Fuel syringe confusion

I have a daughter who is a nurse, and she can get me any size of syringe I wish. From what I have read,though, the black rubber thingie at the bottom will deteriorate in glow fuel, causing unwanted additions to the fuel mix. Do the fuel syringes sold by most suppliers use the same material, or are they somehow different and more compatible with glow fuels? Is there a better solution, or should I just buy one of Carl Shoup's modded creations, and never look back? Thanks, all.

Carl,

I think that vet supply places are the only ones with really big syringes. (6-11oz range). Monoject makes virtually all of them. But they all have rubber or neoprene. They are susecptible to corrosion by fuel. You them for part of a season without problems, but it won't take too long for the rubber to start going south.

Carl Shoup's modification to the Monoject syringe is really slick. He uses a silcon gasket that is pretty much impervious to fuel and if it wears out can be easily replaced. He includes the size of the gasket with the syringe and you can get more from him or any supplies of "O" rings.

I pull the plunger out of the syringe and store both parts in a Zip Lock bag. This seems to extend the usable life immensely.

They last a season or two, and they're cheap. If you use them to fill bladder tanks, put a screw in the side to prevent the plunger from being pushed out, or you'll get a lapful of fuel.

LAST EDITED ON Jun-27-04 AT 10:51 PM (CDT)
 
2 oz. ones are really easy to find (any Farm and Fleet should have them), the 5 ouncers and above not so easy. But if you're going to the Nats, go over to the Pylon Racing area and there will be people (Dave Shadel, etc.) who will be selling large syringes for about $30. These use silicone O-rings and should be fuel proof. Some of them are plastic, some are anodized aluminum and look really nice.

For filling bladders, nothing beats the 2 oz. syringes - anything bigger, and it gets difficult to push, since the plunger diameter is bigger and Force = Pressure x Area. If you use really big bladders, the ketchup pumps work too (I saw Paul Walker use one for the B-17).

I work in a hospital and the Pharmacy gave me one of theirs, about 2 ounces. It is just as good as the ones I get from Sig, but not as big.