Fuel tank leak fix thread

hydroguy2 · Post by **hydroguy2** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 1:12 pm

good work Dude.

note to self: if needed, fuel tank leaks can be repaired by inviting Chad to Montana.

Post by **Spike** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 1:15 pm

Or a matchbook and insurance check ....

-- Spike

Submitted via email

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Fri Nov 05, 2010 1:22 pm

Yeah...I gotta tells ya dude, this SUCKED!! If it leaks again, I like the matchbook idea...

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Sat Nov 06, 2010 12:09 pm

The tank is back on and it's a beautiful day!! Flying is on the afternoon schedule!

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:14 pm

The good news: My fix for the leak I had is good.

The bad news: I went to fly over lunch today, and fuel is dripping...I mean DRIPPING, from the same fuel tank. I called my dad, he ran out to the airport to help me drain all 21 gallons in to five buckets, and quickly pull the tank...AGAIN!!

My fuel sender is now leaking. Worse than the original leak. Should be an easier fix than what I went thru two weeks ago, but STILL!! DAMMIT!!!

hydroguy2 · Post by **hydroguy2** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 2:39 pm

Holy crap, batman! that really sucks.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 7:02 pm

Evening update...I took the sender out completely, cleaned it up, and reinstalled with the new style rubber gasket (MUCH thinner than before), and also put gaskets under the screw heads. This is sort of a cross between Piper and Cessna sender methods. The guys at work thought this to be the best solution, and so far, the tank is holding fuel once again...

How I had it installed before...sealant gooped all around the base plate after the thick rubber gasket was squeezed out too far (my fault).

And how it now looks tonight...

Much cleaner!

Post by **bullojm1** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 7:38 pm

Chad,

Just curious, but did you perform a pressure check on your tank before you installed it? Or did you just leave fuel in the top of it?

Lucky it was an easy fix!

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Thu Nov 11, 2010 7:55 pm

Just fuel, no pressure test. I don't think it would have mattered because the sealant around the sender failed sometime between last night and today at lunch. I was in the hangar yesterday checking for leaks and all was well. Fuel finally worked it's way under the rubber gasket and popped the sealant off. The way it was dripping today, it had to have happened over night or this morning. It was dripping at a rate of once every two seconds.

I really think it would've passed a leak test last week when I finished the reseal.

hydroguy2 · Post by **hydroguy2** » Mon Feb 18, 2013 5:45 pm

Chad, did you just use the "blank" sender covers for access during this repair? Did you use any kind of doubler with the nutplates or not?

I have to remove some slosh from some RV-4 tanks and am trying to decide if I should cut holes like you did, or try to pop the rear baffle off completely.

cjensen · Post by **cjensen** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 10:40 am

Brian and I talked off of RB about this, but just so the question is answered for all, I did use blank covers for this repair, but no doublers for nutplates.

Popping the rear baffle off isn't necessary, though access is MUCH better...just a lot more work to seal back up and prevent leaks.

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 12:22 pm

Hey Bri, I think Vlad used his hubcaps that come with the finish kit to blank off some holes that he cut in his tank(s). VERY RESOURCEFUL!

CJ

hydroguy2 · Post by **hydroguy2** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 5:04 pm

But I don't have 6 hubcaps

captain_john · Post by **captain_john** » Thu Feb 21, 2013 8:11 pm

Hmmmm, lean on our fellow builders!

Put out an all call!

CJ