Leaking fuel tank question

[damcmurt]

I was recently having a fuel smell in the cockpit after the airplane sat for several days or more. My maintenance shop pulled the interior and found fuel stains coming down in front of the spar on the copilots side. This is just below and behind the entry door on a 80 M20K. Looking for advice on any shops recommended to patch or reseal tank. Also how much leakage would make it unairworthy.

Here are some pics

[Ragsf15e]

Yikes.  Usually it leaks out of the pickup gasket there, but that looks further aft.  Maybe @N201MKTurbo or @M20Doc could give you an idea?

Oasis aero is a common place to do tanks if you need a full reseal.  Lots of mechanics have various patch skills.  Look up Don Maxwell’s article about patching leaks.

[ZuluZulu]

I had an absolute nightmare of an experience during almost all of 2022 dealing with one particular shop in California that failed multiple leak checks over the course of months and then started getting hostile and aggressive in their communications.  It's never been right, it's still leaking from new locations on the wing, and now they refuse to reply to my calls.  After all that, I would STRONGLY recommend you go to the pros: Troutdale if they're still doing it, Weep No More in Willmar, MN; or Wet Wingologists East.  I wouldn't wish my experience on anyone.

[Ragsf15e]

17 minutes ago, ZuluZulu said:

I had an absolute nightmare of an experience during almost all of 2022 dealing with one particular shop in California that failed multiple leak checks over the course of months and then started getting hostile and aggressive in their communications.  It's never been right, it's still leaking from new locations on the wing, and now they refuse to reply to my calls.  After all that, I would STRONGLY recommend you go to the pros: Troutdale if they're still doing it, Weep No More in Willmar, MN; or Wet Wingologists East.  I wouldn't wish my experience on anyone.

Yeah, you don’t want someone willing to experiment. You want someone who does it a lot.  Those shops are good.

[N201MKTurbo]

I’ve seen a lot worse. The corners are a common leak point. If you don’t top off your tanks unless you are going somewhere, you could put it off for a while. To properly repair it will require opening that cell. You can probably get away with just removing the bottom panel. As usual taking care of the access panel is more work than fixing the leak.

The procedure is in the maintenance manual. If you follow it you will be successful. If you take shortcuts, you will probably fail. The Don Maxwell method isn’t about fixing the leak, it is about finding it. The fixing part is just by the manual.

[Mufflerbearing]

I believe that Troutdale is no longer doing tank repairs.  I would like to think I am wrong but I believe this is accurate.  That really doesn't leave anyone out west to do this type of work that has a good standing reputation on this board.

[Jim Peace]

17 hours ago, damcmurt said:

Road trip in your future....Willmar or FXE....warmer in FXE...

 

 

[damcmurt]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I spoke to TopGun in Stockton and they mention FL and MN. Also they mention a shop in TX. I looked them up, Houston Tank Specialist. Anyone have any experience with them?

[Fly Boomer]

13 minutes ago, damcmurt said:

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I spoke to TopGun in Stockton and they mention FL and MN. Also they mention a shop in TX. I looked them up, Houston Tank Specialist. Anyone have any experience with them?

Some here love the service they got.  Others, not so much.

[1980Mooney]

1 hour ago, Fly Boomer said:

Some here love the service they got.  Others, not so much.

@damcmurt  Here is a “not so much”

And

 

[ZuluZulu]

5 hours ago, damcmurt said:

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I spoke to TopGun in Stockton and they mention FL and MN. Also they mention a shop in TX. I looked them up, Houston Tank Specialist. Anyone have any experience with them?

Will they patch tanks but not reseal?  Or no touching tanks at all?

[hammdo]

Maxwells will do patches…

-Don

[GeeBee]

Just dropped mine off at WetWingologist in KFXE. Saw an Eagle and an Ovation opened up and curing. I was impressed with his work!

[damcmurt]

@ZuluZulu My local shop wont touch even for a patch. Looking through logbooks though the left tank has had 2 small patches done and nothing else. Since its 43 years old it might be time to start fresh.

 

[ZuluZulu]

18 hours ago, damcmurt said:

@ZuluZulu My local shop wont touch even for a patch. Looking through logbooks though the left tank has had 2 small patches done and nothing else. Since it’s 43 years old it might be time to start fresh.

Thanks — I should have made it more clear I was asking about Top Gun.