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Fuel Tank Poll

cnoe

By cnoe
in General Mooney Talk

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Fuel Tank Poll  

118 members have voted

  1. 1. Please choose the answer that best describes your Mooney's fuel tanks.

    • Original - don't leak a drop - never patched or resealed.
      22
    • Original - have some minor leaks - never patched or resealed.
      6
    • Have been patched/repaired - don't leak a drop.
      20
    • Have been patched/repaired - still leak or leaking again.
      20
    • Have been stripped and resealed - don't leak a drop.
      23
    • Have been stripped and resealed - still leak or leaking again.
      6
    • Had bladders installed - don't leak a drop.
      21

  2. 2. If your tanks have NEVER been patched/repaired or stripped/resealed, and DO NOT leak, how old is your plane? Otherwise please choose "N/A".

    • 10 years or less.
      2
    • 11-20 years.
      6
    • 21-30 years.
      9
    • 31-40 years.
      17
    • 41-50 years.
      3
    • Older than 50 years.
      3
    • N/A
      78

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cnoe
cnoe

Bladders added. If somebody has a leaky bladder I suggest you visit a urologist.

TTaylor
TTaylor

Where is the "I have bladders and don't worry about it anymore"? 

RobertGary1 Grand Master

RobertGary1

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, teejayevans said:

My top inspection panel has a leak, whichs lends credibility that if sealant dries out it leaks. Or it was removed at some point and the reseal wasn't good.

My money is on the latter. But at least its an easy fix. You can do it in an hour when you're bored.

-Robert

Yetti Grand Master

Yetti

Posted
Posted
45 minutes ago, teejayevans said:

My top inspection panel has a leak, whichs lends credibility that if sealant dries out it leaks. Or it was removed at some point and the reseal wasn't good.

The inspection panels in 75 have a way different sealant than the tanks.  red crumbly vs brown

Marauder Grand Master

Marauder

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, cnoe said:

Discussion has come up regarding the longevity in our Mooney wet-wing tanks. Please respond to the poll.

You should add a category for bladder longevity. Mine have been for 26 years.

 

cnoe Mentor

cnoe

Posted
  • Author
Posted

My assumption was that bladders are a permanent fix so I didn't address that. But if anybody has experienced such a failure I hope they'll discuss it. The 2nd part of the poll is already out of whack due to my poorly worded query but I believe we're getting valuable data from question #1. Later, after more responses we can analyze and discuss the results.


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Marauder Grand Master

Marauder

Posted
Posted
Just now, cnoe said:

My assumption was that bladders are a permanent fix so I didn't address that. But if anybody has experienced such a failure I hope they'll discuss it. The 2nd part of the poll is already out of whack due to my poorly worded query but I believe we're getting valuable data from question #1. Later, after more responses we can analyze and discuss the results.


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I know of one failure and the plane was one of the first to have them installed. Something in the 30 year old range.

cnoe Mentor

cnoe

Posted
  • Author
Posted

My other assumption was that nobody ever installed bladders prior to experiencing a leak.


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carusoam Grand Master

carusoam

Posted
Posted (edited)

Bladders have a couple of challenges related to connecting hardware.  Mostly an installation challenge.  Get it installed right.

90's tanks look really good after 20+ years. Somebody opened the top of mine to reseal the Inspection panels And a couple of screws weren't done right at that time.  

PPI when I purchased it found the issue. Sealed up the screw or two. All good ever since.

I think my bird has lived indoors for most of it's 20 plus years.

finding the cut-off point of the sealants is important when buying a plane with sealed tanks.

1965 C original sealed tanks lasted about 50 years before I noticed any issues. It lived outdoors most of its life.

Best regards,

-a-

 

Edited by carusoam
RobertGary1 Grand Master

RobertGary1

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Yetti said:

The inspection panels in 75 have a way different sealant than the tanks.  red crumbly vs brown

It's a non hardening sealant. Otherwise the panels wouldn't be removable. Flamemaster p/n CS3330B-2

 

-Robert

N201MKTurbo Grand Master

N201MKTurbo

Posted
Posted

My 67 F never leaked a drop with the factory sealant.

My 77 J had the tanks compliantly stripped and resealed in 06 and have been a nightmare ever sense. My annual starts this weekend and I start the third major tank repair...

Raptor05121 Grand Master

Raptor05121

Posted
Posted

Fuel tanks were leaking, stripped and sealed.

Had a small leak from the fuel line going to the fuel pump. Fabricated and replaced.

Fuel selector is now leaking.


"It isn't a Mooney if it ain't leaking!"

  • Like 1
RobertGary1 Grand Master

RobertGary1

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, N201MKTurbo said:

My 67 F never leaked a drop with the factory sealant.

My 77 J had the tanks compliantly stripped and resealed in 06 and have been a nightmare ever sense. My annual starts this weekend and I start the third major tank repair...

A good argument against resealling. 

-Robert

ArtVandelay Grand Master

ArtVandelay

Posted
Posted
I disagree.  If the job is done well then it should be like factory new.  It is not just a case of resealing it is also a case of replacing rivets that have loosened, making sure everything  is as tight as per factory spec and then applying sealant.  
Andrew

With 1 exception, I believe they started to apply sealant during the assembly process and got it between the seems, not just applied over them, don't remember where I read that.
aviatoreb Grand Master

aviatoreb

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hah - I just picked up my plane from weepnomore about a month ago - with a complete reseal and also added long range tanks.  I am happy to report they are still holding!  Before that, it had never been resealed and give I have paint on the calendar, I was figuring it had been long enough that it was tempting fate on a 1981 airplane to paint and just hope the tanks continue to hold without  a reseal.

Actually I had Bruce Jaeger's wonderful new interior with the SCS leather too - and it is sort of pleasant now whenever I put my head into the airplane - it smells like a new car.  Not avgas, but new car, new leather and plastic and glue.

 

Edited by aviatoreb
  • Like 2
Mooneymite Grand Master

Mooneymite

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, Marauder said:

You should add a category for bladder longevity. Mine have been for 26 years.

My bladders were signed off 12/1990, so mine are also at the 26+ years point too.  Always hangared, no leaks.

  • Like 1
Marauder Grand Master

Marauder

Posted
Posted
My bladders were signed off 12/1990, so mine are also at the 26+ years point too.  Always hangared, no leaks.


Glad to hear another owner without bladder issues. Would be tough going through life wearing Depends.

Or worse, trying to find a pair in Mooney size.


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