Fuel Leak

[carusoam]

The top side is a nice place to have a leak.  The blue stains can't run very far before becoming exposed.  The seal for them is the same tank sealant used for the rest of the tank, accept for one detail... it is slightly easier to break the sealant here...

Bottom side can leak and run feet from away before leaving a stain externally...

Esssentialy the sealant comes in two variations, thick and thin. The panels generally use the thin stuff...

My top panels were re-sealed along the way. Somebody did a good job fixing the seals, just did a crummy job fixing the paint when they were done...

Think about the paint while you are at it...

Best regards,

-a-

Edited March 22, 2017 by carusoam

[BDPetersen]

Soon enough I will find out how successful my attempt at resealing is. Used the soap bubble test per Don Maxwell which revealed one specific spot. What I have learned so far is that buying the sealant in the tube is wasteful if you end up with a small repair. Should have purchased the small can. 

Anyway, if I am correct it wasn't a bad job. If not . . .

[N201MKTurbo]

At the very least you will need some volume of tank sealant, cover plate sealant and the Red rubber stuff. Don't skip the red rubber stuff. I put the bottom panels on first then paint them all over with the red stuff then put on the top covers. It adds a day to the process but I think it is worth it.

I usually try to wait until the MEK smell dissipates from the gas cap before I put fuel in. That takes a few days.

[EricJ]

10 minutes ago, N201MKTurbo said:

At the very least you will need some volume of tank sealant, cover plate sealant and the Red rubber stuff. Don't skip the red rubber stuff. I put the bottom panels on first then paint them all over with the red stuff then put on the top covers. It adds a day to the process but I think it is worth it.

I usually try to wait until the MEK smell dissipates from the gas cap before I put fuel in. That takes a few days.

Ah, good to know there's a local that's done this before.  

[DonMuncy]

One of the terrible problems is that no one will (or can) guarantee a patch. So you are rolling the dice with a patch. It may work well, or it can have another leak next week.

From Colorado, The Tankman near Houston is closer than Weep No More or Florida. 

[peevee]

5 minutes ago, DonMuncy said:

One of the terrible problems is that no one will (or can) guarantee a patch. So you are rolling the dice with a patch. It may work well, or it can have another leak next week.

From Colorado, The Tankman near Houston is closer than Weep No More or Florida. 

Other way around. From denver Willmar is 540.4. KELA is 754.4

[Bob_Belville]

6 hours ago, CaptGMoore said:

 

I have a 1969 M20F that is currently undergoing its annual. I was informed by my mechanic, that he has found a fuel leak in the left tank. Back in 2004 the fuel tanks were stripped and resealed in by "Wet-Wingologists down in Florida. Curious if anyone has recently had their tanks resealed? What is the cost for the procedure, and approximately how long did it take? I know there is also a company in Minnesota - "weep no more" that does these type of repairs as well. Any additional thoughts or recommendations on how to address fuel leak?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Hum, tanks resealed using modern materials are leaking in 12 years?

O&N, who provided bladders for hundreds(?) of Mooneys, has retired. Their bladder business has been taken over by Griggs:

http://www.griggsaircraft.com/

[DonMuncy]

11 minutes ago, peevee said:

Other way around. From denver Willmar is 540.4. KELA is 754.4

Oops, most of the things I am wrong about are things I "just knew" are true without checking.

[peevee]

12 hours ago, DonMuncy said:

Oops, most of the things I am wrong about are things I "just knew" are true without checking.

You should know distances in texas are ALWAYS further than you think

[gsxrpilot]

8 hours ago, peevee said:

You should know distances in texas are ALWAYS further than you think

El Paso and Texarkana are both in Texas. El Paso is closer to LAX and Texarkana is closer to Chicago.

Why do you think Mooney's come from Texas? You need speed and efficiency just to get to the state line, much less to actually go anywhere.

[LANCECASPER]

Thread drift . . . .

 

From El Paso, TX  to Beaumont, TX it's 834 miles.

From El Paso, TX crossing through New Mexico and Arizona and the width of California, it's 803 miles to Los Angeles.

Driving from Los Angeles CA all the way across to Jacksonville, FL over 1/3 of your drive will be in Texas.

 

[PTK]

Question about tanks and sealant. When airplane was built and tank panels assembled at the factory was there sealant actually sandwiched between overlaping surfaces or was it only applied on the top surface. Seems to me sandwiching sealant between surfaces, which can only be done when tanks are initially built, is superior to brushing it on top as is done with reseals. 

And if it was sandwiched between panels at seams at the factory, does stripping remove it? 

I have no leaks, knock wood, but when I do I'm very reluctant to fully strip old sealant for this reason.

Is this a valid way of thinking?

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, PTK said:

Question about tanks and sealant. When airplane was built and tank panels assembled at the factory was there sealant actually sandwiched between overlaping surfaces or was it only applied on the top surface. Seems to me sandwiching sealant between surfaces, which can only be done when tanks are initially built, is superior to brushing it on top as is done with reseals. 

And if it was sandwiched between panels at seams at the factory, does stripping remove it? 

I have no leaks, knock wood, but when I do I'm very reluctant to fully strip old sealant for this reason.

Is this a valid way of thinking?

I have always understood it that sealant was applied over the joints after the wing was assembled.

Clarence

[ArtVandelay]

I have always understood it that sealant was applied over the joints after the wing was assembled.
Clarence

I remember reading they changed the sealant or process, I have yet to hear about a late model Mooney having fuel leaks, but someone at one of the resealing shops could give a definitive answer.

[LANCECASPER]

2 hours ago, PTK said:

Question about tanks and sealant. When airplane was built and tank panels assembled at the factory was there sealant actually sandwiched between overlaping surfaces or was it only applied on the top surface. Seems to me sandwiching sealant between surfaces, which can only be done when tanks are initially built, is superior to brushing it on top as is done with reseals. 

And if it was sandwiched between panels at seams at the factory, does stripping remove it? 

I have no leaks, knock wood, but when I do I'm very reluctant to fully strip old sealant for this reason.

Is this a valid way of thinking?

This began in 2006 with the Acclaim and has continued with Acclaims and Ovations built since then.

[KSMooniac]

Question about tanks and sealant. When airplane was built and tank panels assembled at the factory was there sealant actually sandwiched between overlaping surfaces or was it only applied on the top surface. Seems to me sandwiching sealant between surfaces, which can only be done when tanks are initially built, is superior to brushing it on top as is done with reseals. 
And if it was sandwiched between panels at seams at the factory, does stripping remove it? 
I have no leaks, knock wood, but when I do I'm very reluctant to fully strip old sealant for this reason.
Is this a valid way of thinking?

Depending on thickness, this can be a bad idea structurally speaking. It increases the bending forces in rivets that designed to only react shear loads.

I still think sealant would eventually break down and require renewal periodically, and if it was between structure the those parts would get loose (bad!) as the sealant breaks down in addition to requiring massive disassembly to renew it.

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[Chris from PA]

I took my '65 C to Weep No More last May and was very happy with the process.  Total cost was $8600 including fuel (1700 nm round trip), hotel, airline tickets, etc.  Well worth the investment to me as I plan to keep the plane for 20 years or more.  Since yours were resealed 13 years ago I would consider spot sealing as the majority of your sealant should still be in good shape. Good luck.