Weep No More

[ksauce]

I bought my RV-6A a few years ago. Recently, I discovered a leak in the inboard top/front of my right tank. If I let the plane sit with a full or nearly full tank, a lot of blue dye would show up after a few days.

As I didn't build my plane, and given all of the horror stories regarding proseal, I was dreading the prospect of pulling the tank and tearing it apart. Fortunately, my hangar mate had seen something on Van's Facebook page about a company called Weep No More that specializes in fixing leaks in Mooneys but will also happily work on RV tanks.

I called and chatted with Paul, the owner. After a brief overview of the process and time frame, I told Paul to expect my tank shortly. I called a local box company and had them build a custom, heavy-duty cardboard box for my tank. I left my tank with them and told them to ship it to Weep No More when the box was done. The box was $70 and the shipping was around $120.

Paul received the tank and had it for about a week. During the time, he opened it up, removed some slosh, and went through his chemical cleaning/sealing process. He sealed it back up, pressure tested it, and called me to tell me it was ready to go. He had the tank shipped and mailed me an invoice (a very trusting man).

I received the tank last week and found it to be in excellent shape. The proseal looks neat and tidy, and all of the rivets look very well done. The ONLY fly in the ointment with the process was Paul accidentally sent my drain valve home with another tank. I called him and he said to just send him an invoice and he'd reimburse me for his mistake.

I'm almost done putting it all back together, but I'm waiting on some replacement hardware before I get it back in the air. I did fill the tank half way and haven't seen any leaks. I'll update this review further down the line once I'm back in the air and have some time on the tank.

Paul's invoice for the tank repair was $830 plus another $130 in shipping back to me. So, at $1.2k, it's not a cheap option, but I must say for me, it was the right choice. I didn't have to worry about the proseal and riveting process (remember, I didn't build my plane) and I have a five year guarantee against leaks. To top it off, Paul is an outstanding man to do business with and I would heartily recommend his service.

[ed. Thanks Kevin. Interesting service. dr]

[Omega232Devils]

I would like to add to Kevin?s review of Paul Beck of WeepNoMoreLLC mentioned above. I bought my RV-6A with QB tanks about a year ago and have been troubleshooting a leak in the left tank. My tank troubles have been documented here on VAF. I, thanks to a lot of advice on VAF and RVr?s around me, tried twice to reseal the tank. I was successful in slowing the leak, but in the end felt like I was merely chasing a leak. There was evidence that the owner before me had done the same thing, so it was time for more serious repair, so I gave Paul a call.

Paul specializes in Mooney fuel tanks, but does RV tanks ?For Fun!? (His words, not mine! Personally I think his shop is not ventilated and the fumes are going to his head!) I won?t go into detail of ?how? the tank is resealed, as that can be seen on his website Weep No More. I talked to Paul about my tank and he explained everything in detail.

I am in the process of moving to Rhode Island, so my timeline is tight. Paul gladly made a spot for me in his schedule and even finished the tank 2 days ahead of schedule. So the tank is back on the plane ?leak free? ready for my cross country move. Just like Kevin, Paul shipped the tank before I paid and emailed me an invoice. Paul also noticed an increase in the shipping rate by UPS after the tank had been mailed back to me and offered to pay the extra shipping. What a stand up guy!

Below are some pictures of the tank:

Tank cleaned:


Tank Sealed:


Completed tank:


Look at the detail where Paul trimmed the sealant back, so the tank would reinstall flush:

New rivets installed and painted by Paul:


This process may not be for everyone, and it is not a cheap endeavor, but if you are struggling with a leaking tank and need help, Paul Beck is your man!

[Doug]

Does anyone know what the pink coloured primer like material is underneath the Proseal?

[Walt]

Originally Posted by Doug

Does anyone know what the pink coloured primer like material is underneath the Proseal?

I believe that is a top brush coat of some type.

[Omega232Devils]

Doug,
Got a reply back from Paul

The red color is a top coat for the sealer. Mooney has used it since
forever! Its a synthetic rubber that offers protection for the new
sealer. It acts as an isolator so the fuel never really touches the
sealer. Also, fills any microsopic holes that may be In the sealer,
making for a more secure seal job.

Paul is working on a VAF account and becoming a VAF advertiser.


Dan

[JonJay]

If your tanks where sealed to look like Paul's, you would never have a problem to start with. Most just simply do not use enough sealant. I will tell you that it takes more than one quart to seal the tank to this extent, at least it did for me, but I am no expert like Paul.
I did not use a top coat sealer. Never heard of it before. Sounds like it is a good safe guard and is time proven, so couldnt hurt I guess.

[Weep No More]

Hey Dan, I finally got signed up!

[Mike S]

Originally Posted by Weep No More

Hey Dan, I finally got signed up!

Paul, welcome aboard the good ship VAF

Really good to have you here, hope you are ready for a lot of questions----you are now the resident expert on fuel tank repairs

[Weep No More]

Thanks Mike! I should probably be worried, right?!

[ksauce]

I just wanted to post an update a few months down the road. My tank is performing perfectly with no leaks. Thanks Paul for a great job and welcome to VAF!