My Acclaim's right fuel tank is leaking. Sigh.

[Joe Zuffoletto]

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful responses! This really is an amazing community.

Mooney support told me today that there's nothing inside the wing at that location that could leak. Not fuel, not TKS.

I read on another thread that some have cleaned their wing walks with WD-40 with good results, so I gave that a shot and damn, the wing walk looks like new! I didn't have my camera with me so I'll post "after" pics in a couple days.

About two months ago I did spill engine oil there but I immediately cleaned it off with dish soap and hot water and everything looked fine. The stain didn't develop for a couple of weeks and that's what threw me off. I guess the oil soaked into the wing walk material and gradually caused the stain to develop.

Thanks again for all your suggestions.

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, Joe Zuffoletto said:

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful responses! This really is an amazing community.

Mooney support told me today that there's nothing inside the wing at that location that could leak. Not fuel, not TKS.

I read on another thread that some have cleaned their wing walks with WD-40 with good results, so I gave that a shot and damn, the wing walk looks like new! I didn't have my camera with me so I'll post "after" pics in a couple days.

About two months ago I did spill engine oil there but I immediately cleaned it off with dish soap and hot water and everything looked fine. The stain didn't develop for a couple of weeks and that's what threw me off. I guess the oil soaked into the wing walk material and gradually caused the stain to develop.

Thanks again for all your suggestions.

I use WD40 to rejuvenate my wing walk as well.  It lasts a while and is cheap and easy.

Clarence

 

[Guest]

28 minutes ago, smccray said:

Same type certificate though.  Caution is certainly recommended using old documentation for anyone signing off on airworthiness, but somehow I doubt the documentation has changed. I'd give the proverbial 2 points to Robert unless someone finds more recent documentation. 

From the TN maintenance manual.

 

[Tommy]

3 hours ago, RobertGary1 said:

When in doubt just taste it. You'll know if its fuel if you rub your finger on it and stick it in your mouth.

-Robert

Or better still, use a lighter.

[StevenL757]

45 minutes ago, Joe Zuffoletto said:

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful responses! This really is an amazing community.

Mooney support told me today that there's nothing inside the wing at that location that could leak. Not fuel, not TKS.

I read on another thread that some have cleaned their wing walks with WD-40 with good results, so I gave that a shot and damn, the wing walk looks like new! I didn't have my camera with me so I'll post "after" pics in a couple days.

About two months ago I did spill engine oil there but I immediately cleaned it off with dish soap and hot water and everything looked fine. The stain didn't develop for a couple of weeks and that's what threw me off. I guess the oil soaked into the wing walk material and gradually caused the stain to develop.

Thanks again for all your suggestions.

Joe, from experience, try some mineral spirits on a paper towel.  This tends to pull out color and odor so it can help you rule something in or out a bit easier, especially fuel.  I've had plenty of TKS fluid around that area of the wing, and it looked nothing like your picture.  Keep us posted?

Steve

[smccray]

30 minutes ago, M20Doc said:

From the TN maintenance manual.

 

Winner winner chicken dinner!!!

I'm on my phone so I can't tell if that's the same or different, but Doc Wins!!!

[Guest]

41 minutes ago, Tommy said:

Or better still, use a lighter.

I was going to suggest that as well, but it could lead to an insurance claim.

Clarence

[peevee]

PS every time I'm out flying and it's bumpy I think of you now Joe, lol

[carusoam]

Summary:

Whatever it is...

it is spreading in a very nice circular pattern.

Fuel that has flowed that far from home has a tendency to run along seams, or run down hill.

Most often a round dot grows out from the leak itself, like being centered on a loose or unsealed rivet...

1) not in the right place to be a fuel leak.  It would be likely dripping somewhere else at the bottom at the same time...

2) not running like a fuel leak along a seam or edge....

3) not in the same place as TKS plumbing...

4) oil with a wetting agent would really spread extra well...  ( just lubricating the discussion and fanning the flames at the same time. )

Best regards,

-a-

[Joe Zuffoletto]

1 hour ago, peevee said:

PS every time I'm out flying and it's bumpy I think of you now Joe, lol

That's funny! It's not bumpy where my Mooney is now.

[peevee]

21 minutes ago, Joe Zuffoletto said:

That's funny! It's not bumpy where my Mooney is now.

Hope you're enjoying. Came across from telluride to McCall ID a few days ago, choppy the whole way at 180, cursing you the whole time

[Joe Zuffoletto]

I'm very confident it was the engine oil I spilled on the wing walk when I was prepping the plane to fly to CA two months ago. It's a long story, but it happened for a reason. 

Not fuel. If it was an active fuel leak it would have been wet, it would have smelled, and a dry paper towel would have picked it up. Negative on all counts. Didn't try the lighter trick

Not TKS fluid. That stuff is viscuous like snot and this stain was dry.

The wing walk is now clean and dry, and the stain is gone. I'm here for 5 more days and we'll see if it reappears. I'll post updates.

After cleaning her up, we took to the skies. Magnificent chariots, these Mooneys  

[peevee]

I tried to work out a bay tour last month on the way to shelter cove, nct couldn't really work out a way to do it unless I cancelled and went vfr. I regret that I didn't. 

[Joe Zuffoletto]

1 minute ago, peevee said:

I tried to work out a bay tour last month on the way to shelter cove, nct couldn't really work out a way to do it unless I cancelled and went vfr. I regret that I didn't. 

Sorry to hear that. Bay Tours are stone simple. Maintain VFR below 3000' and you can go almost anywhere you want. I flew mine today at 2,500' and didn't even talk to ATC. As long as you remain outside the class Bravo and don't hit anyone, they'd prefer to not even hear from you. 

BTW, I'm not being cavalier. Been doing it for 35 years, and I've spoken to controllers who would validate what I'm saying. You need to be vigilant for other traffic on weekends, but on weekdays there is remarkably little traffic over the bay. Nothing at all like the Hudson in NYC. 

[peevee]

It was just the logistics of cancelling and picking up ifr again, I needed to get through a high marine layer at 0q5 so I needed to be ifr, not sure if I could have cleared the mountains and stayed under it. Maybe over the ocean but the wife would have a coronary. Anyway it would have been worth the effort I think. I had filed some enroute fixes that took me around the shelf hoping they couldn't get me low enough, no go. Next time. I have friends at Oakland center I need to visit anyway.

[Joe Zuffoletto]

Wing walk stain removal complete. It was spilled engine oil that caused the stain.

My Acclaim has adhesive wing walk material that just got dirty over time. I applied WD-40 with a scrub brush, then washed it off with dish soap and water and rinsed. My wing walk is now like new.

Before and after pics appear below.

[Bob_Belville]

Joe, I guess you cancelled the order for the bladders? 

[Raptor05121]

Awesome, Joe. You REALLY had me worried for the state of our company if brand new airplanes were leaking!

[rbridges]

Glad it was a simple fix!

[Andy95W]

2 hours ago, Raptor05121 said:

Awesome, Joe. You REALLY had me worried for the state of our company if brand new airplanes were leaking!

And from a part of the wing that doesn't hold any fuel, to boot!

[carusoam]

Great photos and detail, Joe!

Thanks for sharing.

Best regards,

-a-