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The location and assembly angle of the fuel pump makes it extremely difficult to fabricate the fuel line going from the selector valve to the input side of the pump, unless one is commercially capable of bending a very short piece of tubing with compound curves. Adding to the frustration is the angle of installation of the pump in the manual to accommodate the outlet fitting’s heading in the correct direction for installation of the fuel feed line heading towards the engine compartment. Next was the proximity to an antenna location which is close to the lower edge of the pump, we were concerned about clearance for later maintenance to both the fuel pump and the installation/removal of this antenna. We spent hours before “putting on the thinking cap” and coming up with a fix that cured all three “situations”.
Goals:
Move the pump slightly aft and rotate it slightly to allow a “straight shot” from the selector valve to the inlet side of the pump. This would solve the tubing bending problem, give more room for the antenna installation, provide a better fuel pump outlet fitting angle, make any subsequent removal/re-installation of the fuel pump easier, and allow more room for outlet plumbing of the pump. As one might guess, this added the minor problem of remaking the fuel pump installation bracket used to attach the pump to the aft end of the nose gear “bump” in the wheel well.
Solution:
We found a local commercial fluid hose and coupling supplier who stocked #8 fittings. First purchase was a straight #8 male SAE thread to male beveled end (I think the industry calls this a JNC?) fitting for the inlet hole in the pump. Next, we wanted a #8 female to female 37 degree beveled fuel line. Yes, we could now have made a straight fixed line, but for future ease of removal of the pump, we opted for a braided flex line. With this new fitting and line, the pump ended up about 1 * inches farther aft than where the manual calls for it. This gave us the proper angle and clearance for the outlet fitting.
It was then a simple job to cut the bracket apart, and extend the fiberglass section between the flat base of the bracket and the rounded portion holding the fuel pump to fit the new location of the pump. This added the ability to take the bracket apart for future removal of the pump, considering its location inside the console assembly. We ended up with a superior location which should make any maintenance much easier.
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