Time for a tank reseal

[231LV]

I had my tanks resealed by Wilmar about 15 years ago. I noticed the right underwing seam by the landing gear is staining. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good resealer near AZ? I don't want to travel too far if I don't have to...

[DonMuncy]

email: Tankman@HTSLLC.Net
Houston Tank Specialists, LLC

PO Box 280

Brookshire, TX 77423

281 799-8487

[Ragsf15e]

1 hour ago, 231LV said:

I had my tanks resealed by Wilmar about 15 years ago. I noticed the right underwing seam by the landing gear is staining. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good resealer near AZ? I don't want to travel too far if I don't have to...

I know/understand you don’t want to take it far, but thoughts on sending some pictures to Wilmar and seeing what they think?  15 years isn’t that long (obviously out of warranty), but they might have some ideas.  Additionally, I’d consider a patch or just doing the one wing since the entire thing was done relatively recently.  Just thoughts…

[glenn reynolds]

I had my tanks resealed in Wilmer and not only did they do an incredible job but it may well be they could cut you a deal on a reseal. Maybe ask for a free annual at the same time?  Maybe discount the reseal?  I think they will want to know how it failed etc. 

 

[LANCECASPER]

On 7/7/2022 at 1:23 PM, 231LV said:

I had my tanks resealed by Wilmar about 15 years ago. I noticed the right underwing seam by the landing gear is staining. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good resealer near AZ? I don't want to travel too far if I don't have to...

My guess is that a relatively easy patch by them will solve your problem. If they resealed it - no way after 15 years you need a complete re-seal.

[ArtVandelay]

Any AP should be able to do it. The key is the source of the leak may not be where it shows up, so just tell the AP to reseal the entire tank.

[Rjfanjet]

I flew to Texas and had Carl do mine last year.

[LANCECASPER]

9 hours ago, ArtVandelay said:

Any AP should be able to do it. The key is the source of the leak may not be where it shows up, so just tell the AP to reseal the entire tank.

There's a reason only 3 or 4 shops in the country specialize in re-sealing tanks. Perhaps any A&P could be taught to do it, but (1) Most don't want to do it and (2) there's a learning curve on getting it right. When it's time to do mine I want someone that does it every week, rather than a couple times in their lifetime. (Weep No More in Minnesota and Wet Wingologists in Florida are both worth the trip)

[louisut]

On 7/7/2022 at 2:42 PM, DonMuncy said:

email: Tankman@HTSLLC.Net
Houston Tank Specialists, LLC

PO Box 280

Brookshire, TX 77423

281 799-8487

We just got our plane back from HTS in April (2022). We selected him mainly based on location.

Unfortunately our experience has been somewhat mixed. While I think he's a meticulous A&P who knows Mooneys and does a good job, I think he might be taking in more work than he has capacity for. Our reseal job began mid-July 2021 and the reseal, annual, and replacement of two cylinders took nine months, and that's with frequent nagging towards the end. I'm not sure how long Wet Wingologists and Weep-No-More are taking, but it seems like a long time.

Most recently, a leak developed in one of our tanks and so the plane is going back. While he guarantees his work with a seven year warranty, I'm hesitant to take it back based on how long it took the last time.

OP--if this is your first leak, I'd start by asking your A&P to patch it up. If it leaks again though, I'd schedule the reseal, especially given the lead times. With multiple leaks, it's likely the sealant is brittle; you'll likely end up chasing leaks and in the end pay about as much as doing it right.

Edited July 9, 2022 by louisut

[231LV]

Some more background; According to the logbook, I flew the plane to Wilmar in Aug 2007 for a full tank strip and reseal. It was there for about three weeks before I headed back to pick it up. I have left a VM with Paul but haven't heard back from him yet. I agree that 15 years seems pretty light for a tank seal to last....the original factory sealant lasted 27 years. Unfortunately, the right tank is the leaker (as it was in 2007) and it is staining along the entire joint which is just above the right gear door cover so this isn't a light seepage. I would admit that any extremely hard landings could have broken the sealant but honestly, after 20 years of flying this plane, my landings, while maybe not squeakers all the time, are not drops from 5 feet up.

 

[N201MKTurbo]

2 hours ago, 231LV said:

Some more background; According to the logbook, I flew the plane to Wilmar in Aug 2007 for a full tank strip and reseal. It was there for about three weeks before I headed back to pick it up. I have left a VM with Paul but haven't heard back from him yet. I agree that 15 years seems pretty light for a tank seal to last....the original factory sealant lasted 27 years. Unfortunately, the right tank is the leaker (as it was in 2007) and it is staining along the entire joint which is just above the right gear door cover so this isn't a light seepage. I would admit that any extremely hard landings could have broken the sealant but honestly, after 20 years of flying this plane, my landings, while maybe not squeakers all the time, are not drops from 5 feet up.

 

I had mine done by Wilmar at about the same time. If it was done by the same guy, it is a wonder it lasted this long. 
 

Paul did not own the operation back then. He has always said he would fix it, but he was always scheduled 8 months out. I can’t have my plane down that long, so I just keep on fixing it. I’m fixing it right now, for the fifth time. Worst money I ever spent!

[whiskytango]

On 7/9/2022 at 1:52 PM, LANCECASPER said:

There's a reason only 3 or 4 shops in the country specialize in re-sealing tanks. Perhaps any A&P could be taught to do it, but (1) Most don't want to do it and (2) there's a learning curve on getting it right. When it's time to do mine I want someone that does it every week, rather than a couple times in their lifetime. (Weep No More in Minnesota and Wet Wingologists in Florida are both worth the trip)

This^^^^^^^^^^^.

I had an off-airport landing in my first K Model (engine failure) which resulted in relatively minor damage to the left wing.  The shop that did the wing repairs advised me that the main and aux tanks were leaking, and the the insurance company had authorized them to do a reseal.  This turned into an 8-month long game of Whack-a-Mole as the "resealed" tanks began to leak within days of each "repair".  They clearly did not know how to correctly reseal a wet-wing Mooney.  Stick with the experts mentioned by @LANCECASPER

[S.C.]

I just had my tanks done in Willmar and couldn’t be happier.  Paul was great!  He is very busy and there is a wait list but definitely worth the trip.  He is meticulous and within budget and schedule.  He told me the price (approximately $6500) and the timeline (approximately 2 weeks) was within the margin of error on cost and spot on with schedule.  IMHO Weep No More is worth it!  

[Mooneymite]

Bladders were installed in 1991.  Even though based on a grass runway for the last 24 years, there have been no bladder leaks.

Just one data point.

[dominikos]

On 7/9/2022 at 1:53 PM, louisut said:

We just got our plane back from HTS in April (2022). We selected him mainly based on location.

Unfortunately our experience has been somewhat mixed. While I think he's a meticulous A&P who knows Mooneys and does a good job, I think he might be taking in more work than he has capacity for. Our reseal job began mid-July 2021 and the reseal, annual, and replacement of two cylinders took nine months, and that's with frequent nagging towards the end. I'm not sure how long Wet Wingologists and Weep-No-More are taking, but it seems like a long time.

Most recently, a leak developed in one of our tanks and so the plane is going back. While he guarantees his work with a seven year warranty, I'm hesitant to take it back based on how long it took the last time.

OP--if this is your first leak, I'd start by asking your A&P to patch it up. If it leaks again though, I'd schedule the reseal, especially given the lead times. With multiple leaks, it's likely the sealant is brittle; you'll likely end up chasing leaks and in the end pay about as much as doing it right.

I had mine done by Carl in December last year. It did take longer than expected but also it was winter, so they go through extra steps to heat up sealant. So far so good. I would have an honest chat with him about capacity and ability to stick to dates.

[Guest]

On 7/9/2022 at 1:53 PM, louisut said:

We just got our plane back from HTS in April (2022). We selected him mainly based on location.

Unfortunately our experience has been somewhat mixed. While I think he's a meticulous A&P who knows Mooneys and does a good job, I think he might be taking in more work than he has capacity for. Our reseal job began mid-July 2021 and the reseal, annual, and replacement of two cylinders took nine months, and that's with frequent nagging towards the end. I'm not sure how long Wet Wingologists and Weep-No-More are taking, but it seems like a long time.

Most recently, a leak developed in one of our tanks and so the plane is going back. While he guarantees his work with a seven year warranty, I'm hesitant to take it back based on how long it took the last time.

OP--if this is your first leak, I'd start by asking your A&P to patch it up. If it leaks again though, I'd schedule the reseal, especially given the lead times. With multiple leaks, it's likely the sealant is brittle; you'll likely end up chasing leaks and in the end pay about as much as doing it right.

A client of mine had a re seal and Monroy extension installed by them a few years ago.  A disaster on many fronts, late delivery, several leaks from day one, Monroy filler caps drilled off centre etc.

Proceed with caution.

Clarence

[1980Mooney]

On 7/9/2022 at 12:53 PM, louisut said:

We just got our plane back from HTS in April (2022). We selected him mainly based on location.... Our reseal job began mid-July 2021 and the reseal, annual, and replacement of two cylinders took nine months, and that's with frequent nagging towards the end....Most recently, a leak developed in one of our tanks...

Regardless of supply chain and Covid issues, 9 months is ridiculous.  You nearly pissed away a year of hangar and insurance fixed costs, maybe databases and subscription costs not knowing when it would return.  You probably are out of currency.   Your insurance company may ding you for low flying hours this year.  And your wing is leaking again.

Edited July 17, 2022 by 1980Mooney

[M20R]

I had both tanks done on my Ovation last July by Wet wingologist. Two weeks and it was done.

[cnoe]

Just another data point and a couple of observations...

My J had a complete reseal at the end of 2012 by Weep No More. A couple of rivet/screws needed touched up; no big deal.

10 years in I'm experiencing some minor bubbling (poor adhesion) of the brush-coat sealant in a few locations with resultant seepage (blue stains) under the wing.

For the most part the sealant is doing its job but I hoped it would last longer than 10 years. FWIW the sealant is not "brittle", it's just not adhering properly to the aluminum (poor prep?).

I don't think a complete reseal is necessary at this time as the problem areas can be identified and repaired/resealed as needed. But when it's time for a do-over I'm going to be exploring bladders.

The leaks can be identified (in the tanks) by taping an acrylic window over the access ports and then applying a vacuum (shop vac) to the drain or vent port. Spray a soap solution (or better yet a non-soap leak-solution) to the area showing blue staining outside the tank. The solution will appear as foam or bubbling in the tank at the exact location of the leakage. I also suggest looking for "bubbling" (while under vacuum) around the general area and taking care of all that too.

Also, Edison (WetWingologists) did a reseal for us on my previous plane (M20E) several years ago and was very detail oriented. I don't have ownership in that plane anymore so I can't comment on the longevity of the repair but I haven't heard any problems from it.

See pic above for an idea what the leak and bubbling looks like.

 

CNoe

 

[LANCECASPER]

23 hours ago, cnoe said:

Just another data point and a couple of observations...

My J had a complete reseal at the end of 2012 by Weep No More. A couple of rivet/screws needed touched up; no big deal.

10 years in I'm experiencing some minor bubbling (poor adhesion) of the brush-coat sealant in a few locations with resultant seepage (blue stains) under the wing.

For the most part the sealant is doing its job but I hoped it would last longer than 10 years. FWIW the sealant is not "brittle", it's just not adhering properly to the aluminum (poor prep?).

I don't think a complete reseal is necessary at this time as the problem areas can be identified and repaired/resealed as needed. But when it's time for a do-over I'm going to be exploring bladders.

The leaks can be identified (in the tanks) by taping an acrylic window over the access ports and then applying a vacuum (shop vac) to the drain or vent port. Spray a soap solution (or better yet a non-soap leak-solution) to the area showing blue staining outside the tank. The solution will appear as foam or bubbling in the tank at the exact location of the leakage. I also suggest looking for "bubbling" (while under vacuum) around the general area and taking care of all that too.

Also, Edison (WetWingologists) did a reseal for us on my previous plane (M20E) several years ago and was very detail oriented. I don't have ownership in that plane anymore so I can't comment on the longevity of the repair but I haven't heard any problems from it.

See pic above for an idea what the leak and bubbling looks like.

 

CNoe

 

Did you talk to Paul Beck to see if he is able to do anything for you? He seems very fair to deal with. Maybe he could offer some kind of a consideration toward a repair, etc.

[cnoe]

On 7/18/2022 at 7:25 PM, LANCECASPER said:

Did you talk to Paul Beck to see if he is able to do anything for you? He seems very fair to deal with. Maybe he could offer some kind of a consideration toward a repair, etc.

I talked to Paul a couple of times earlier when I had a couple of seeping rivets. He was helpful offering advice on a simple home-base repair. Being in-warranty at that time he offered to fix for free at his location but that's nearly 1,000 nm from my current home base.

My recent "bubbling" issues are outside the 7-year warranty period so I didn't bother calling him about that. With today's gas prices the fuel alone would have been $800+ so I opted for another local repair again. Sealants are inexpensive so the entire cost to scrape out the affected areas, clean with MEK, and reseal was around $100 + (my) labor. It's also a great learning experience.

Now all the temporary sealant has been removed and the leakage is gone. I'm happy and hold no ill-will towards Paul. He did exactly as guaranteed. I had just hoped that it would have held up better long-term.

CNoe

[N201MKTurbo]

3 hours ago, cnoe said:

I talked to Paul a couple of times earlier when I had a couple of seeping rivets. He was helpful offering advice on a simple home-base repair. Being in-warranty at that time he offered to fix for free at his location but that's nearly 1,000 nm from my current home base.

My recent "bubbling" issues are outside the 7-year warranty period so I didn't bother calling him about that. With today's gas prices the fuel alone would have been $800+ so I opted for another local repair again. Sealants are inexpensive so the entire cost to scrape out the affected areas, clean with MEK, and reseal was around $100 + (my) labor. It's also a great learning experience.

Now all the temporary sealant has been removed and the leakage is gone. I'm happy and hold no ill-will towards Paul. He did exactly as guaranteed. I had just hoped that it would have held up better long-term.

CNoe

Nice job. Are you going to put the top coat on?

[cnoe]

On 7/30/2022 at 3:50 PM, N201MKTurbo said:

Nice job. Are you going to put the top coat on?

Correction: In spite of multiple accounts of top-coat issues from both a manufacturer and plane builders, plus assurances that the modern formulations of CS3204 are 100LL compatible without top-coating we are applying CS3600 to the repaired area to be fully compliant with Mooney Service Instructions.

CNoe

[N201MKTurbo]

4 hours ago, cnoe said:

Nope.

And from what I hear Paul has an entire new line of business REMOVING slosh-coat from the tanks of RVs whose owner/builders are now finding it loose in their tanks.

CNoe

Not following the maintenance manual? I've never seen it be a problem if put on properly.