Flow Measurements on Ewarts Fuel Tap

texasSlick

VIP MEMBER
Joined
Jan 2, 2013
Messages
4,143
Country flag
A thread on the Commando Forum piqued my interest to make some flow measurements on an Ewarts fuel tap as used on the Atlas.

EwartsFuelTap.jpeg


The tap is pull for Main, and twist 90 deg. for Reserve.

I measured the fuel delivery to the float chamber of the Monobloc carburetor, which included flow resistance of the tap itself, plus the nipple (fitting that screws to outlet of fuel tap), 4.5 inches of 1/4 inch inside dia. flex tubing, banjo, filter screen, and finally needle orifice. This was done by removing the float chamber cover, allowing the float to rest on the bottom of the chamber, then collecting the fuel using a funnel and container over a one minute period. Time was measured with a precision stopclock, and fuel quantity measured with a 250 ml graduated cylinder.

Flow measurements were done for Reserve (only), Main (only), and both Reserve and Main on simultaneously, for each of three needle orifice sizes: 0.100, 0.125, and 0.200 inch dia. For these measurements, a nipple orifice of 0.149 inch dia. was used.

Flow measurements were also done for the fuel tap, nipple, and 4.5 inches of 1/4 inch dia tube only. The nipple and tube facilitated collection of fuel, and were thus included with the tap measurements. These measurements were done for Reserve, Main, and Both as described above, using nipple orifice sizes of 0.149, and 0.218 inch dia.

Results:

FuelTapFlow_640.png


1) As one would expect, the larger the needle orifice, the greater the flow.
2) Reserve delivers from 70 to 80 % of the main flow when passing thru a needle and seat.
3) Reserve delivers about 53 % of the main flow when no other resistance (other than nipple and tube) is in the circuit.
4) Turning tap to Main plus Reserve, does not deliver combined total of flow. See % Max column on right. This figure is obtained by dividing the actual combined flow, by the sum of the Reserve and Main flows. For flow thru a needle, only 65% of the combined separate flow is obtained for the smaller needle orifice sizes, while the large needle delivers 80% of the combined flow. These results indicate the needle is the principal limiter of flow.
5) For flow straight out of the tap, thru the nipple and short tube, about 94 % of the combined total is achieved. The approx. 6% fall in flow is due to the internal geometry of the tap itself downstream of where the two streams come together inside the tap.
6) Increasing the nipple orifice does not significantly increase the flow. There is only about a 2% increase in flow from the 0.149 in. dia. nipple to the 0.218 in dia.(a 48% increase in diameter). This is in keeping with established fluid mechanics that a small reduction(increase) in the diameter of a tube does not significantly reduce(increase) flow, if the length of the tube having the reduced(increased) section is short (short is about 10 tube diameters).

The exit orifice of the Ewarts tap is 1/8 inch dia. It might be tempting to some to increase this bore, in an effort to get the free flow (no needle, seat, screen, etc) closer to 100% combined. This is not recommended, for item 6) explains only a small effect is achieved for a diameter change over a short distance. Moreover, increasing the diameter may result in gouging or tearing of the cork seal.

For reference, one US pint is 473 ml. We see that this type tap can deliver in free flow (without needle, etc) about 1.04 pints per minute (Main only) and about 1.5 pints per minute (Main plus Reserve), or all the fuel the carburetors can swallow.

Hope this helps.

Slick
 
Last edited:
Thanks for sharing your data. It has peaked my interest for my featherbed project also. My Dunstall atlas has been in limbo for many years(decades) for lack of a E-10 resistant gas tank...since my Dunstall tanks is GP resin/fiberglass. The Dunstall tanks has 2 petcock fittings instead of the featherbed metal tanks having only one. None of my (4 featherbed) bikes came with the fancy pull and twist ewarts petcocks you showed. Anyway I will look for an alternative for petcocks of a sufficient flow rate. I may have finally found the proper novalac epoxy/vinylester resin to make replica tanks to allow me to finally run my 1st real dunstall and my bogus 2nd dunstall hot rod 920 commando powered using my repop tanks...if I can finally get some resin without spending $2500 for a friggin 55 gallon drum of resin stuff.... You can't buy a 5 gallon pail in the USA. They sell in in europe but "CAN NOT BE SHIPPED TO USA" :evil: Yet it is made in America................
 
This type of ewarts tap was fitted to slimlines for years before AMC took over. The extended pull knob came later. The action is actually pull for on ,then twist and pull for reserve. The plunger is special to this tap as it has an extended brass forked nose. Replacement plungers are not availiable from any source with this feature. New corks can be fitted, Happily I bought a dealers box of new plungers and have several spare taps.
 
Last edited:
Flow from the MAP cycle style, DAP co, Dexter MI OFF/MAIN/RESERVE 1/4NPT (tank) 5/16 hose-.1375" outlet port
rethreaded to 1/4 BSPP in a BSA tank
timed 60 second flow directly out of petcock:
main 490ml
reserve 460ml
 
Flow from the MAP cycle style, DAP co, Dexter MI OFF/MAIN/RESERVE 1/4NPT (tank) 5/16 hose-.1375" outlet port
rethreaded to 1/4 BSPP in a BSA tank
timed 60 second flow directly out of petcock:
main 490ml
reserve 460ml

@Dave
Do you have a link for these taps?

Interesting that flow 490 ml/min for these taps is exactly that of my Ewarts on Main only which is 495. Reserve on these taps is 460 ml/min, whereas Ewarts is only 267. However Ewarts can be used with both reserve and main on simultaneously, and with both on, yields a whopping 710 ml/min. I need to remember to turn both on when having a stoplight encounter. Better yet, I need to remember this is not 1965, and I should be very careful who/what I engage with in a stoplight encounter.

Do you suppose the 5/16" outlet barb on the DAP taps could be replaced with a 1/4 bsp ball seat as original Brits were? I know of no such adapter fitting, but I am thinking cut the bsp outlet off a scrap Brit tap, press in a straight tube into both the outlet, and the body of the DAP tap. Do-able?

Slick
 
One thing makes me curious. Though it's half a century since I studied fluid dynamics (and never had to use it), I wonder why nothing is mentioned about incoming pressure in the tap (could also be called fuel level in the tank).
 
One thing makes me curious. Though it's half a century since I studied fluid dynamics (and never had to use it), I wonder why nothing is mentioned about incoming pressure in the tap (could also be called fuel level in the tank).
That is called head pressure, and it does make a difference. I made my measurements with the tank 1/2 full which would be the average head available. I returned the fuel to the tank after each measurement, thus each measurement was made with the same head pressure.

Slick
 
Last edited:
link?
MAP CYCLE but are not refered to as DAP
search ebay
DAP is a manufacturer and chances are you will not buy from them unless you're ready to buy thousands
MAP price was quite good ! ! ! I had seen over $50 elsewere

Head pressure at the valve is the fuel level and ....at reserve that is about 1.5" max rocket science not required
head pressure at the carb is bike specific...
 

ok Dave .........so for the slimline , here is one
Good try -- that is the same DAP co as above and at MAP supply However...... they fail to suggest rethreading for BSPP for britiah tanks like BSA and Triumph....butchers!
 
Here is one that looks promising. States 1/4 Inlet; 1/4 Outlet, but is it NPT or BSPP? I am guessing the lever on the side is Reserve Function. All brass suggests good quality.
From India.

@Triton Thrasher RE: Reply #14
That valve is a side outlet .... not ideal for Amal Monoblocs. I do not understand what one is supposed to do with the adapter fitting. Does the inlet fitting in the picture screw off, and is replaced by the adapter?

Slick
 
@Triton Thrasher RE: Reply #14
That valve is a side outlet .... not ideal for Amal Monoblocs. I do not understand what one is supposed to do with the adapter fitting. Does the inlet fitting in the picture screw off, and is replaced by the adapter?

Slick
Yes not ideal but it has a dirt-water trap bowl like OPE taps.
I've seen those type of metric nut couplers on a lot of OPE metric gas tank with a male spud
therefore:
With a metric spud.... to....."ABC" or "XYZ" adapter it will work on any device you care to make an adapter for! If the screen tube fits through.
 
Here is one that looks promising. States 1/4 Inlet; 1/4 Outlet, but is it NPT or BSPP? I am guessing the lever on the side is Reserve Function. All brass suggests good quality.
From India.

@Triton Thrasher RE: Reply #14
That valve is a side outlet .... not ideal for Amal Monoblocs. I do not understand what one is supposed to do with the adapter fitting. Does the inlet fitting in the picture screw off, and is replaced by the adapter?

Slick
I’ve ordered it, so I’ll be able to tell you how it fits a Slimline Dominator tank on a Wideline frame, feeding twin 928s mounted parallel on a Triumph 650 engine.
 
I’ve ordered it, so I’ll be able to tell you how it fits a Slimline Dominator tank on a Wideline frame, feeding twin 928s mounted parallel on a Triumph 650 engine.
that is the type norvil sells. I bought two a year ago. A friend with a manxman is trying the first one. It does seem to give a bit of reserve in a slimline tank with the 1" tube/dimple. IF I can find mine, I could try a flow test in the little bsa tank I have.
 
Back
Top