N546RV
Well Known Member
OK, so while searching for something-or-other earlier today, I saw where someone mentioned performing a leak test on his tanks prior to installing the baffle. He did this by (presumably) placing the tank in the cradle and filling it with water. Apparently he was able to find a few leaky rivets this way and fix them prior to installing the baffle.
So now I'm trying to decide whether this is worth my time to do. Honestly, I'm leaning away from it, but I figure it could make for an interesting discussion.
Pros:
Cons:
I suppose my overall take on this is that the water test seems like an OK way to find gross leaks, but by no means would it be a true indicator of whether the tanks were intact. If anything, the presence of water leaks seems like it might point to systemic problems with sealing technique.
On the other hand, I reallyreallyreallyreally don't want my tanks to leak. I went out today and touched up several locations that looked sketchy to me. So the water test appeals to me from that perspective - but again, thinking rationally, I don't think it's truly worth it.
What say you all? Are leaks a smaller problem than I think they are? Do I need to just shut up, close the things, and pressure test down the road?
(I think I'm just overthinking all of this because I'm nervous about leaks)
So now I'm trying to decide whether this is worth my time to do. Honestly, I'm leaning away from it, but I figure it could make for an interesting discussion.
Pros:
- Possibly identify minor leaks while they're still accessible and can be fixed. Maybe avoid needing to create access holes in the baffle after the fact.
Cons:
- Fuel is less dense than water and thus presumably more likely to find a leak than water. So while the water might not leak, this doesn't necessarily mean that fuel won't.
- Increased timeline for completing tank closeout. For example, I expect to install the end ribs this week, which would allow me to do the baffles this weekend - unless I do this leak test, in which case I'd feel compelled to let the tanks sit for a couple weeks.
I suppose my overall take on this is that the water test seems like an OK way to find gross leaks, but by no means would it be a true indicator of whether the tanks were intact. If anything, the presence of water leaks seems like it might point to systemic problems with sealing technique.
On the other hand, I reallyreallyreallyreally don't want my tanks to leak. I went out today and touched up several locations that looked sketchy to me. So the water test appeals to me from that perspective - but again, thinking rationally, I don't think it's truly worth it.
What say you all? Are leaks a smaller problem than I think they are? Do I need to just shut up, close the things, and pressure test down the road?
(I think I'm just overthinking all of this because I'm nervous about leaks)