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Old 11-06-2009, 04:16 PM   #19 (permalink)
jamesqf
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Christ View Post
When you get water in the tank, you get a very uneven distribution of water and fuel through each injector, and that causes stumbling and other problems, if you can even get it started.
The problem is that the (non-emulsified) water, being denser than gas, collects on the bottom of the tank, and so if there's a bunch it will all go into the pickup tube & down the fuel lines, meaning you're trying to run the engine on straight water until it all runs through. That's why light airplanes typically have fuel drains in the tanks, so you can draw off a bit from the bottom as part of your preflight check, and see if there's any water accumulated.
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