, I am sure we all know that the Model T gas tank measuring stick is calibrated for the Model T's three different deminsioned / shaped tanks - all different than the Model A gas tank that we are discussing on this post, right ? So, while the stick ($1.50 in Mac's Model T section), is an interesting bit of historic nostalga, I don't think it will work on a Model A to give an accurate measurement of a Model A gas tank contents.

If one of the Model T's three tank measurements happens to be fairly close to the Model A tank, then you can mark (high light) the scale that is closest to your Model A tank.

If none of the 3 Model T tank measurements are 'close enough', then a good choice would be to buy this unique Model T measuring stick, and on the back side, make your own measuremnets for your Model A car - '28-'29, ten gallon; '30-'31, eleven gallon tank. Refer to post #21, above, and to H.L.Chauvin's post of a couple of years ago.

TANK TIP - from 'Charlie the Coyote' : when looking down the tank's filler hole to see how much gas is left, use a flash light - not a match !

- Doug Vieyra,

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by DougVieyra

...
TANK TIP - from 'Charlie the Coyote' : when looking down the tank's filler hole to see how much gas is left, use a flash light - not a match !

Just noticed this in Snyder's catalog:

Gas Tank Fill Mirror
After removing your gas cap, simply place the mirror around the filler neck, magnets will hold the mirror against the top of your gas tank. The back vertical portion of the mirror allows you to see the fuel level as you fill the tank.

[DougVieyra]

Thanks Carl, for the tip about SNYDER'S 'Gas Tank Periscope' . . . . .

I think I will get two of those. With two Model A cars, and two gas tanks to check the fuel level, I will save a bunch of $$$$$ in matches.

On the other hand, upon closer inspection (correct me if I am wrong) I do see a possible 'flaw' to this interesting 'gizmo'.

If I buy the necessary 'Gas-Filler Neck-Extension' (Snyder's #9032 - $35) to get the gas station nozzle to be high enough to fill my tank - AND then add the neat little 'Gas Tank Fill Mirror' (Snyder's # A9033 - $27 ) . . . . . and THEN install the gas station's pump hose nozzel into the gas tank -

Well, it just is not clear to me HOW the mirror is going to 'see' into the tank.

Another amusing toy . great on paper, but limited use in the 'real world'.

I think I will continue with the method I have been using for the last 50 years - take my wife along to watch the 'window' of the gas tank, and yell when it is above the top of the window. I never put too much faith in Model A gas gauges, even if I could see them while filling the tank.

- Doug Vieyra, Eureka, Calif - Today's high - 60 degrees, including Sun shine !

[Rich in Tucson]

My friend Harvey Ross showed me the coolest gas gauge stick I have ever seen. It was a ruler cut from hard graphite about 1/4" thick and scribed with a scale and numbers like a ruler. It indicated the gas level clearly when dipped in the tank but the fuel evaporates off FAST and NO odor remains as it does on wood. He found it at a yard sale.