I started with the
*Kavan pump--- $30
2 gallon gas can ---$5
I got a 3 way switch from Radio shack--- $6
I had plenty of wire at my house ---FREEBIE
I had grey spray paint already-----FREEBIE
I got my fuel filter at Autozone----$4
I used velcro to hold the battery on (
**the pic shows zipties, I changed that out)--FREEBIE
I used Tygon ----$6
I originally used a
***2400 LION pack to power it that wasn't holding a charge very good so it wasn't flight worthy but perfect for ground ops
attached all the items to some light junk wood (thin partical board) and then sho-gooed it to the can (note: the sho-goo is not fuel proof so don't spill gas on it or it will start to come off....mines worked for 4yrs so far though)
*the kavan pump started leaking in cold weather after 2 yrs of use, was fine in very hot weather. I then bought the greylor pump for $54 online
**I had orginally used Zipties but they then proved difficult to reinstall and I thought better of leaving the battery in the unit while charging. The velcro makes it a quick way to take the battery out for charging. I also unplug my battery when the system is not in use.
***I have now upgraded to a 3-cell LION pack at 11.1v The pump can handle 12v so this works great. It fuels/defuels even faster! The battery lasts quite awhile as well. I typically charge it up every 2-3 weeks on my triton (cost $30)
So total amount I've spent on my pump
Original amount $51 (give or take a few dollars) 1 night of time
Total amount with upgrades ($84+$51=$135) If you did it my last way from the start it would be about $100
So I saved enough to buy a servo for my next plane. Abell/Jersey cans typically go for $199.99 + shipping
My other project at the same time was a smoke jug.
I did the exact same thing except instead of a gas can I used an old metal glo container. I painted it and applied some Supri-Dri stickers (after cleaing the inside of course). The Kavan pump there has worked for 3yrs with no problems