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RV-12 Bender Site Glass Window Fix

Geico266

Well Known Member
While I'm waiting for the paint shop to finish up my paint job I decided to pull the tank. I just finished sealing up the window and adding "Bender's" fuel gage set up. I must admit (and this really kills me to say this :D;)) that John's fix is a good "cure" to the RV-12 site glass issue. Certainly not for everyone, and the new glass might work fine, but since I had the tank out, and apart, I was not going to take the chance. Plus now I can see it in flight, and when I'm adding fuel. JMHO

Thanks John Bender for your pioneering the "Bender Site Glass Fix"

It was kinda fun to get proseal behind me ear again!


I'll let John post pictures and complete instructions.
 
Look up in history

Look up at "sight glass statistics" if interested. Pictures and description there. I have found no down-side to the mod. As Larry said, its your choice after inspection. Ethanol in the midwest is an issue. Not sure what it might do to the plastic window. The latest factory revision may work for ever. I don't know. I feel mine will be good even if I have ethanol in my tank. The biggest pluses are you can see it while flying, and while filling. A real good quality gauge - Moeller Marine.

John Bender
 
Floating Balls for sight gauge

My airplane has sight gauges that I'd like to add 5-6mm diameter floating plastic spheres to (like the hydrometers we used to test battery acid or antifreeze with); I'd swear I've seen them on a plane or three before, but don't know where the get the spheres; Any suggestions?
 
Floating spheres would be nice to have but the RV-12’s first-generation tank does not use tubing for the sight gauge. Be careful that whatever material you use does not deteriorate or swell up over time in 100LL and/or mogas with ethanol. I have found that a highly focused LED penlight is very useful in reading the visual fuel level during preflight. In flight, I have used my cellphone’s camera to take a quick video of the sight gauge to observe the somewhat bouncy fuel level — I like actually seeing the fuel that remains.
 
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