PIREP for Wet-Wingologist East

[FLYFST]

Hello Mooney world. When the time comes to seal or repair your wing fuel tanks I highly recommend working with Edison and Wet-Wingologist East (KFXE) as the THE place to receive high value for your investment and excellent results!  

My previous PIREP was after Edison resealed the tanks in both wings in March 2016 for my 1990 J Model.  In that PIREP I recounted my high satisfaction with the value delivered and results achieved. This update covers my recent warranty leak repair experience, 8 years later, during which Edison worked my airplane into his rather full schedule on a Saturday morning, charged me nothing the, and had the airplane ready for pickup by Sunday.  If you prefer short PIREPS, you can stop reading now.  Otherwise, below are additional details in the spirit of contributing to the knowledge of the Mooney community.
 
After the initial, reseal the right wing periodically (and inconsistently) developed minor seeps in 2016 and 2019 in the same outboard tank area that would not last and I could not find the conditions to replicate them.  In each case after discussions with Edison, I decided to postpone taking the airplane to him and continue to monitor instead.  Edison was always ready to schedule the in-warranty repair without question.  There were no signs of leaks between 2019 and late 2023.  During the November 2023 Annual Inspection, my A&P/IA found signs of a small leak at the bottom of the outer right wing fuel tank, none evident on the outer wing skin, and we could not determine for certain if it was old or fresh.  I called Edison, who suggested letting the airplane sit in the hangar with the right wing filled to where it could take no more fuel. After a flight that started with full tanks and included left/right steep turns and maneuvering flight, I topped of the tanks as suggested.  After a few hours in the hangar with the right tank completely full the leak was evident in the area my A&P/IA found.  Edison thought a sealant bubble at the top of the outer tank had broken and was allowing the fuel to leak when the tanks were left sitting and completely full, and that it would require a small repair. I confirmed this by draining fuel to where the fuel level was 1-2 inches below the fuel cap, and the tank did not leak after a day of monitoring.   

Following discussions with Edison, and setting a date for the repair, he called me back a few days later to explain the leak could also be coming from the fuel sensor gasket located on the vertical outer wall of the outermost tank.  Before taking the airplane down several days for repairs, and the added cost of the trip to/from KFXE, Edison recommended that my A&P/IA replace the sensor gasket and check again.  After replacing the gasket and topping the tank, the leak returned after a few hours. At this point I decided with Edison it was time for a repair, and we agreed on an earlier date than planned provided I could get the airplane to him the next Saturday morning.  

I flew to KFSE early Saturday morning and taxied the airplane directly to Edison's shop; Edison started work immediately; the airplane was ready on Sunday, 8 years after the initial reseal; Banyan Air Services towed it to their ramp late Sunday; and I picked up the airplane on Tuesday 4/9/24.  My assessment is that the source of the inconsistent seeps in 2016 and 2019 was the same repaired by Edison in 2023, with the fuel just finding its way out to the bottom wing skin by the path of least resistance.

Finally, fuel is expensive at KFXE, but Banyan gives a discount to Edison's customers, so I added the 10 gal minimum they require to wave some of the ramp fees, and flew the airplane home early Tuesday afternoon.  The folks at Banyan were a pleasure to work with.

With dry wings and in great appreciation of Edison at Wet-Wingologist....
Hank

Edited April 15 by FLYFST
typo

[Hank]

Hey Hank. Edison did a great job on my C back in 2011. Recently had a tiny leak in the bottom of my left wing--tightened two screws about 1/4 turn each, and it's gone.

He did the work on time and on budget, and even drive me to the other airport to catch my cheap flight home when I dropped off the Mooney.

[FLYFST]

Hey Hank. Edison did a great job on my C back in 2011. Recently had a tiny leak in the bottom of my left wing--tightened two screws about 1/4 turn each, and it's gone.
He did the work on time and on budget, and even drive me to the other airport to catch my cheap flight home when I dropped off the Mooney.

Nice, and no surprise there. His work ethic is great.
Hank

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[DCarlton]

This thread has me reconsidering bladders…  hoping to never deal with tanks again after my reseal this Sep.  Will have to ask again how many folks encounter repairs in the first 10 years. 

[FLYFST]

This thread has me reconsidering bladders…  hoping to never deal with tanks again after my reseal this Sep.  Will have to ask again how many folks encounter repairs in the first 10 years. 

I considered both before purchase and at the time decided to stay with the wet tanks. Neither solution is permanent and bladders have the added installation cost.
Good luck with your bird - Hank


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[GeeBee]

12 hours ago, DCarlton said:

This thread has me reconsidering bladders…  hoping to never deal with tanks again after my reseal this Sep.  Will have to ask again how many folks encounter repairs in the first 10 years. 

They all fail sooner or later. I have had new bladders, 3 years since leaving the factory install, fail. I've seen wet wings last for years. You never know because humans make and install them. It part of maintenance.

[N201MKTurbo]

My 67 M20F never leaked. I sold it in 2003 so it was 36 when I sold it.

[N201MKTurbo]

I have repaired two tanks that leaked severely after reseal. One was mine. The other was another Mooneyspacer. Mine seemed to have been rushed. They were not cleaned properly and the sealant wasn't mixed properly. I had sealant that never cured and poor adhesion. Plus the top coat was only applied in the cells with the fuel caps. 

The other Mooney seems like the stripper was not cleaned out properly and outgassed at almost every seam, blowing bubbles in the sealant. This caused many leaks.

In both cases the resealer offered to fix it, but they were booked up for over a year, so you fix it yourself, or be without a plane for a year.

[EricJ]

FWIW, Cessna, Beechcraft, et al have been making airplanes with bladders for many decades, and they all age out and need replacement eventually.    With a sealed tank you can at least make repairs a lot more easily when it does leak.

 

[LANCECASPER]

29 minutes ago, EricJ said:

FWIW, Cessna, Beechcraft, et al have been making airplanes with bladders for many decades, and they all age out and need replacement eventually.    With a sealed tank you can at least make repairs a lot more easily when it does leak.They sent us another one no charge but a lot of work.

 

One of the Mooney models I’ve owned (K, M, R and TN) have STCs for bladders so I’ve never had to make the choice. 

I helped change out the bladders in a Cessna 182 that I owned with a partner - not a fun job. I learned several new words that weekend . . lol. We finally got it all done and about a week later we discovered that the left one leaked.  The company we bought the bladders from replaced it and covered the 2 day freight - but it was a lot of unnecessary work. 

I’ve never owned a Mooney model that had an STC for bladders so I’ve never had to make that choice. (I’ve only had K, M, R, and TN.)Two of the seven Mooneys, both Bravos, had small leaks  which were easily patched by someone who knew what they were doing (Lone Star Mooney and Dugosh). I’ve never had to contemplate a complete re-seal, but eventually it’s inevitable. 

 

[DCarlton]

10 hours ago, GeeBee said:

They all fail sooner or later. I have had new bladders, 3 years since leaving the factory install, fail. I've seen wet wings last for years. You never know because humans make and install them. It part of maintenance.

What the heck happened to the bladders?  

[GeeBee]

11 hours ago, DCarlton said:

What the heck happened to the bladders?  

Chafe protection failed