16 Mesh Fuel Screen to Oops Fitting

[dtibbo]

My B-model came with three "oops fittings' for the fuel tank. Two are 1/8" and one for the fuel outlet is 3/8" ID. The install instructions say that this fuel outlet should have a "16 Mesh Fuel Screen" on the inside of the fitting. However, the 3/8" oops fitting is smooth on the inside; not threaded to attach the screen or anything else.

I have dual fuel filters, I think I can forgo the mesh screen inside the tank. Thoughts? Has anyone used something different?

[Bryan Cotton]

That seems odd. All my oops fittings have pipe threads on the inside.

[GordonTurner]

The oops fitting is definitely supposed to have NPT threads on the inside. The finger screen screws in from the outside, and has NPT threads on its inside into which the fuel line fitting screws. The finger filter is relatively very large area filter and not too fine, it is important to protect your finer filters.

Gordon

[dtibbo]

That seems odd. All my oops fittings have pipe threads on the inside.

Well there's threads on the inside, but only on the lower half for the outlet line. The threads literally stop halfway through.

[Bryan Cotton]

Maybe they threaded it from the wrong end. I'd check with Sonex.

[racaldwell]

Are you sure you are looking at the fitting from the end that will be outside the tank? That's the end threaded on the outside with the flats for holding with a wrench. The pipe thread on the inside is tapered so it makes sense that the tapered inside threads only go about half way thru the bore.

If not, then they must have threaded the fitting from the wrong end ( the bulkhead fitting end.) If that is the case, then if you can find a 1/8" NPT tap, then you can tap it yourself. Most commercial bulkhead fittings are tapped from both ends on the internal bore so pipe fittings can be screwed on from inside & outside the tank. It's usually a suction strainer that is screwed on the inside.

Rick Caldwell
Xenos 0057

[dtibbo]

Hey Rick,

So I had called Sonex and your response makes sense. I thought I would be screwing the finger strainer from the inside, but the mesh slips in from the outside to the interior.

First install of this, the plans weren't as explicit in this area. All good now.