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QB Wing Tanks

77bonanza

Active Member
First of all let me qualify that I am a first time builder and will ask stupid questions.

I have QB wings. I have seen where many builders are removing the tanks and doing leak tests. Is this necessary? They come from Van's installed and tested. Why not just test for leaks with them in the wing and if none are found you do not have to remove the tank. If you do have a leak then remove the tank and investigate further. I know I am oversimplifying this and am asking for guidance as to how I should proceed.

Thanks and thoughts?
 
Why would you not? I wouldn't assume anything about quick build. Take the tanks off, visual inspect as much of the tanks and the wings as you can. Do the leak test on each tank. Then, put it all back together, leaving nothing to chance. -JMHO!
 
Leave them alone

The tanks on our -10 were just fine ---- if it were me, fly the plane unpainted the first several hours ---- work all the bugs out and, if a leak develops, then remove and fix --- chances are they will be just fine.

Ron
 
Had a vent tube leak on the left QB tank

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=151951

Now 1 yr later, the right QB tank vent has a slow drip.....:mad:

These vent leaks can't easily be tested with the tanks on or off the plane, just have to wait and see if it happens

I would just do the standard leak testing with the tanks in place before mounting the wings. Not really much of interest to see by removing the tanks...
 
Leak Testing

Hello,

RV-10 builder but I think RV-14 is very similar

Leak testing the tanks can be done with the tanks installed but you will not be able to see identify any leaks on the baffle side of the tank or the outboard most rib side.

My suggestion, take them off and test completely. My QB tanks were fine. It also gets you familiar with the process and requires you to check the torque on the screws.
 
If they were my QB wings I'd simply test the tanks installed on the wings with a water manometer (just like I did with the tanks I built for both my RV-8 and -14). No need to remove them from the wing unless there's a leak and you can't find it on the outside anywhere...then you'd need to pull the tank off the wing to fix a leak on the aft baffle.

There are other threads about various ways to do leak checks...some people don't like the manometer method because the level will fluctuate with changing atmospheric pressure. This is true, but I left the manometer installed for over a week on each tank...while the level fluctuates a bit, eventually if there's a leak the 'average' water level will drop to the neutral point. The hardest part about leak checks in my experience is sealing the filler opening. I found some 4" wide vinyl tape online so I could completely cover the opening with one piece and that did the trick.

Good luck,
 
For me the main reason to remove them was the installation of fuel senders: the easiest way to test the fit of the bends in sender arms was to repeatedly flip tank over - not possible when on wing/stand and very difficult to manipulate the sender arms otherwise.
 
No leak test will find the ?weeping rivet?.

I put the tanks on the bench and put 5-10 gallons of 100LL in each. I let them sit for a few months in various postions looking for any telltale blue stains.

Carl
 
I do know that at the QB factory they have what looks like a spa bath where the finished tank is actually submerged in for testing. So theoretically it should come to the customer leak free.

Having just finished a build where I tested the tanks in various ways however found the bullet proof way was to fill it full of fuel, leave and see what happens. The reason fuel is the way to go is that the blue staining makes it easy to see a leak or weeping rivet.
 
QB Tanks

Thanks for all the responses. I believe I will leave the tanks in place and perform the leak tests. If one is identified then I will remove them to identify the leak.

Thanks again.
 
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