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Quote: mooney2201 i have had bladders for 11 years no problems at all,,,READ THIS... THERE ARE COMPANYS OUT THERE THAT ARE STRIPPING TANKS, WITH WIRE WHEELS ON DRILLS....THE WIRE WHEEL WILL SET UP FOR DISSIMILAR METAL CORROSION,KISS YOUR INVESTIMENT GOOD BUY///////// BE SAFE MAKE SURE THAT THEY DONT USE THIS PROCESS, YOU WILL PAY DEARLY, IT COULD BE MONEY OR YOUR LIFE,IF THE SPAR IS COMPROMISED.......

WOW. this sounds great. i was thinking about doing the same. id love to hear peoples comments as well.

Quote: jetdriven Now lest hear about the people who spent 5K having their tanks patched 3 times in a few years. I have read them here.

Please guys don’t take this personally as I have been told that this subject is a sensitive one. So far we have not gotten any solid pros for bladders. We started to get 1 pro with bladders lasting 20yrs but we have owners with over 30yrs of the original sealant, I also understand that the bladders have not been out as long. At the same time the people with the bladders seem to be happy with them. So that’s good.

Quote: M016576 I spoke to an a&p that did a reseal on a m20c a little while back. Rather than do a full strip& reseal, he said that he let the tanks dry out for a few days, applied some sealant to the inside of the tanks, plugged up the fuel lines and vents, then applied 5psi of pressure to the tank. The sealant sought out the leaks. He let the sealant dry, then refueled the aircraft... No leaks. That was 5 years ago and apparently the wet wing is still holding up without weeps. He also said that he has had bad luck with Cessna bladders. Anyone tried this method for patchIng the wet wing? Applying a little pressure? The a&p said it was much much cheaper than a strip&reseal (to the tune of $800 bucks total...

Quote: Piloto When you look at new airplane production (from 2000 and on) you will notice that none contain bladder tanks. This trend started with the production of large airplanes were blader cost, weight and maintenance logistics were big issues for the airlines. Here are some comparison between the two concepts 1. Bladder tanks require specially made parts (bags) for a particular plane like the B707. This could be over 20 different part numbers for each wing side and wing section. Because of the long delay on getting these from the bladder manufacturer the maintnance facility needs to stock all of them to insure quick turn around. With wet wing integral tank all you need to stock is a can of sealant. 2. Bladder tanks on the average have 20% less fuel capacity than integral tanks for the same wing volume. 3. Bladder tanks weight is about four times the weight of integral tanks (sealant weight). 4. Bladder tanks can trap moisture between the bladder skin and the wing structure. Periodic inspection is required to prevent corrosion. 5. If not properly installed bladders can collapse or wrinkle causing fuel depravation. Sealant sandwich between structural members assures no leakage even after sealant deterioration. Later Mooneys were assemble this way. On older ones the sealant is applied over assembled structure. José

Quote: Bnicolette My tanks just had their 30th birthday without a single patch. Of course I know I'm on borrowed time.

Quote: jetdriven My bladders are 20 years old. No work done to them, and no leaks. There's a data point for you. Is that patch job reseal going to last 20 years? Here we go....

Quote: gregwatts I say RESEAL!..........I also fly ROP!

I just want to get people’s opinions and see why this is a touchy subject for some people.

Okay, I am a fairly new Mooney owner and it seems that there is a big debate about bladders vs. a reseal. I don’t get it, and maybe some of you can share your experiences and pros and cons. I admit after meeting Paul Beck at weep no more and getting to know how the process works I may be a bit biased. This is how I see it: Bladders Cons: Extra Weight, Decays over time, once installed almost impossible to go back to original state, $2K Replacement Fuel Cap, Lots of new hardware. Pros: Fuel Caps Look Amazing Reseal: Original Design (This may be both a pro or con) Decays over time but lasts longer than Bladders.

Quote: Mitch

Quote: Bnicolette CRE is a great airport and a decent FBO. Crew car and restaurants near by. (Even a Steeler pub just north of the airport on 17N) Fuel is a little pricey @ $6.29/gallon. SSI is also a great airport with a nice FBO. Crew car and restaurants near by including some real upscale places. What do you guys use to find fuel prices? I have been using 100ll.com I like it because it give the lowest price around the airport you've chosen.

Hi Seth, I got to Florida pretty often from NY and I know you don’t want to hear this but every time on my way to south Florida I always stop at odyssey in Charleston intl. they have great crew cars and a tremendous amount of restaurants in the vicinity. The only drawback is the high fuel costs. You can always get a .20-.50 cent discount but even with that it’s still very high but I always pay it because I really love going there. I usually go nonstop from Charleston to ft. Lauderdale but if I have to stop I do so at Daytona Beach. There is cheap fuel there and I’m sure there is a restaurant. I have never eaten there but it’s a huge place there has to be something. Anyways I hope this helps.

Congratulations!!!

Rob, Thanks alot. I really appreciate it. I found the plane to have had a nose gear collapse in 1999 but I don’t think that’s really all that significant. Thanks again.

I was hoping I could get someone to help me. What website do you guys use to get damage history on an airplane? I cannot find one but I have seen from previous posts where you guys have found all kinds of information. The reason I am asking is that I am looking to upgrade and have seen an airplane where the listed price is too good to be true. I think something has happened to the plane. I’d appreciate any help.

I havent been a member of this site for long but i just think its very nice to see people take time out of their day to help eachother and not always think about money. this website is really a great asset.

Ok good. im glad. i hope you will be able to work something out. i did the same thing by placing an ad on aopa and nver got 1 e-mail from anyone. i dont think many people know about it. at the same time i dont think it would have worked out in my case anyway. well i hope to see you soon..

Does this mean we are not going to be seeing you in our fly-Ins anymore?

I can't say anything good about the company except that Kirk fryar is a stand up guy. To make a long story short I had all kinds of problems and finally after the second attempt where the plane came back to me worse off than when I dropped it off and weeks of needless down time. I went to my own shop to have the issues fixed for good.

Quote: Becca