Fuel Bladders soon to be approved !

[flyhigh603]

After being in contact with Griggs Aircraft every few weeks since Jan , it looks like the old O&N STC will be finally transfered on Aug 8 th. The final FAA inspection will be completed that day and will be given approval same day. Long story but I've been waiting since Jan to get these bladders to get my bird back in the air. Ruth Griggs has been extremely helpful and informative thru this process. Keeping me updated with progress . I'm told I will be getting the first bladder kit to go out the door and can't wait because only thing holding up my bird is the tanks. I can't explain how elated I am in the fact I almost sold my bird after the news I needed bladders and couldn't afford them at the time. But since Jan I have landed several side jobs which has made it possible to keep my beloved bird. So anyone needing a bladder kit for a Mooney less than a month away !!! 

[Bob_Belville]

Good news, thanks for the update. And we're also glad you've made it through (almost) your saga.

[rbridges]

good for you.  I've been very happy with my install.  Going on 6 years without smelling fuel in the cockpit.

[Oscar Avalle]

Good for you! And good news for all of us


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[steingar]

Boy I hope you can put this behind you.  The one good thing is the bladders are a permanent fix. if they go bad for some reason they can be repaired in situ for about 1 AMU.  I'm still mulling over getting the extra bladders for another 6 gallons.

[Marauder]

2 hours ago, rbridges said:

good for you.  I've been very happy with my install.  Going on 6 years without smelling fuel in the cockpit.

Mine have been installed since January 1992. Glad to hear they are able to continue to sell them.

[flyhigh603]

From my research even the best strip / reseal in the buisness has only a 7 yr guarantee so in essence after 10 yrs you start to worry. And eventually they gotta be stripped and resealed anyway. With bladders if you take care of them they can last 30-40 yrs. and yes 20 yrs down the road if you have a leak you can send them out to be patched. My Mech says he knows a place that can do patching for $400 a bag out in Cali , not sure of the place ....

 

[rbridges]

58 minutes ago, flyhigh603 said:

From my research even the best strip / reseal in the buisness has only a 7 yr guarantee so in essence after 10 yrs you start to worry. And eventually they gotta be stripped and resealed anyway. With bladders if you take care of them they can last 30-40 yrs. and yes 20 yrs down the road if you have a leak you can send them out to be patched. My Mech says he knows a place that can do patching for $400 a bag out in Cali , not sure of the place ....

 

If I'm not mistaken, bladders have a similar warranty.  IMO, the new reseal jobs are probably better than the original ones from the 60's, and I would expect them to last beyond the 7 year warranties the vast majority of the time.  I still feel great having the bladders.  I haven't given leaking tanks a thought since their installation.

[Aviationinfo]

What is the approximate cost of the bladders?

[flyhigh603]

$7700 for the kit and roughly $3-4,000 for instal 

[Hank]

My C, with 52 gal tanks, was resealed in 2010 for less than the cost of the bladder kit alone. Full strip and reseal at Wet Wingologists at KFXE.

[carusoam]

Sealant and procedures have been greatly improved since the 60s.

Stripping and resealing has also been improved over the years.

No, there isn't a seven year reseal expected.

My '94 tanks are still on their initial seal.  20+ years.  Doesn't look like they will need it for some time...

Choose which ever you want... one isn't greatly better than the next.

It comes down to whatever YOU want.  

It is definitely good to have choices...

Best regards,

-a-

[Sabremech]

I don't know when my tanks were re-sealed but I've owned it for 7 years now and no leaking issues. I'm not a fan of bladders only because the troubles we have with them in the Warbirds I help with. 

When the time does come for fuel tank maintenance, I will be re-sealing them. 

[steingar]

When I bought the Lucky Strike (talk about a double entendre!) it was the bladders that convinced me to go.  They had been installed 20 years prior.  Had the wings been sealed 20 years prior I would have had qualms.

[RLCarter]

Any corrosion issues between the bladders and the inside of the original tanks?

[Marauder]

Any corrosion issues between the bladders and the inside of the original tanks?

They don't strip the tanks prior to the bladder installation. So my guess is that there is a level of protection from the original wet wing sealant.


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[Sabremech]

This thread is another reason I'll stick with sealant. When's the next time that bladders won't be available? Sealant will always be more readily available. 

[Guest]

Bladders are great, only $841.00 each for a Comanche!

Clarence

[Hank]

47 minutes ago, M20Doc said:

Bladders are great, only $841.00 each for a Comanche!

Clarence

But how many cheap bladders does it take to feed those eight humongous cylinders for a flight actually leaving the pattern???  

[Bob_Belville]

I've heard this song before... December will mark 20 years of trouble free service for the bladders in my '66E. 

[rbridges]

It would be interesting if stats could be gathered to see how new reseals hold up against bladders.  Everything so far is pretty empirical with no solid numbers AFAIK.  I don't think you can make a wrong choice.  I just turned 48, and my plane just turned 51.  If those bladders hold up 20+ years, I'll consider myself blessed if I'm still flying to complain about them.

 

[rbridges]

Just now, bluehighwayflyer said:

I just wish we could be happy with our own choices without feeling the need to tear others' choices down.  The are pros and cons associated with all of the options that are pretty well established. 

exactly, and anything is better than leaking fuel tanks.

[Guest]

50 minutes ago, Hank said:

But how many cheap bladders does it take to feed those eight humongous cylinders for a flight actually leaving the pattern???  

About 2 & 2/3 of a C model gets the job done.

Clarence

[Sabremech]

8 minutes ago, bluehighwayflyer said:

I just wish we could be happy with our own choices without feeling the need to tear others' choices down. There are pros and cons associated with all of the options that are pretty well established. 

Yes, this would be nice but both sides seem to do the same in regards to each other's choices. 

[Ron McBride]

My 69F went 46 years on the original sealant, yes a couple of patched were done, and could have lasted longer.  I had a strip and seal completed a year and half ago, no problems.

I have seen several bonanza's requiring replacement tanks, there are ads in Trade-a-plane for Cherokee tanks to be resealed also.  No matter what you choose, you will have some maintenance repairs needed in the future.   You're choice of what way to go, and what you want.  Bladders are heavier, but a reseal may not last as long.

Ron