Introduction and Question re Fuel Tank Issues

[prflyer]

I just signed up for Mooneyspace at a friend's recommendation as I'm thinking of buying a Mooney as my next airplane. I currently own and fly a 1996 RV-6 with a partner that we hopefully will sell in the next couple of months.  In the meantime, I'm reading up and researching Mooneys.  I think I'm interested in a Model E, C or F, depending on condition and price, of course.

 

Here is a question.  I know fuel tanks leak and with a 50 year old airplane you will need a repair of some kind. I see ads that talk about the tanks being resealed, and other ads talk about fuel bladders being used.  Is one method preferred over the other?  What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of each method?  Also, aside from Weep No More (which I'm familiar with as they fixed my RV-6 tanks), are there other Mooney shops that do the resealing work well?  Similarly, any shops to look for to have done that work?

 

Finally, how much does it "repair" cost, or what should I budget for it in case an airplane I'm looking at needs the work.

 

Thanks.

[Hank]

Repair cost varies with tank size. Weep No More licenses their method to Don Maxwell in Texas and I-Forget in Troutdale, OR, among others. Midwest Mooney in Flora, I'LL has a proprietary polyurethane process that costs ~30% more. Wet Wingologists in Fort Lauderdale does it with less chemical stripping and lower chance of paint damage on the bottom of the wing.

Several people here love their O&N bladders, despite higher cost and weight penalty. Other shops can install them, but O&N in PA can do so faster and cheaper.

C and E have standard 52 gallon tanks; F has 64 gallons. Any may have had capacity increased.

Whatever you do, consider transportation costs and warranty. Wet Wingologists did mine 3 years ago and I'm quite happy.

[Bob_Belville]

Welcome to MooneySpace prflyer!  

 

Hopefully you'll find a plane whose tanks have been properly resealed or have O&N bladders. You should search the archives here for fairly recent threads on this issue. In general, folks who have bladders swear by them. And those who have gone the "modern" strip/seal route are equally pleased with that choice. I don't think anyone has ever cited any plane for which the bladders have failed. But bladders cost a little more and weigh a few pounds. I think O&N lists their price on their website, both for the kit and installed. (If you opt for a C or E with 52 gal usable the O&N route can get you an extra 10 gallons capacity if long legs are of interest.

 

And there's a recent thread on introductions you might want to post to. You'll find the folks here ready to help.

[Seth]

Welcome to MooneySpace!  Not even meaning to you have stirred up one of the most heated discussions on MooneySpace:  Bladders vs Reseal.

 

I have owend two Mooneys - one with bladders and one with the wet wing - I see the bennefits and cons of both.  As mentioned, do complete the search and you'll find a whole lot of information on the topic.  I used to own an F and the C, E, and F are all great airplanes - the mission will most likely determine which model you pursue.  Search for that topic as well.

 

Take care,

 

-Seth

[rbridges]

unless it's a complete strip/reseal at a quality shop, I wouldn't put much value in it.  My tanks were resealed a couple of times.  Joey Cole mentioned that to me when he was installing the bladders.  They obviously didn't hold up too well.

 

Hank went with strip/reseal and I went with bladders within a few months of each other.  We're both very happy with the results, so it really depends on your philosophy.

[fantom]

.... so it really depends on your philosophy.

 

....and to some degree on what's most convenient from an install and follow up perspective , what the budget is, the useful load you need, and how original you want to keep the plane.

[Mooneymite]

Welcome to Mooneyspace!

 

Whatever you decide on fuel tanks, buy the airplane that already has a fresh re-seal, or bladders.  Avoid the initial shock of having to do either after you buy your "baby".

 

I own a Mooney and I've owned an RV.  Once you get used to the lower maintenance costs of an experimental, it's hard to adjust your thinking back to the cost of "certified" maintenance. 

 

Once again, welcome to Mooneyspace!

[moodychief]

C and E have standard 52 gallon tanks; F has 64 gallons. Any may have had capacity increased.

The older C models have 48 gallon tanks.

I've been told that once you go to bladders in your airplane you can't convert back to sealed tanks. I didn't want to sacrifice any load so I had my tanks resealed by Weep no More a few years ago.

[MooneyMitch]

For Mooney fuel tank sealing, I highly recommend Greg and Ed, Advanced Aircraft Services, a Mooney Service Center in Troutdale, Oregon.  We have received excellent service with our fuel tank issues. 

 

Give Greg a call.  He would is quite helpful.

 

Greg Lehman
Advanced Aircraft Services, LLC
Troutdale, OR
503-465-2298

[BigTex]

My '65 C has the O&N Bladders and I actually picked up a couple of gallons (from 52 to 54).  The wonderful thing about these two options is that there's not a wrong answer, just personal preference.  When purchasing your plane.  Find one that either has the O&N Bladders or has a recently resealed tank by one of the experts mentioned above.

 

As for your model choice.  Your first decision is to decide how often will you carry backseat passengers.  If the answer is anything other than rarely, I'd look at the F.  But on the other hand, if you almost never carry more than one passenger,  then it's hard to beat the C or E.  The C has a rock solid O-360 which is one of the best engines ever built (I'm biased, I know ).  If you're a fuel injected man and want 20 extra horsepower, then the E's your plane.

 

Good luck with your search.

[prflyer]

Thanks to everyone for your comments and suggestions. I guess the first thing I need to do is get familiar with the search function to research this and other issues.  I will do that.  

 

I am a little afraid of leaving the experimental world and its lower maintenance costs, but we will see what happens.  A lot will depend on what my partner wants to do.

 

By the way -- Seth -- I'm also based out of KGAI.  If you want a passenger or a safety pilot on a weekend, I would love to go flying with you to get the chance  to see your Mooney and pick your brain. Let me know. Thanks.

 

Fernando

 

PS - I just wanted to clarify that I had a very good experience with Paul @ Weep No More in his repair of my RV tanks.  I just wanted to understand better the available options for a Mooney.