The 11th plague: Holes in fuel lines

I had a similar problem a few years ago, with the Great Planes brand blue fuel tubing. Solved it by switching to the pink Prather brand.

Texas Pete AMA 59376

Just about every single motor problem I've had in the last 22 years has been solved by pulling the tank and replacing all the silicone plumbing. Even when I couldn't see any holes! Silicone tubing has become the bane of my aeromodelling existance. Now it has become a early spring ritual to replace it all before the flying season.

Lately I have seen the light and switched over mostly to lithium polymer "fuel systems". No electron leaks lately.

That flare does it. It cuts into the silicone tubing. Take the fuel tube, chamfer it, put it in a drill, and using course sandpaper, sand the ends while spinning the drill. The fuel line will not come off of this coarsely treated end, and the tubing will not cut into the silicone.

We had this happen for the first time last saturday during a test of an airborne video equiped PT-40, which caused a deadstick condition. This was later determined to be the cause. The hole was caused by a firewall failure due to fuel soakage.