I need fuel bladders ??? Help !!!!

[gsxrpilot]

Welcome to airplane ownership. If you don't take a very active role and make things happen yourself, but rather let others who don't have any stake in whether you fly or not, make decisions, the airplane will likely sit. We see them at little airports all over the country, frustrating the grounds crew just trying to cut the grass.

It seems to me that virtually every time my plane is in a shop, any shop, for maintenance, if I'm not there pushing, making decisions, and driving the process, it would never come back out of the shop. I believe Mike Busch has developed a thriving business around solving this very problem for owners. So it's a real thing.

[yvesg]

About your difficulty to start.... since you are in NH, you probably have temperature similar to what we get here. I own a C and I always pre-heat as soon as the temp is below 5 Celcius. I went to florida around New Year's and when departing from St.-Augustine I had difficulty to start the engine... it was around 2-3 Celcius and I did not pre-heat.

Yves

[flyer7324]

I had the 54.8 gallon bladders installed in my C in 1999-2000 as I recall. Price was about 5500.00 complete. Have had no problems other that a leak around the sump drains that was repaired by the O and N at no cost to me. In July of 2016 I had Griggs install the additional 10 gallons. Now that was expensive about 4700.00 but I had a need for the additional capacity so I went for it. They're good guys and very competent. The installation was flawless but it's not cheap. 

[DXB]

On 1/22/2017 at 9:50 AM, gsxrpilot said:

Welcome to airplane ownership. If you don't take a very active role and make things happen yourself, but rather let others who don't have any stake in whether you fly or not, make decisions, the airplane will likely sit. We see them at little airports all over the country, frustrating the grounds crew just trying to cut the grass.

It seems to me that virtually every time my plane is in a shop, any shop, for maintenance, if I'm not there pushing, making decisions, and driving the process, it would never come back out of the shop.

Amen Brother.  This is particularly trying and exhausting for the novice owner - my sympathies to the poster.  As a "low-intermediate" owner now, I'm starting to get the hang of it a bit, but it takes real commitment to learning, and some self control.  I worried how the OP made out - his A&P really seemed to have him over a barrel.  

 

[M20F-1968]

Put a ferry tank in the back seat of the plane if need be and fly it to weep no more.  You can get a DAR to issue the ferry permit (Much more reliable than trying to get the FAA to do it).  They may not allow flight on the bad tanks due to posiible engine stoppage, but they should allow a ferry tank.  The other argument that may waor, which is not ideal, is if you have a problem with one bad take, there is another tank to get you on the ground.  In any case, seek a ferry permit from a DAR.  I would not go bladders, strip and reseal.  Get is touch with Weep No More.  Maybe Paul could help out on location.

John Breda

[M20F-1968]

Put a ferry tank in the back seat of the plane if need be and fly it to weep no more.  You can get a DAR to issue the ferry permit (Much more reliable than trying to get the FAA to do it).  They may not allow flight on the bad tanks due to possiible engine stoppage, but they should allow a ferry tank.  The other argument that may work, which is not ideal, is if you have a problem with one bad take, there is another tank to get you on the ground.  In any case, seek a ferry permit from a DAR.  I would not go bladders, strip and reseal.  Get is touch with Weep No More.  Maybe Paul could help out on location.

John Breda