Forgot something on the tank... Take it apart?

[danielhv]

So last night, I guess I just mis-understood the directions... I have riveted the rear baffle in place... but this morning saw on another builders site that he put a bead of sealant on the root & tip ribs to form the same fillet like you do on the skin to baffle joint... I did NOT do that. I DID do the skin to baffle joint, but not where the baffle joins the root & tip ribs... I just put a layer on the rib flange. So I'm curious... will it leak? I'd bet I can get my hand in through the inspection hole to do the inboard side... but as far as the tip rib, I'd have to get creative. Im thinking I can use a couple of long nozzles on the Semco gun with a curved tip to reach in through the fuel cap hole and maybe get a bead on the tip rib... Thoughts?

[scard]

If you already have the rear baffle on it, just go with what you have. Don't take anything apart until you know you have a leak, then if they are at the end ribs, they are easily dealt with from the outside and through the access panel. Wow, that is a lot of proseal in that tank .

[RyanM]

I agree with Scott.

Since you can get to the inboard one, I'd reach in there with a popsicle stick and seal that for good measure. For the outboard one, I just wait and see what, if any, leaks you end up with. More than likely you'll be able to fix those from the outside without cutting into the tank. Just make sure you cover each of the rivets and fill in the seam between the rib and the baffle from the outside.

[Rivethead]

If you're going to add pro seal you might try cutting the corner off of a heavy duty plastic bag and squeeze the Proseal in. Kind of like a baker would decorate a cake, it may even keep the stuff off your hands.

[zilik]

Originally Posted by RyanM

Just make sure you cover each of the rivets and fill in the seam between the rib and the baffle from the outside.

If by chance it leaks internal fixes seem to always work better than external ones. It's easy to cut an access panel in the leaking bay, do the repair, and then seal the access opening.

A couple of years ago we fixed two leaks in two different tank bays on a friends airplane. Total time of the repair took 2 hours and than included removing and installing the tank. It was on a 6 so the tank remove/replace operation was a little faster than on the current planes.

[videobobk]

We developed a leak on the outside end rib after pulling a bit of vacuum in the tank (blocked vent line.) This was on a painted/flying airplane! With a clever use of a mirror, light and bent wire with a ball on the end, we went around the complete inside of the end rib--through the fuel filling hole. It wasn't pretty in there, but it didn't leak. First squirted proseal close to where it was to go with a tube and wire attached to a syringe, then spread it with the ball. Took about an hour after practicing with the bent wire thingy. Bottom is easy, top is tough. It can be done...

Bob Kelly

[AX-O]

I had a leak on the BNC connector for the fuel sender. Right in the middle were the pin goes in. I thinned out the proseal with acetone, put a vacuum on the tank (with a hose and my moth, very scientific) and placed a few drops of the proseal on it. I did it 3 times and left it to dry for a week. The leak was gone. The vacuum thing may be an option for you as well.

[Kyle Boatright]

My suggestion would be to deal with the problem now. It'll save time versus having to remove and rework the tank, and will save serious time and money compared to what it would cost if the tank leaked in service and you damaged the paint removing and reinstalling the tank.

All you have to do right now is duplicate the hole, doubler, and cover you have on the root end. You should be able to do it in a 2-3 hours including applying the filet of proseal. Then, you never have to worry about it again.

[mcencula]

I had a leak in my outboard bay. Here's what I did:

Borrowed a dinky little camera from a buddy of mine and duct-taped it to a wooden stick:


It fit through the gas filler hole. With it hooked up to a TV, I could see the inside of the tank:


Then I bought a piece of 1/2 inch aluminum tube from the aviation aisle at Home Depot and bent it up so it, too, would fit through the gas filler hole. I mixed up some proseal and squeezed it into the end of the tube. Then, with the tube back through the hole, I could watch the TV and blow through the tube to dispense the proseal in the right spot. Worked great. Here is a crappy video showing how the camera worked out.

Notice the pool of spit in the bottom corner that came out after blowing out all the sealant. Eww. Ahh well, it's the price I pay for a leak-free tank.

[SteelMike]

Originally Posted by scard

Wow, that is a lot of proseal in that tank .

Umm... Seriously? You should see my tank... I guess I won't be posting any pictures or inviting anyone over for inspections...