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  #11  
Old 10-17-2011, 06:47 AM
billz billz is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Clinton, NY
Posts: 19
Default Fuel leaks

It seems the message for all those with QB wings is to expect leaks from the top rivets, after flying for a while.

As one planning to purchase QB wings:

1. Is this problem likely from the Proseal not being properly applied? Perhaps they should let the tanks sit upside down after applying proseal to the top rivets??

2. Does this problem usually only involve the top rivets or can I expect problems with the bottom, as well?

3. With new QB wings, should I plan to put some additional Proseal on the top rivets to avoid this problem??

I'd appreciate any comments from those who have gone through this problem.

Thank you.
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  #12  
Old 10-17-2011, 08:31 AM
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woodmanrog woodmanrog is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Florida
Posts: 774
Default fixing leak

You don't have to remove any paint using my method to seal pinhole leaks. Just moosh in the proseal, wipe clean and let sit overnight. if necessary, just touch up the pinhole or rivet weam with matching paint.
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  #13  
Old 10-17-2011, 08:50 PM
Bart Bart is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Pecan Plantation (0TX1)
Posts: 167
Default

I think I might be missing part of your process....the mooshing you are talking about must be occurring from the inside not the outside...right? So you are opeing up the tank at the fuel sender hole and reaching in? Sorry for the confusion...just trying to get my brain around this.
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  #14  
Old 10-18-2011, 07:04 AM
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woodmanrog woodmanrog is offline
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Florida
Posts: 774
Default From the outside

Bart,
I did it from the top surface right on top of the paint. I just force in as much as I could into a pinhole and wipe the surface clean with mineral spirits before the Pro-seal set up. Let it sit overnight to cure and have never had a weep or fuel color since.
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  #15  
Old 10-18-2011, 12:39 PM
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David Shelton David Shelton is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Belvidere, IL
Posts: 169
Default

Fortunately, I haven't had any weeping rivets. Here's what we do with steel motorcycle tanks:

1) Drain fuel and rinse with water.
2) Slosh with Marine Clean for a while.
3) Slosh with Metal Prep for a while.
4) Pour PUR-15 sealent into tank, rotate until it is evenly coated, then pour out excess.

Unfortunately, sloshing an entire tank probably isn't a good idea for the RV-10. It would be heavy and I'm not aware of a suitable sealant for this. If you can reach the leak through an access hole, that would probably be best.

For a difficult to reach leak, I wonder if it would be possible to drill out the weeping rivet. Then, inject a little thinned proseal with a syringe and replace the rivet with a suitable blind rivet.
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  #16  
Old 10-18-2011, 02:41 PM
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caryr caryr is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: northwest georgia
Posts: 315
Default

Is it such a problem that it has to be repaired??

Maybe, just watch it for a while. If its not pouring fuel out, then maybe its just an acceptable tolerance.

I have several discolored rivets on the top of the tanks also. It still flys as if it didn't.
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  #17  
Old 10-20-2011, 07:33 PM
Bart Bart is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Pecan Plantation (0TX1)
Posts: 167
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I'm not ready to fix it yet....just curious what's gonna have to be done. Unlike wine leaks never get better with age.
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  #18  
Old 10-22-2011, 08:12 PM
ProfessorSpeed ProfessorSpeed is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Gundy's O38 (Owasso, OK)
Posts: 15
Default

I was thinking about this today...we used something like the attached tool to repair the F/A-18 stabilators that had small areas of inter-ply delamination. We added a puddle of resin to the surface near the disbond and placed the tool over the top of the damaged area. We connected vacuum first then air pressure to the tool. The internal cavity of the tool was pressurized while the area between the seals was evacuated to hold the part in place against the surface. We added a small heat lamp to the area to lower the resin viscosity and improve flow. The resin was usually forced into the right cavities and the entire inter-ply delam was cured. I was thinking that something like this could be used with pro-seal to cure weeping/leaking rivets. Other than high curvature areas, I think this might be useful. Any thoughts?

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  #19  
Old 10-26-2011, 07:09 PM
Bart Bart is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Pecan Plantation (0TX1)
Posts: 167
Default

Looks like it might work. The two rivets I see the blue circles on look like I might be able to pull the sender and stick my hand in the tank and smear some pro-seal from the inside. With that said, a previous submission mentioned smearing from the outside and pushing it through. I may try that first but I'm still a little skeptical I'll actually push it all the way through the paint and around the rivet. Your device looks like it has the mechnical strenghth to push!
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  #20  
Old 01-29-2012, 07:23 PM
Ron B. Ron B. is offline
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Posts: 2,408
Default

Please see post #5 for details on my problem. Today with the RV not being in use for a few months I noticed the paint arround one rivet was cracked half way round. It's exactly in the center of where the wing walk material was letting go. There is no sign of fuel but something ate into the wing walk glue and now I see a crack in the paint.
I can remove the wing and remove the fuel level sending unit to access the bad rivet and apply Proseal. Or, I could sand the paint on the outside of the tank and apply Proseal to the exterior as a new wing walk material would hide over the problem rivet repair. The later repair would be much simpler but would it be as good and lasting?
Thanks Ron
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