Piper’s PA-28 Cherokee models have been more or less in constant production since 1964. While there have been a wide range of changes to the original two-seat design introduced back then-bigger engines, tapered wings, retractable landing gear and stretched fuselages-the same basic airframe and related components will remain in service for decades to come.
Yet, as with all airplanes as time marches on, wear and tear take a toll on the way various mechanisms work, and better designs often are available to replace them. That’s especially true when it comes to the PA-28 fleet’s sidewall-mounted fuel selector, the current design of which now is in its third generation. The original design-generation 1, or Gen1-did not have much in the way of a detent protecting against inadvertent repositioning, nor does it prevent over-rotation leading to unintended movement to the OFF position. These characteristics aren’t the most desirable in a fuel selector assembly, especially since the component is mounted in the sidewall under the pilot’s left knee, where it can be difficult to view.
