Before I install the windshield, I need to run this little vent line. The plans don't exactly spell out where to route it, but from what I could tell it needed to go through the upper longeron, down the inside of the side panel, and through the lower longeron just aft of the landing gear leg. I called Sonex tech supprt and they confirmed it was OK to drill through the longerons, so that's what I did!
The plans are not super clear on what fittings you need for the fuel lines, so I had to sit down and figure out exactly what to order by browsing Aircraft Spruce. Here's the final answer:
The vent fitting is a -4 AN flared fitting. I don't have much experience with these kinds of lines and fittings, but I did know I'd need a flaring tool to create the flares on the ends of the hard lines. After a few minutes of research, I decided the Rigid model 377 flaring tool was a good choice. I ordered one from acmetools.com for about $110 shipped, which was the cheapest I could find it.
Anyway, the flaring tool is expensive but at least it's super easy to use. I tested it on a little piece of line and it seemed to work great so I pressed on!
With that figured out, I went ahead and ran the line from the vent fitting, through the fuselage. I used a little tubing bender that I already had to create the bends above the glareshield since I wanted at least that area to look nice. Once it made its way into the fuselage though, I had to pretty much manhandle the line to get it routed all the way through and out the floor. But in the end it doesn't look too bad. I secured the line inside the fuselage with three little P-clips.
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