Having trouble flaring fuel vent line

[steveandmaysrocket]

I'd wait for the Rolo tool, which is a knock off of the original Parker tool. It just works. Mine is an old one and I think has a finer thread pitch than the Rolo, but pretty sure with the care you are excercising in your method, you will be super happy.

All of those samples show witness marks down the side that to me don't look normal at all. I suspect over pinching of the tube and/or the tube being slightly compressed or triangulated enough to allow one side to bias....

The parker tool won't do that. I'd wait.

Steve.

 

[bertschb]

Hate to say it, but get the Rolo-Flair.

Yep, I ordered it last night! Now I just have to wait a week for it to arrive. I'm still waiting for more tank sealant from Vans so I'm in a holding pattern on the fuel tanks anyway.

 

[steveandmaysrocket]

Yep, I ordered it last night! Now I just have to wait a week for it to arrive. I'm still waiting for more tank sealant from Vans so I'm in a holding pattern on the fuel tanks anyway.

while you are waiting... scotch brite on each rivet line inside the tank and on the mating surfaces of the rib, It seems counter intuitive that roughing up the surface helps, but it truly helps promote surface adhesion. I etch and conversion coat the inside of my tanks for even more surface adhesion...just gotta be super clean.

The tanks are the hardest part of the build, in my opinion. patience and cleanliness are everything. clean and prep like a fool. till not a spec of dust...(oil, like from your fingers is bad).
I literally wear white cotton gloves while doing my last wipe down with Isopropyl alcohol.

Popsicle sticks are super handy for spreading goo...I measure out my adhesive by weight...this is a bad place to estimate. A one gallon coffee can with a cup or two of MEK and a lid, is super handy to throw your gooey clecoes into...let them soak overnight and clean up the next day is a cinch.

You got this...final word of un-solicited advice...slow and exacting. The neater it all looks when you are done...the better.


Steve

 

[jliltd]

On another note, having mismatched flare angles between male/female faying surfaces is an accident waiting to happen. May pass a leak test but what was a distributed load (2D) is now more of a point load. Without said distribution, future crack development potential has risen exponentially. Additionally, if the joint/torque is used to make the parts conform, you've just cold worked the material at it's point of highest stress. Successful time at condition isn't relevant unless it is tested beyond the expected life of the system (aircraft). It's good until it (suddenly) isn't.

Build safe. Fly safe.

Winner winner chick'n dinner. The mismatch causes "induced stress" which in aircraft structural analysis = very low fatigue life. Leading to cracking.

 

[bertschb]

while you are waiting... scotch brite on each rivet line inside the tank and on the mating surfaces of the rib,

Thanks Steve. Yes, I scuffed the rivet lines and rib flanges. Rinsed all the rivets with MEK. Masked off everything I didn't want sealant on. Wiped down the surfaces with Acetone before applying sealant. Used a scale to weight the sealant. Went through a couple hundred gloves and probably twice as many lint free towels. Used popsicle sticks to spread sealant on the ribs and to form the beads around the ribs. Used syringes to apply sealant to the shop heads. I actually bought a Semco gun and a bunch of sealant tubes/tips but didn't use it. I found the syringes worked well. I may try the Semco gun on the rear baffles.

All I have left is the vent tube, aft inboard (half) rib and rear baffle. I'm build ER fuel tanks and have quad CiES senders.

 

[skelrad]

Bummer. I haven't seen anything like that with mine, so I think you got a defective unit. I'd check into returning it under warranty (factory defect). It's definitely not working as it should.

 

[stigaro]

I actually enjoyed building the tanks and found Proseal much nicer to work with than epoxy resin, silicone sealant or even driveway sealer (I did all 4 things in one week). Just plan things out ahead of time and don't rush.

 

[bertschb]

Just plan things out ahead of time and don't rush.

I'm definitely not rushing. It took me an average of about 2.5 hours per rib. I probably spent 2 of those 2.5 hours wiping off my gloves and tools. REALLY glad to be done with the ribs and I'm going to throw a party when I'm done with these stinking fuel tanks - assuming they don't leak.

 

[skelrad]

I actually enjoyed building the tanks and found Proseal much nicer to work with than epoxy resin, silicone sealant or even driveway sealer (I did all 4 things in one week). Just plan things out ahead of time and don't rush.

Thread drift - Same. I dreaded the tank build for no reason. After my less than stellar riveting results with wet proseal (just because I'm a rookie, I'm sure all of the seasoned folks will say it's easy), I went the dry riveting route for the ribs where you cleco/clamp the tank up tight and let the proseal set for a day or so before riveting. That made all the difference in the world and I'm positive gave me much better rivets, let alone being MUCH less messy. That process took my stress level down 100 notches for the tank build. Leak free, minus one small corner rear baffle spot that I didn't put enough proseal on.

 

[gasman]

Everyone is focused on their favorite tool. Ridgid makes good tools. 2 things might be causing this.

The OP mentioned the tubing had been bent then straightened. That changes the wall thickness a tiny bit around the circumference. So the flaring tool is trying to flare different thicknesses.

Second, that tool is made for copper so the "clutch" is probably too tight. Try stopping before the clutch slips.

Van's ships the tubing formed in a circle for packaging purposes. So, everyone starts this way.... and needs to straighten.