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alpinelakespilot2000

Well Known Member
I'm not quite clear reading Van's instructions regarding tank baffle sealing. Should the baffle flange where it contacts the skin be prosealed before inserting it into the skin, or do you only run the bead of proseal on the skin just below the skin rivet holes (onto which the baffle then sits)? The instructions seem to suggest that proseal might make the skin-baffle joint pucker out too much.

Logically, it seems like I should proseal that skin-baffle mating surfaces just like I prosealed the ribs into the skin, but at this point I'm so sick of proseal (after only one tank) that I really don't want to make any mistakes.

Thanks,
Steve
 
alpinelakespilot2000 said:
I'm not quite clear reading Van's instructions regarding tank baffle sealing. or do you only run the bead of proseal on the skin just below the skin rivet holes
Click to expand...

That's the way I did it. You put the bead just above where you think it will come to rest with the baffle installed. That way it is pushed into place and makes a nice bead on the inside of the junction. You don't need it on the outside of the flange as it will make it hard to squeeze those skins flat.
 
I put a thin layer of proseal on the flange as well. My reasoning is that the proseal on the flange will meet up with the bead on the skin and make a really good seal. I put on a very thin layer on the flange so it would not cause a bulge. This also gives me a seal around the rivets themselves for additional protection.
 
Thanks Andy and Paul. It sounds like it can be done both ways with the idea that you want to get as little proseal on the outside of the flange as possible. That answers my question. (Hey Andy, if you get the chance to fly over sometime I could watch your plane for you while you proseal my second tank! Sound like a deal? BTW, your new paint job looks great!)

Thanks again to both for the tips.

Steve
 
If you put a healthy bead -- andI mean a HEALTHY bead -- of ProSeal on the tank skins...and you put the baffle on straight and push it down evenly, you don't need any ProSeal on the flange.

Believe me, the roll of ProSeal that is pushed down is beautiful.

Don't scrimp on the ProSeal on the bead, and you won't have a thing to worry about it.

One thing, if you put it on the flange -- and I suppose there's no real harm if you do -- pay close attention to cleaning up the skin after of the baffle seal. There's VERY little room for any ProSeal to exist there because the clearance between the skin and the doubler plates is very, very small.

The best bet? Put a TON of ProSeal in the corners...get an animal syringe, cut off the opening...and lay a thick bead ( about the among of a full load of toothpaste coming out of a tube...maybe more) just below the rivet holes.... lather up the end ribs slightly ... and you'll be just fine.
 
I applied a 3/16" max bead (per Vans) just forward of the rivet holes on the tank skin only. I used a syringe from the farm store once containing a product called Conquest. I didn't apply pro-seal to the baffle flange because I didn't want to risk smearing the stuff on the inside of the tank skins.

1 baffle down and 1 to go.
Steve
 
I'll add my 2 cents from experience... a little bit of pucker is much better than a bunch of leaks in the baffle. However, also be aware that too much ProSeal globbed onto the shop heads of the baffle rivets can interfere with the reinforcing bars of the wing spar right at the wing root.

Dave
 
Thanks again to all the replies. I think I got the idea--plenty on the bead below the holes, minimal if any on the flange itself. Also, not too much proseal on the shop heads is definitely not something I had thought about Dave. Thanks.
 
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