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Fuel Caps - dilemma

MARZ

By MARZ
in Vintage Mooneys (pre-J models)

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MARZ Mentor

MARZ

Posted
Posted

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? 

Bob - S50 Grand Master

Bob - S50

Posted
Posted

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.

  • Like 1
carusoam Grand Master

carusoam

Posted
Posted

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-

MARZ Mentor

MARZ

Posted
  • Author
Posted
17 hours ago, KSMooniac said:

Polish them!

 

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

1d39d4e9d231e5dec1aa3f3dde97320e.jpg

Now there’s a thought!!!  Did you polish them or did you have it done??

KSMooniac Grand Master

KSMooniac

Posted
Posted

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.

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1967 427 Enthusiast

1967 427

Posted
Posted

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

Shiny moose Proficient

Shiny moose

Posted
Posted
20 hours ago, KSMooniac said:

Polish them!

 

Sent from my LG-US996 using Tapatalk

 

 

 

1d39d4e9d231e5dec1aa3f3dde97320e.jpg

I gotta ask! How friggn hot are those after a flight, or sitting on the ramp  in the hot sun. 

carusoam Grand Master

carusoam

Posted
Posted

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-

  • Like 1
Hank Grand Master

Hank

Posted
Posted

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 . . . .

  • Like 2
MARZ Mentor

MARZ

Posted
  • Author
Posted

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?

carusoam Grand Master

carusoam

Posted
Posted

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-

LANCECASPER Grand Master

LANCECASPER

Posted
Posted
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

jaylw314 Grand Master

jaylw314

Posted
Posted
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...

Shiny moose Proficient

Shiny moose

Posted
Posted
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. 

Yetti Grand Master

Yetti

Posted
Posted

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.

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