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Fuel vent?


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At the bottom/front and near the cabin of both wings I see two small holes. Initially I thought they were fuel vents.

The one on the left wing has a small plastic hose coming out (~1/4")  and the wing is pretty much clean around it. The right wing does not have any hose but just the hole and I see fresh fuel stain all around it. Today I found the stain reaching almost the fuselage (I refueled last week). Fortunately I was able to clean it. I stuffed it with a small piece of cloth and a container at the bottom just in case.

Is this an additional vent? Do I need to do anything about the missing small hose?

I wonder if I need to be concerned about anything especially while I fly.

Thanks!

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Does it look like this? If so that is a weep hole and you can remove that panel right next to it to see the front of the tank. On mine if I fill it over 20 gallons in the right tank it leaks down the front corner, pools up a little and then runs out of that hole. It isn't enough of a headache right now to worry about fixing so I just don't put over 20 gallons in that tank.

20161230_084445.thumb.jpg.84ec0a5a4a5e048a8703e6c8c44b3093.jpg

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8 hours ago, Skates97 said:

Does it look like this? If so that is a weep hole and you can remove that panel right next to it to see the front of the tank. On mine if I fill it over 20 gallons in the right tank it leaks down the front corner, pools up a little and then runs out of that hole. It isn't enough of a headache right now to worry about fixing so I just don't put over 20 gallons in that tank.

20161230_084445.thumb.jpg.84ec0a5a4a5e048a8703e6c8c44b3093.jpg

That's exactly how it looks maybe a bit worse...I fueled at tabs and it started happening..I might open the panel and take a look.

Is it possible to seal part of the tank and not the whole thing?

Thanks!

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5 hours ago, FastTex said:

That's exactly how it looks maybe a bit worse...I fueled at tabs and it started happening..I might open the panel and take a look.

Is it possible to seal part of the tank and not the whole thing?

Thanks!

Mine leaks from somewhere in the top front corner. Looking in that access panel I can see it coming down slowly along that corner. There have been others on here that have posted seeing leaks in that general area. I am sure that it could be patched, but just because it is leaking in that area doesn't mean the leak is right there.

In my case the tanks were resealed about 4 years ago by Wetwingologists. I contacted the owner who said it was an easy fix for him (it's what he does for a living) and he would cover it under warranty but I have to get the plane to him on the other side of the country. 

Do you have a hangar? While you are deciding what to do you could fill the tank to near the top and then stick a rag up in the hole hanging down which will keep the fuel from running back down the wing to the belly. Let it sit for a few days and come back to see where the fuel level is at when it stops leaking. At least then you know how full you can fill without it leaking. That is how I came up with the 20 gallons that I can put in without any issues. I will probably just live with mine that way for awhile. With 20 in the right and 26 in the left I can stay in the air long enough and still land with about an hour of fuel reserve. After 3 1/2 to 4 hours I like to get out, stretch my legs, and use the restroom.

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Those holes are drains for the wing.... rain water gets in, and has to go somewhere... a Mooney has a few water drains in different locations...

They are not intended to be fuel vents...

 

Fuel leaks are difficult to describe...

Solutions are difficult to estimate...

Some can be as simple as applying a dab of sealant...

Others are an indication of a need to strip and reseal...

How old is the sealant in the tank...?

What year was the tank sealed...?

Is the sealant falling off or flaking inside the tank?

Does the plane live indoors...?

Does the plane stay outside in the hot sun, often...?

See if you can determine where the leak is...

There are pressurization tests and soap bubble tests that can be very helpful...

DMax Probably has Videos of these tests...

These are only Some ideas to get you started....

I went to DMax to seal a few rivets at the top of my tanks.

Best regards,

-a-

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11 hours ago, FastTex said:

That's exactly how it looks maybe a bit worse...I fueled at tabs and it started happening..I might open the panel and take a look.

Is it possible to seal part of the tank and not the whole thing?

Thanks!

Yes, it is possible to patch a tank rather than do a complete reseal.   Just like the resealing job, though, you need to find somebody who is good at patching.   Maxwell's shop in TX fixed a leak in mine with good results so far (knock on wood), and there's probably somebody withing Mooney range of you that can do it, but be careful and ask around.   I don't know who that might be, though.

 

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