Trick for fuel tank repair

[marks]

Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Was I ever wrong! I apologize Sabremech. I thought you made a couple of defensive remarks and I just ran with 'em. When I saw the post by John Green with your name in the post twice I just goofed and didn't pay attention to the poster's name at upper left. It just goes to show how easy mistakes can be made. I'm sorry. - And I don't want to argue with John Green or anyone else for that matter. I've already had my say.

[Sabremech]

Hi Marks, no problem with the miss understanding. I don't much care for arguing either.

[danb35]

All the leak repairs I did to my tanks was to fix the job that Weep No More (Wilmar) did.

N201MKTurbo, whoever you are, you also posted very negative remarks about Weep No More in this thread: . Neither in that thread nor in this one did you respond to requests for additional information regarding your experience. I'm considering using Weep No More for fuel tank work in the near future, and yours are the only negative comments I've seen about this shop. What happened, and why are you unwilling to share in public?

[jmillerk]

Just wanted to say thanks to M201MKTurbo for your advice on the fuel tank repair on my 1999 M20S! I had never tackled such a task, but ultimately I was able to repair my fuel leak using Don Maxwell's method (did not need a full strip and reseal). Now only to fix the other tank when it gets worse I used Flamemaster CS3204B2 and CS3330 semkits and CS3600 top coat. Thanks again!

[Marauder]

And peace was thereby restored to The Order.

No one bothers arguing with John. It would serve no purpose.

 

I don't know, I think a public tar and feathering would be nice punishment. We haven't done one of those in a while.  

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard J,

Best regards,

-a-

[scottfromiowa]

My plane is being re-sealed (right tank) by Paul. He ran into trouble as the original owners A&P used silicone in the tank in an attempt to patch and Paul's stripping process would not "eat it". Paul has sealed 700+ tanks and mine was top five....worst he has seen. Brought a tear to my eye that I was finally at the top of something...but I digress. Paul, undaunted hit it with a tougher stripper and power wash with light scrapping got her clean. Looking forward to not throwing money under my wings in a bizarre tie die impersonation

Review of Paul and weep no more to follow on completion/pick-up, but so far a class act with excellent communication (phone and digital pics of process). I really do not like mysterious poor reviews...in fact I feel about them what I feel about another's poster in this thread...and being a masochist I do debate his omnipotence from time to time. No lightning bolts so far.

[jetdriven]

Scott, what's that gonna cost you?

[triple8s]

So why do so many people believe that A&P's don't know how to seal or repair a fuel leak in our Mooney's? It's great that there are business's like Weep No More, but are they really the only people competent enough to fix a Mooney? I'm in my 28th year of being an aviation maintenance professional (A&P/IA, pilot) and still find it insulting that we are assumed to be less than able to complete a simple task on a very simple airplane. Yes, the Mooney is a very simple airplane. The vast majority of us take our profession very seriously and would appreciate a little respect for what we do and what we put on the line everyday so you can safely fly your Mooney.

 

I agree and disagree with this post and it brings up something very important to remember when choosing a maintenance professional. I have been in the equipment maintenance business for about 30 years, may not be aircraft but we are talking about mechanics. These guy have there "forte's" yes a mechanic has to know several systems whether we are talking aircraft or earthmovers however most mechanincs have their own unique personaliy and their own specialty. It is to our benifit to know what our chosen mechanic is proficient at and when to go somewhere else. Think about your family Dr. does he perform surgery? This is why there are specialists, well the same applies to mechanics, Weep no more? a fuel sealant specialist, and there are others, engine specialists and sheet metal specialist, Paint shops, and etc. A GOOD mechanic will know when to refer you to a "specialist" and when to tackle particular jobs his self. Some mechanics will learn on your plane and at your expense. I always learn all I can about my bird and use that knowledge to weigh in with the advice recieved by my mechanic. Would I try the sealant cure? possibly but I would do so after careful thought and reading, I do think there are some fuel tank issues that could be better solved without a complete reseal but then I'm sure other problems cant be cured with out going all the way.

[scottfromiowa]

I reserved a one week spot with Paul in the dead of winter. The 66 M20E has two bays per side, so less than some others. Paul gave my a .2 AMU discount on standard price for locking into a slot. I am having drain sump and fuel sender gasket replaced while he is "in there"...

Price for two bays is about 3.5 AMU's

[BRBENNETT]

Thumbs up to WEEP NO MORE.  I had my tanks sealed back in 2010.  in 2015 annual i found a slight leak in each wing and took it back to have Paul look at it.  i flew in on a Sunday night and went back the next morning.  He usually starts at 4:30 am and had found the leaks which were just pinholes, already repaired them, and just waiting for sealant to cure.  i was back in the air Tuesday morning headed home.  No charge for the repair (7 YEAR WARRANTY) and he even let me use his car while i was there.  A really great guy!

 

MONEY WELL SPENT!

 

HERE IS PAUL'S ONCTACT INFO:

 

Paul Beck

Weep No More, LLC 

320-295-1671

Willmar, MN, airport:  KBDH

 

 

[MyNameIsNobody]

For those who asked, my main job is an aircraft technician for a corporate flight dept. maintaining 3 Falcon 2000's. My second job is the Director of Maintenance for the Warbird Heritage Foundation maintaining 10 airworthy warbirds from a Stearman to an A4 Skyhawk. My third job is co owner / founder of GDS Aero which manufactures FAA/PMA parts and specialized tooling for corporate business jets. My fourth job is owner / founder of Vintage Airworks which manufactures parts for aircraft that parts aren't readily available for. I also maintain a Cessna CJ 1 for a private owner. In my spare time, I'm building an experimental airplane and occasionally fly my Mooney. By no means am I any kind of expert, but continue to learn something new everyday. Just like the original poster informed us of how he made a fix for a fuel leak. Nice information to know in case I need a similar repair.

David Staffeldt

Expert works for me David. Impressive resume. I have a nice A4 Skyhawk print (my dad did original watercolor and made prints) PM me your address and I will send one your way.

[mpg]

Expert works for me David. Impressive resume. I have a nice A4 Skyhawk print (my dad did original watercolor and made prints) PM me your address and I will send one your way.

Wow!!!    Thanks for that...

Quoting a three yr old post    So you can offer that guy a Picture of a plane.....

[mpg]

 

Thumbs up to WEEP NO MORE.  I had my tanks sealed back in 2010.  in 2015 annual i found a slight leak in each wing and took it back to have Paul look at it.  i flew in on a Sunday night and went back the next morning.  He usually starts at 4:30 am and had found the leaks which were just pinholes, already repaired them, and just waiting for sealant to cure.  i was back in the air Tuesday morning headed home.  No charge for the repair (7 YEAR WARRANTY) and he even let me use his car while i was there.  A really great guy!

 

MONEY WELL SPENT!

 

HERE IS PAUL'S ONCTACT INFO:

 

Paul Beck

Weep No More, LLC 

320-295-1671

Willmar, MN, airport:  KBDH

 

Great!!    You bring back a three yr old thread,,,   But

If you were paying attention, "might be too much of a cheap bastard to do that",

You would be posting in a very recent thread about a "Weep no more" repair

that was quite sub par,  still leaks,  and the "Weep no more folks"

will not make right with warranty service!

[marks]

I think it's great you brought back a three year old thread.  Now I can tell you that I've gone six years without a leak after using Weep No More.

[Bob_Belville]

3 years, 6 years, that's nice, the O&N bladders in my '66E are old enough to vote (1997) and have never needed repair.

[carusoam]

When the planes are old enough to be grandparents, and the Internet is younger than most pilots...

A three year old MS thread is a recent memory.

[MyNameIsNobody]

3 years, 6 years, that's nice, the O&N bladders in my '66E are old enough to vote (1997) and have never needed repair.

I like bragging about bladders much better than panels, but both are awesome...

Like Weep-No-More and Paul Beck. Class, Character, Awesome.

Coincidence? I don't think so...Florida has a negative marketing strategy. Saw it before on MS. Pretty pathetic.

Here is a great rumor: "A certain Florida shop asked a certain Midwest shop for them to "teach" them how to do their sealing process....Funny. Kind of like Nike asking Under-Armour how to market.

[MyNameIsNobody]

Wow!!!    Thanks for that...

Quoting a three yr old post    So you can offer that guy a Picture of a plane.....

Didn't re-start the thread. Having a wuff day? Does someone need a widdle wuv? You poor ting. I could make it beda by sending wu a print too...

But I won't.

[mike_elliott]

Great!!    You bring back a three yr old thread,,,   But

If you were paying attention, "might be too much of a cheap bastard to do that",

You would be posting in a very recent thread about a "Weep no more" repair

that was quite sub par,  still leaks,  and the "Weep no more folks"

will not make right with warranty service!

 Are you sure about this accusation that  Weep no more will not make right with warranty service? I would sincerely doubt the accuracy of this claim knowing how Paul Beck has treated his customers for the last 15 years, and this defamation has another agenda.

[pinerunner]

I think what gets the hackles up is the general attitude that if you don't use an MSC for your basic maintenance and inspections and if you don't use Weep No More for your fuel tank reseals then you're irresponsible and an accident waiting to happen. I haven't seen anyone say Paul Beck doesn't do a great job. Just that he might be a bit too pricey and might not be the only game in town. 

[Shadrach]

The whole MSC thing gets on my nerves as well.  There are some great ones like Maxwell, Lasar, Top Gun, Weber, et al. However, I have also had some really lousy service from an MSC.  I have seen half-assed repairs repeatedly done by an MSC.  I think it's a naive view to see all MSCs as something special, some might be, but others are not. Just like when someone says their car is "dealer maintained"...BFD.   I've been taking cars in for maintenance for years.  I have learned to work with dealerships for warranty items only.  I've witnessed some really shady stuff at dealers. Yet people think that as a mark of premium maintenance. Our local Mercedes dealer has or had one of the slimiest service managers I've ever come across.  Yet so many folks will beam with pride as they tell you that's where they have their car maintained.  I don't care what kind  of a vehicle it is, being a savvy consumer is the best way to ensure that you get proper service.

[marks]

One thing I can't figure out about Mooneys is that if it's a simple airplane that any A&P can fix the fuel leaks to stay fixed, then why don't they fix 'em first at the factory?  I bought a six year old Beech Sierra back in '89 and flew if for fifteen years and nearly 3,000 hours and never saw the slightest leak nor did I ever get the slightest whiff of fuel in the cabin.  Then I moved to a J model six years newer than the Beech and suffered leaks just months after I bought it.  I guess the previous owner must have made a few patches and then the leaks came.

 

Right now I think there are two companies that spend almost all their time fixing Mooney leaks and that doesn't include all the Mooney owners with bladders.  Then throw in all the owners who try to keep patching or who simply ignore the leaks and you have one chronic problem.  Why can't the factory fix this problem.  They've had decades!!

[Hank]

One thing I can't figure out about Mooneys is that if it's a simple airplane that any A&P can fix the fuel leaks to stay fixed, then why don't they fix 'em first at the factory?  I bought a six year old Beech Sierra back in '89 and flew if for fifteen years and nearly 3,000 hours and never saw the slightest leak nor did I ever get the slightest whiff of fuel in the cabin.  Then I moved to a J model six years newer than the Beech and suffered leaks just months after I bought it.  I guess the previous owner must have made a few patches and then the leaks came.

 

Right now I think there are two companies that spend almost all their time fixing Mooney leaks and that doesn't include all the Mooney owners with bladders.  Then throw in all the owners who try to keep patching or who simply ignore the leaks and you have one chronic problem.  Why can't the factory fix this problem.  They've had decades!!

 

It was possible until the most recent reduction, I believe, to take your plane back to the factory and have the tanks sealed. But once the plane leaves the factory, and even for a while before then, the tanks cannot be "fixed." The new planes have fewer problems because they have changed both the sealant formula and the way it is applied.

 

Our tanks are not "tanks" like on other planes, they are just sections inside the wing that are sealed off to be fuelproof. The top of our tanks is the upper wing skin; the bottom of our tanks is the lower wing skin; the front is the leading edge; the rear is the spar; the ends are simply wing ribs. When our planes were built, the sealant was applied afterwards; now the improved polymer is put inside the joint as well as on the outside. But one the wing is riveted together, the only way to get sealant between the pieces is to drill out the rivets, take it apart, apply sealant, reassemble and re-rivet.

 

So I had my tanks resealed [for apparently the first time, with some patching evident through the years] in 2010, when they were four decades old. Not too bad for old chemistry, I don't think. Edison at Wet Wingologists did a great job, on time and on budget.

[mpg]

Didn't re-start the thread. Having a wuff day? Does someone need a widdle wuv? You poor ting. I could make it beda by sending wu a print too...

But I won't

 

Wowwie!!!

 

Just so all the folks can know....

I got a PM from nobody with a empty vailed "is this a threat?"

to tell me "something"...

 

.................  here it is............................... below..............

 

Hope we can meet sometime so I can tell you what I really think of you

MyNameIsNobody

Won't Leave!

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Sent Today, 11:55 AM

Until then. Have a "nice" day.

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......................................

 

Really though,,,

If he really wants to tell Me, what he really thinks of me..

He should just Say it,,

Sooo.....   just what do you really think of me?..