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Fuel panel / fuel gauge prosealed

FireMedic_2009

FireMedic_2009

Well Known Member
I'm nearing the end of the build for an inspection. I viewed all the SB's and the only one I'm lacking is the fuel pickup SB. I bore scoped the fuel pickup through the fuel sump and the safety wire wasn't done. The builder prosealed the side circular panel and the fuel gauge panel instead of using the cork gasket . I tried to use a metal putty knife to try to get behind the plate to separate it but was unable to even get the outer tip of the putty knife behind the plate.

The tanks are already installed and unlike the RV6 the tank is also secured to the wing spar with 18 bolts (6 rows of 3 bolts each). I'm trying not to remove the tank if possible.

Does anyone have any ideas? Worse case would be to remove the tank and if unable to remove the circular panel would be to cut a hole in the rear baffle and proseal behind the AN nut around the tube to keep the nut from loosening.

Thanks,
Daren
 
Pro Seal

I was able to separate some pro sealed parts using a five in one tool. Actually came apart easier than I thought they would. The five in one is a little sharper than a putty knife and was able to get under the parts and cut the sealant.

Eulice Curington
RV-10 N104EW
Flying
 
Are you sure you need to do this?

FireMedic_2009 said:
I'm nearing the end of the build for an inspection. I viewed all the SB's and the only one I'm lacking is the fuel pickup SB. I bore scoped the fuel pickup through the fuel sump and the safety wire wasn't done. The builder prosealed the side circular panel and the fuel gauge panel instead of using the cork gasket . I tried to use a metal putty knife to try to get behind the plate to separate it but was unable to even get the outer tip of the putty knife behind the plate.

The tanks are already installed and unlike the RV6 the tank is also secured to the wing spar with 18 bolts (6 rows of 3 bolts each). I'm trying not to remove the tank if possible.

Does anyone have any ideas? Worse case would be to remove the tank and if unable to remove the circular panel would be to cut a hole in the rear baffle and proseal behind the AN nut around the tube to keep the nut from loosening.

Thanks,
Daren
Click to expand...

Daren, what is the vintage of the kit? If it was manufactured after the SB then the parts should have been updated to include an anti-rotation bracket which does double duty by both preventing rotation of the whole fitting and also captures the B nut and prevents it from coming undone, thus no safety wire is required if the builder used these parts. The SB is dated Feb '06 and my plans were updated 1/06 to include the anti rotation bracket. If your kit dates from after this you are probably just fine.

Note this is for the standard pickups, flop tubes still need safety wire per the plans.
 
Get a narrow, very flexible, metal putty knife and grind the end to a knife edge. Warming the area might help soften the proseal a little. A second stiff putty knife helps to pry once you get the proseal cut open with the flexible putty knife.
 
Good advise above, and don't bother with the cork gasket when going back together unless you want to fix a leak down the road.
 
Z-EDD said:
Daren, what is the vintage of the kit? If it was manufactured after the SB then the parts should have been updated to include an anti-rotation bracket which does double duty by both preventing rotation of the whole fitting and also captures the B nut and prevents it from coming undone, thus no safety wire is required if the builder used these parts. The SB is dated Feb '06 and my plans were updated 1/06 to include the anti rotation bracket. If your kit dates from after this you are probably just fine.

Note this is for the standard pickups, flop tubes still need safety wire per the plans.
Click to expand...

Thanks Z-EDD for schooling us.

I found on my RV-6 USB stick from Vans, the anti-rotation bracket updated from a shop-made one to T-715. Ref dwg 18A rev R4 of January, 2006.
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The kit was in ‘04

The kit was in 2004. When I get hm I’ll post pics from the borescope.
The hot putty knife sounds like it would work. I’ll try it tomorrow and let you know. Thanks for all the advice
Daren
 
Borescope pics

Here are the borescope pics of the fuel pickups. The kit was bought in 2004 by Allen Fulmer, a friend of Dan Horton. The fuel tanks were probably built before 2006 when the SB came out so Allen never installed it and never got around to complying with the SB. Allen did a great job on the build and great on the wiring. He definitely made my job easier by using labeled heat shrink tubing on every wire.

When I saw the SB for the anti-rotation bracket I remembered seeing that bracket loose with some other parts, I never knew what it was prior
 

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PolyGone 310-AG

There is a product named PolyGone 310-AG that will remove the tank sealants.

Never used it myself but it's out there.
 
arffguy said:
There is a product named PolyGone 310-AG that will remove the tank sealants.

Never used it myself but it's out there.
Click to expand...

Yes, I’ve heard it’s really good but for sealant that’s exposed but not for two pieces of metal pressed together, especially if you can’t submerge it in the solution. I ended up getting a wood chisel and hitting it with a hammer to break the fuel gauge loose
 
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