MARZ Posted August 18, 2018 Report Posted August 18, 2018 The paint on my fuel caps is peeling in a couple spots - I'm going to blast and repaint - however there's no chance I'm going to be able to match the current paint. Thinking that i'd be best to just intentionally go with another offsetting color (red,yellow) The wings are currently blue with white tips.... Any Thoughts out there? Quote
KSMooniac Posted August 18, 2018 Report Posted August 18, 2018 Polish them! Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk 8 Quote
Bob - S50 Posted August 18, 2018 Report Posted August 18, 2018 Take a blue panel off your airplane and go to an auto paint shop. Ask them to color match it. I understand some shops can even put it in a spray can for you. Might cost a few dollar$ though. 1 Quote
carusoam Posted August 19, 2018 Report Posted August 19, 2018 Paint a big arrow pointing forwards... Get some new orings while you are at it... What do you have for leashes? Good time to update them as well... Probably won’t need to revisit the caps for another decade. Best regards, -a- Quote
MARZ Posted August 19, 2018 Author Report Posted August 19, 2018 17 hours ago, KSMooniac said: Polish them! Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk Now there’s a thought!!! Did you polish them or did you have it done?? Quote
KSMooniac Posted August 19, 2018 Report Posted August 19, 2018 I had them polished by a polishing shop local to me...wasn't expensive either. Maybe $75 but I don't remember. They couldn't polish in the well for the tab, so I masked and painted that area.Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk Quote
1967 427 Posted August 19, 2018 Report Posted August 19, 2018 Dilemma? No a dilemma is finding corrosion on your wings main spar. What you have is a fun little project. Matching the paint would be great, but I can almost guarantee that something will be slightly off the tint, sheen, or finish. This may not bother you, but every time I would be getting in I would notice it. When I purchased my Mooney I the caps were already painted red, and I love them. Just a couple of observations not sure if you had them disassembled prior to media blasting,, disassembly and a new o-rings are a must, AND l know I am stating the obvious here, but a strong and fuel impervious paint is a must. Just my $0.02 Quote
Shiny moose Posted August 19, 2018 Report Posted August 19, 2018 20 hours ago, KSMooniac said: Polish them! Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk I gotta ask! How friggn hot are those after a flight, or sitting on the ramp in the hot sun. Quote
carusoam Posted August 19, 2018 Report Posted August 19, 2018 After a flight... same temp as the OAT, unless Airspeed was approaching Mach 1.... In the sun... the reflective nature of mirrored aluminum and the ability of aluminum to transfer heat.... keeps thing from getting very hot... If the caps do get hot by being in the sun for a while... the heat transfer is limited by the rubber seal... Anodizing the caps... now that has interesting possibilities... I think red would make a nice color... to stand out when not placed properly... PP thoughts only, not a mechanic... Best regards, -a- 1 Quote
Hank Posted August 19, 2018 Report Posted August 19, 2018 Anthony, I think the concern about hot polished fuel caps is when you go to remove them . . . . I have to agree, though, they sure do look good. I remember reading when I first got my Mooney a decade or so ago about chroming it up to increase visibility--spinners, hub caps, even stall strips. But no one ever mentioned fuel caps. What else cojld be polished up nice and shiny to look good, withiut going as far as @Wildhorsesracing and his fully polished Mooney? My wingtips are, sadly, fiberglass . . . . 2 Quote
Wildhorsesracing Posted August 20, 2018 Report Posted August 20, 2018 Funny thing is, my fuel caps were not polished, they were plastic so I left them the original color. Quote
Bartman Posted August 21, 2018 Report Posted August 21, 2018 Polished caps. Wow !!! Red Anodized caps. That's a great idea too !!! Quote
MARZ Posted August 22, 2018 Author Report Posted August 22, 2018 Definitely going to polish (or anodize) the caps - course I still want to fly while in the process - can't find any Shaw caps but there's a bunch o Gabb caps out there, would anyone know if there is a cross reference to the Gabb? Quote
carusoam Posted August 22, 2018 Report Posted August 22, 2018 My M20C had some plastic caps supplied by a race car parts supplier... Oddly enough, when I called for replacement parts (broken closure tab) they wouldn’t sell them for airplanes... I thought they were original Mooney parts at the time... Check eBay and @acpartswhse for an extra set, or just one at a time? The plastic one didn’t hold up very well to decades out in the sun... Best regards, -a- Quote
LANCECASPER Posted August 22, 2018 Report Posted August 22, 2018 3 hours ago, Mike Ropers said: Definitely going to polish (or anodize) the caps - course I still want to fly while in the process - can't find any Shaw caps but there's a bunch o Gabb caps out there, would anyone know if there is a cross reference to the Gabb? I don't have a cross reference - but here are some Shaw Fuel Caps for sale: https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=m570.l1313&_nkw=SHAW+FUEL+CAP&_sacat=0 Quote
jaylw314 Posted August 22, 2018 Report Posted August 22, 2018 On 8/19/2018 at 11:24 AM, Shiny moose said: I gotta ask! How friggn hot are those after a flight, or sitting on the ramp in the hot sun. If anything, I'd figure they'd be cooler than if painted since they reflect more light. Is polishing considered preventative maintenance? I'd assume so, right? It's not really a decorative "finish," it's a decorative absence of finish really... Quote
Jerry Pressley Posted August 23, 2018 Report Posted August 23, 2018 Have a set of caps with the adapters to prevent jet fuel if anyone needs. Jerry Pressley 423 231 3491 Quote
Shiny moose Posted August 23, 2018 Report Posted August 23, 2018 14 hours ago, jaylw314 said: If anything, I'd figure they'd be cooler than if painted since they reflect more light. Is polishing considered preventative maintenance? I'd assume so, right? It's not really a decorative "finish," it's a decorative absence of finish really... I like the shiny stuff as noted by my name but, I think you will find that shiny aluminum gets very hot in the sun, it is very reflective and a great conductor of heat and because they are a great conductor they can also release the heat very quickly like onto your fingers. It will also cool off quicker when not in the sun. Quote
MARZ Posted August 26, 2018 Author Report Posted August 26, 2018 Start of the first cap! Not a mirror finish but workable. 5 Quote
SNKDTR Posted August 29, 2018 Report Posted August 29, 2018 looks good so far,Metall polish is the "BeeKnees" when polishing Aluminum Quote
MARZ Posted September 2, 2018 Author Report Posted September 2, 2018 Before and after. Dilemma solved!!!! 4 Quote
0TreeLemur Posted September 3, 2018 Report Posted September 3, 2018 The caps on my bird are painted something like "International Orange" like the Golden Gate Bridge. They look really nice. Quote
Marauder Posted September 3, 2018 Report Posted September 3, 2018 Before and after. Dilemma solved!!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro Quote
Yetti Posted September 3, 2018 Report Posted September 3, 2018 Probably want to use a bunch of tooth picks or bambo skewers and some thinner to get the paint out of the lettering..... Or use red paint to fill in the lettering. I swear I am not OCD. Not one little bit. Quote
LANCECASPER Posted September 4, 2018 Report Posted September 4, 2018 Neither am I. Earlier this year while I was down for the Bravo conversion I did my fuel caps. I had what was on the placard engraved on the cap. BEFORE: AFTER: 3 Quote
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