9A fuel tanks

I recently bought a flying 9A. I love it and got a fair price from an excellent builder. The plane is a little older (finished in 2010), and now I have a small fuel leak in my left wing - just a seep - not dripping on the ground or anything. However, the fuel smell in the cockpit is pretty strong. I know the original builder had battled a fuel leak in the right wing and the rivets on top of the wing have the scars to prove it.
What are my options for getting this fixed.
1. Can new tanks be bought somewhere like a quickbuild? Does Van's just sell pre-built tanks? I would like to consider new tanks as an option so I don't have to look at those ugly rivets anymore!
2. If not, how do you go about finding someone to work on your RV? (question for the guys who bought rather than built) I know that I can work on it, but I do not have the expertise or experience to do so. Is this the sort of thing that just any A&P will have experience with or does it take someone familiar with experimentals and RVs in particular?
3. Are there companies or individuals that specialize in fuel tank repair or replacement?

Thanks for any words of wisdom or advice you may have.
A warning to others considering buying an RV - that silly grin won't wipe off even though maintenance is required!
Tim

Officially anybody including the person serving fries at your local store can work on your airplane. The only thing and A&P is required for is conditional inspections.

I don't know of a quick build tank, but you may be able to find an RV person that is willing to build up a pair of tanks for you.

If you're willing to pay big, these guys seem to have a good rep for repairing leaks:
http://www.weepnomorellc.com/
One of our local -6 owners used them a few years ago.

I'm not sure that you would need new tanks just to address a small weep.

You say that the builder was excellent, yet you have ugly rivets on the tank?

First off, you should determine exactly where the leak is coming from. This may involve taking off the tanks from the wing. You should be able to unscrew all of the screws around the spar and then from the inside of the wing, take out the bolts on the spar that hold the tank. Find a local builder who can help. Do you have a set of plans to look at?

Once the tank is off you can either access the first bay inside by taking off the access plate where the fuel sender is mounted, or by cutting a new access hole into the aft baffle for the outboard bays between the ribs if the leak is farther out. Van's can provide the necessary hardware and aluminum for the new access panels. Clean the sealant off thoroughly, and put some sealant to fix the leak, then fabricate a new access plate and seal it all back up.

There are several other techniques you can search for in this forum for ways to stop minor weeps. Pulling a small vacuum and sucking in thinned sealant or using the green loctite method come to mind.

I think I would be checking all the fuel lines and selector valve before assuming it is a tank leak. There should be evidence of the leak somewhere by looking for a blue stain if you are using 100 LL. A small crack at a fuel line flare would cause same problem.

Jay

I sent you a PM.

Help with tanks

Here is some light reading for you.
http://www.vansairforce.com/community/search.php?searchid=39890502

If anything it should allow you to recognize you are not alone in dealing with fuel leaks. I have extensive experience with fixing my fuel leaks and if you look through the above referenced threads you can read many of my posts on the subject.

Feel free to contact me via PM or through my contact info. I can help if you are interested. Just give me a call or drop me a note.

Cocncerning your questions:
1. Yes, everything and anything can be bought for a price.
2. This sight is a good place to search. Feel free to cntact me through PM here or my contact info in my signature.
3. Yes, as rv7charlie noted. Also, see response #2.