cropdusterdave
Well Known Member
I'm sure it's been discussed before...but I've only been able to find limited info. I've had my RV-7 flying for about a year and a half now. The left wing tank had a minor leak when the tank was full that I decided to leave until the annual. In the meantime...if fuel sloshed around and after flying...I'd have to clean up some blue stains. So at the annual, I pulled the tank...identified the leak....fixed...and reinstalled the tank. I was out of town for the next few months for a work commitment during which time I left the tanks dry. A couple weeks ago...I filled that tank up and all looked good. The next week.....leaking again. Worse than before. So off comes the tank again. The pro seal on the outer rear surface (where it attaches near the spar) has turned to goo. I can scrape it off with my fingernail. It's also turning kind of a green color.
So from what I could dig up for info on this...is that pro seal that has been exposed to periodic fuel wetting and oxygen can do this. Peeking inside the tank and feeling around with a screw driver tip....the pro seal inside does not appear too be gooey at all. I don't know weather to assume that the tanks are a write off as all of the pro seal is failing.....or if I can fix this by removing and replacing the affected external pro seal areas.
In the same tank...a single rivet on the bottom surface has begun to weep as well. Don't know if this is common in a recently completed aircraft...or if this is another symptom of failing pro seal.
Any insights that you good folks might have would be very appreciated! I'll be gutted if my tanks are trash. But if they are....might as well get going on the next steps.....
So from what I could dig up for info on this...is that pro seal that has been exposed to periodic fuel wetting and oxygen can do this. Peeking inside the tank and feeling around with a screw driver tip....the pro seal inside does not appear too be gooey at all. I don't know weather to assume that the tanks are a write off as all of the pro seal is failing.....or if I can fix this by removing and replacing the affected external pro seal areas.
In the same tank...a single rivet on the bottom surface has begun to weep as well. Don't know if this is common in a recently completed aircraft...or if this is another symptom of failing pro seal.
Any insights that you good folks might have would be very appreciated! I'll be gutted if my tanks are trash. But if they are....might as well get going on the next steps.....