Sight gauge & brake lines supplied w/ kit?

[tedwaltman]

I saw a Super Rebel this past weekend with "plastic" line sight gauges along with plastic (?) barbed fittings top & bottom. Does anyone know whether the original kits from Murphy came with Tygon fuel & brake lines or some other material? The fittings that the "plastic" sight gauge line was pushed onto was a polyethylene-type fitting (not an AN-840 fitting as referenced at Aircraft Spruce for use with fuel (Tygon) lines. Picture attached/enclosed.

[snowyriver]

Ted,

My kit (#207, so 1991 ish) came with roll of some plastic for fuel and lots of plastic barbed fittings. I still have all of it. I didn't get anything for brake lines, though and I don't think it was on the inventory, either. Craig

[Jerry Folkerts]

Ted,

I checked this morning. My kit, #093, also has some Nylon lines/fittings. The sight gauges and associated cross fuselage vent lines are nylon, with nylon barbed fittings. The fittings are barbed on one end, threaded on the other. The fuel supply line, comes out of the tank with nylon fittings, has a 90 degree barbed elbow, then immediately goes into a metal shutoff valve. It then converts to AL for the run down to the engine.

I forgot to check for brake fittings, will report back on them later.

Best,
Jerry

[Jerry Folkerts]

Ted,
I checked on the brakes. Unfortunately, there is no reference to installation in the manual -- that I was able to find. There is a picture of the rudder pedal control assembly and I know there is also a Technical Update on Bob's Web Site. Other than that, the only discussion is on the control assembly itself. The picture shows the master cylinders, but nothing coming off them. It also does not list brake lines in the materials list. The only reference in the landing gear section is to attach the brake lines to the aft of the landing gear legs. Nothing else. So, I guess it is up to the builder.
Jerry

[Drew Dalgleish]

My rebel kit came with clear plastic fuel line for the sight gauges and nylon barbed fittings. The plastic went discoloured, hard and brittle within weeks of putting fuel in the tanks so I replaced it with tygon and all the fittings with AN parts and aluminum tubing salvaged from a wrecked cherokee eventually including a ram air vent through the wing root fairing. With my kit I also got nylon tubing and brass compression fittings for the brakes. It lasted for a long time but now I'm using nylon air brake hose which has stood up very well. I think tygon is too soft for use as brake line it would probably swell up under pressure.

[Walter Klatt]

I got some of those nylon (white plastic?) fittings with my kit as well. I use a couple of the elbows and T's for the sight gauges and cross tank venting. The "plastic" lines I use are from the local UL shop where they use them extensively. I check them regularly, and replace when they get discolored, usually every couple years. You never want to wait until they get brittle, as they will crack. But you have to make sure you get the right ones, certainly not the ones form the local hardware store.

Walter