Gas Tank Stiffeners and Pro-Seal

I?m getting ready to start on my tanks and have read through and plan on trying Rick?s method detailed here: http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=7602&highlight=Pro-Seal
My question is on the tank stiffeners specifically though. Do you Pro-Seal the stiffeners on, cleco them up and let them sit, or do you set it up for back riveting, taping the rivets in, then apply Pro-Seal around rivets from inside the skin, apply the stiffeners and start back riveting before letting the Pro-Seal cure for 24hrs?

Not sure if this is the "right" way, but I buttered the stiffeners, clecoed them on, then let them sit at least 24 hrs. I then removed the cleocos, "wet" the holes and riveted the stiffeners on. Finally I went back and created pro seal fillets around the edges and covered all of the rivet shopheads. I've had both tanks full of fuel for about a month now and no leaks yet.

Rick's method

Auburntsts said:

Not sure if this is the "right" way, but I buttered the stiffeners, clecoed them on, then let them sit at least 24 hrs. I then removed the cleocos, "wet" the holes and riveted the stiffeners on. Finally I went back and created pro seal fillets around the edges and covered all of the rivet shopheads. I've had both tanks full of fuel for about a month now and no leaks yet.

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That's how I did it. Butter them up good. You want some proseal to flow out of the seam.
I built both 7a tanks at the same time. While one was curing for 24-48 hours, the other was getting riveted.
You can wet set the rivets at the same time but it's a bit more messy. Waiting allows the proseal to get a little more firm.

Sounds like a plan, and just saved me from making a bigger mess than I need to.

Thanks,
Lynn

Lynnb said:

I?m getting ready to start on my tanks and have read through and plan on trying Rick?s method detailed here: http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showthread.php?t=7602&highlight=Pro-Seal
My question is on the tank stiffeners specifically though. Do you Pro-Seal the stiffeners on, cleco them up and let them sit, or do you set it up for back riveting, taping the rivets in, then apply Pro-Seal around rivets from inside the skin, apply the stiffeners and start back riveting before letting the Pro-Seal cure for 24hrs?

Click to expand...

Flying now for 1 year with no leaks.
How I did it was butter stiffener & cleco. dab proseal with Q-tip stick (no fluf) into holes, then insert rivets. Then backrivet. All done in one session.

It does make quite a mess.

Later, on 1 tank I did the ribs all in one session (Butter rib, insert clecos, butter holes, rivet). On the second tank I did the butter ribs, insert clecos in every hole, wait 24 hr, then rivet. It was a lot less of a mess doing it this way, but either works.