Water testing fuel tanks before closing for good

[storkeye]

I know this is a very controversial subject, but I personally would highly recommend water testing fuel tanks before closing them.

I'm certainly glad I did mine.

After leaving the tank sealant to cure for at least a week I decided I just had to fill them with water.

The left tank passed but the right tank failed. It was so much easier to fix with the baffle off.

My only tip would be to make sure that you properly dry the tank afterwards.

More detail on my log http://g-rvaa.uk/7-7-46-water-test-r...nd-leak-found/

Abe
RV-7 UK

[Mel]

Water testing is fine for gross leaks. Just remember that water is a different viscosity than gasoline. Gasoline may leak where water may not.

You should at least rinse the tanks with gasoline after the water test.

[JimWoo50]

don't scrimp on the pro seal in the baffle to skin joint. One of my tanks developed a leak when I squeezed the sealant out of the joint on final assembly.

I used a small amount of fuel to test. Not wanting water in my fuel tanks I used about a gallon and positioned the tank so the fuel pooled in various stations on the tank over several nights out on the patio. Good luck and have fun!