Fuel seepage

[blakealbers]

Any thoughts on how extensive or simple fixing this fuel leak will be.

[N201MKTurbo]

About hundred dollars in materials and about 16 hours labor.

[blakealbers]

Awesome, thanks for the info!

[mike_elliott]

Any thoughts on how extensive or simple fixing this fuel leak will be.

Give Paul Beck a call at Weep No More LLC. He is a square shooter who will fix it right. If it can be patched and fixed correctly, he will do that, if it needs a full strip and seal, he is the best in the business. 

http://weepnomorellc.com/

[donkaye]

About hundred dollars in materials and about 16 hours labor.

First off, that leak needs to be fixed pronto.  A total reseal of both tanks runs about $11,000.  I'd try to do a partial fix first.  In my area, that would run about 2,000 from Top Gun, a Mooney Service Center.  I've continually had mine repaired, but next time it will be a complete reseal.  My Bravo is a 1991 and never been totally resealed.

[Awful_Charlie]

If you have someone savvy enough to work with the materials, then you can do it yourself - see http://mooneyspace.com/gallery/album/13730-tank-seal/

 

That repair took the two of us about a whole day, the majority of which was removing the old sealant in the leaking areas. Having done the internal repair, we left it a while to cure before putting the inspection covers back in, which was a fairly easy job. Albeit, there's not the space to get two of you working in the tank at the same time, but if you are anything like us, you will want regular breaks (to go and swear and generally cuss). We just used plastic scrapers and a small amount of MEK on rags to get the old stuff out. I can't remember exactly how much sealant we used, but think it was two or three tubes of the slow setting stuff, one of two tubes of the quick (for the access panels), and about a pint of the gloopy paint on 1005. Without Jim I couldn't have done it on my own - I'd no experience of how to use the PR sealants for a start. (He used to repair BBJ and Falcon tanks, normally by crawling inside them - not something you can do in a Mooney!)

 

Agree with Don - that leak needs a repair soon, check the MM, but I suspect that is way outside of airworthy tolerance

[carusoam]

1) What we see...

Staining around an unsealed removable panel.

Some additional staining next to a 'vent hole' on the outboard side of the tank.

2) What we don't know...

What is actually leaking.

3) what we do know...

Bravos are in the modern tank seal material era.

Seals of fuel level sensors can leak this way.

4) something to look forward to...

Have your favored mechanic check if the leak is coming from a seal on the end of the tank. The fuel level sensor on the end is an easy fix.

As pointed out. That is too large a leak to put off.

Good luck.

Eternal optimist,

-a-

[N9405V]

When you clean it up, how long does it take to come back?

[donkaye]

I've had extensive leaks along a back seam and in other places.  Top Gun has been able to repair them so far.  Apparently the new type sealant is not much better than the old from my experience.  As I said, on the next leak it will be a total reseal.

[blakealbers]

Honestly not sure how long the stain takes to come back, It was brought to my attention while the plane was in for avionics work. The last time I was on a creeper washing the entire plane there were no leaks. Gonna clean it up and see how long it takes. It goes in for annual late June, Im going to have local mechanic look at it and see if he thinks it can wait til annual or not. Never any visible actual dripping onto the floor with 35 gals in

[N9405V]

Leak classification from a M20E service manual.

[blakealbers]

Can see about 1 mm of fuel on outside edge of panel in 5 min, upon removel of the pane there's grey sealent in the inside corner but hard to tell where it's leaking from. This is the speed brake bay

[mikesideup]

Your pics look exactly like my 1991 bravo looked 2 years ago. Myself and my mooney mechanic chased the leak(s) for 9 months . I finally broke down and took it to wet wingologists in Florida The guy is great and did a fantastic job in 10 days with a 7 yr warranty. He did a complete strip and reveal of all tanks including the long range tanks, they look like it just came off the assembly line at Mooney.

Believe me this is a dirty , missy frustrating ordeal to attempt yourself.

[mikesideup]

Your pics look exactly like my 1991 bravo looked 2 years ago. Myself and my mooney mechanic chased the leak(s) for 9 months . I finally broke down and took it to wet wingologists in Florida The guy is great and did a fantastic job in 10 days with a 7 yr warranty. He did a complete strip and reveal of all tanks including the long range tanks, they look like it just came off the assembly line at Mooney.

Believe me this is a dirty , missy frustrating ordeal to attempt yourself.

[mikesideup]

P.s. My sealant was the original that had been patch previously, so it is probably old and failing so may never be able to stop the leaks.

[N201MKTurbo]

You can always stop the leaks if you do it right. If you try to cut corners you will probably have a bad outcome.

It is possible to absolutely make sure it is leak free before you put the access panels on, and you can easily check the access panels after they are on.

I've done it more times then I care to think about. And I've never had a tank that was repaired properly leak again.

It takes a lot of work to do it right, but way less then a complete reseal.

[blakealbers]

The plane has been sitting at 15 gal and the leak stopped. Put 10 gal in total 25-27 and see what we have tomorrow

[blakealbers]

appears the leak is actually coming from that small vent hole and not the speed brake compartment, it was just running down in there and presenting it self there. 

[AndyFromCB]

Blake,

 

Around here Duncan Aviation in Lincoln is your place to get the leak fixed. They have a wet tank team that's pretty effective.