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Gas tank repair & Why They Leaked in the First Place!

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larywil(at)comcast.net
Guest

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:19 pm Post subject: Gas tank repair & Why They Leaked in the First Place!

Hi gang,



I would like to thank all of you who helped me with my leaky fuel 

tank last month. The removal of the tank was much easier than I 

anticipated. The removal of the access plate was Hell.

Now, there is still a problem to solve. The tank has a 1/16" thick 

x1" wide reinforcing ring flush riveted around the 5" access hole in 

the tank wall ( rib). This was the mysterious 2nd layer of metal that 

I saw when I tried to remove the access plate. This ring is riveted 

to the outside of the rib. The nutplates that hold the access plate 

sit inside the tank, and are thru-riveted to the ring. Thus, the ring 

has 33 flush-head rivets sitting on the ring's surface. BUT NOT ONE 

OF THEM IS SITTING FLUSH!!!  The holes were countersunk, but not very 

well. Every rivet is different but all of them are sitting proud of 

the ring. This is why I have always had some leakage on this tank. 

The Proseal between the access plate and the ring was 99.99% 

effective, but I believe there were some gaps it couldn't fill in. 

Time made it worse.



So how do I smooth out these flush rivet heads. I have decided to 

install the access plate with a rubberized cork gasket (that I will 

fashion myself) and use Permatex Aviation Form-A-Gasket. This will 

make future removal easier than the proseal. However, these Unflush 

Rivets must be improved upon. HELP, HELP!! You guys have been great 

so far. I hope you can continue to tolerate my inexperience.



Thanks again.



Louis



Louis I Willig

1640 Oakwood Dr.

Penn Valley, PA 19072

610 668-4964

RV-4, N180PF

190HP IO-360, C/S prop

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dsvs(at)ca.rr.com
Guest

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 3:33 pm Post subject: Gas tank repair & Why They Leaked in the First Place!

Get a rivet grinding bit from Avery tool.  The bit is used in your counter sink cage.  adjust the height to be flush with the cage and then remove the protruding portions of each rivet.

---- Louis Willig <larywil(at)comcast.net> wrote: 

 	  Quote: 	
		   

 

 Hi gang,

 

 I would like to thank all of you who helped me with my leaky fuel 

 tank last month. The removal of the tank was much easier than I 

 anticipated. The removal of the access plate was Hell.

 Now, there is still a problem to solve. The tank has a 1/16" thick 

 x1" wide reinforcing ring flush riveted around the 5" access hole in 

 the tank wall ( rib). This was the mysterious 2nd layer of metal that 

 I saw when I tried to remove the access plate. This ring is riveted 

 to the outside of the rib. The nutplates that hold the access plate 

 sit inside the tank, and are thru-riveted to the ring. Thus, the ring 

 has 33 flush-head rivets sitting on the ring's surface. BUT NOT ONE 

 OF THEM IS SITTING FLUSH!!!  The holes were countersunk, but not very 

 well. Every rivet is different but all of them are sitting proud of 

 the ring. This is why I have always had some leakage on this tank. 

 The Proseal between the access plate and the ring was 99.99% 

 effective, but I believe there were some gaps it couldn't fill in. 

 Time made it worse.

 

 So how do I smooth out these flush rivet heads. I have decided to 

 install the access plate with a rubberized cork gasket (that I will 

 fashion myself) and use Permatex Aviation Form-A-Gasket. This will 

 make future removal easier than the proseal. However, these Unflush 

 Rivets must be improved upon. HELP, HELP!! You guys have been great 

 so far. I hope you can continue to tolerate my inexperience.

 

 Thanks again.

 

 Louis

 

 

 

 Louis I Willig

 1640 Oakwood Dr.

 Penn Valley, PA 19072

 610 668-4964

 RV-4, N180PF

 190HP IO-360, C/S prop

- The Matronics RV-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List

Kellym

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 1705
Location: Sun Lakes AZ

Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 9:19 pm Post subject: Gas tank repair & Why They Leaked in the First Place!

If you weren't aware, there is a non-hardening version of PRC just for 

access plates. It cleans up with isopropyl alcohol and is much easier to 

get loose the next time you need into a tank.



Louis Willig wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   



 Hi gang,



 I would like to thank all of you who helped me with my leaky fuel tank 

 last month. The removal of the tank was much easier than I 

 anticipated. The removal of the access plate was Hell.

 Now, there is still a problem to solve. The tank has a 1/16" thick x1" 

 wide reinforcing ring flush riveted around the 5" access hole in the 

 tank wall ( rib). This was the mysterious 2nd layer of metal that I 

 saw when I tried to remove the access plate. This ring is riveted to 

 the outside of the rib. The nutplates that hold the access plate sit 

 inside the tank, and are thru-riveted to the ring. Thus, the ring has 

 33 flush-head rivets sitting on the ring's surface. BUT NOT ONE OF 

 THEM IS SITTING FLUSH!!!  The holes were countersunk, but not very 

 well. Every rivet is different but all of them are sitting proud of 

 the ring. This is why I have always had some leakage on this tank. The 

 Proseal between the access plate and the ring was 99.99% effective, 

 but I believe there were some gaps it couldn't fill in. Time made it 

 worse.



 So how do I smooth out these flush rivet heads. I have decided to 

 install the access plate with a rubberized cork gasket (that I will 

 fashion myself) and use Permatex Aviation Form-A-Gasket. This will 

 make future removal easier than the proseal. However, these Unflush 

 Rivets must be improved upon. HELP, HELP!! You guys have been great so 

 far. I hope you can continue to tolerate my inexperience.



 Thanks again.



 Louis



 Louis I Willig

 1640 Oakwood Dr.

 Penn Valley, PA 19072

 610 668-4964

 RV-4, N180PF

 190HP IO-360, C/S prop

- The Matronics RV-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List

_________________
Kelly McMullen
A&P/IA, EAA Tech Counselor # 5286
KCHD

rv8iator

Joined: 11 Apr 2006
Posts: 145
Location: Newberg, OR

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:26 am Post subject: Gas tank repair & Why They Leaked in the First Place!

Louis...



Be aware that permatex is soluble in alcohol.  If you get a tank full of fuel with ethanol in it and it sits in the tank for awhile you risk a leak.



My lesson from a bad experience with permatex!



Chris Stone

RV-8s

Newberg, OR



--

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_________________
C. Stone (RV8iator)

ceengland(at)bellsouth.ne
Guest

Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:22 pm Post subject: Gas tank repair & Why They Leaked in the First Place!

That'll work. If you don't have the special bit, a small grinding wheel 

will work, too.



I've used a little 1" diameter diamond wheel in a Dremel tool. Hold it 

at enough of an angle to keep the shaft/nut off the surface & gently 

drag the edge of the wheel across the rivet head. You can do it with the 

shaft almost parallel to the surface, too. Just brace the work so it 

won't move & brace your hands on the work as you move the wheel across 

the rivet head.



Play with it on some scrap to get a feel for how it wants to move and/or 

grab before you attack the tank.



Charlie



dsvs(at)ca.rr.com wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   



 Get a rivet grinding bit from Avery tool.  The bit is used in your counter sink cage.  adjust the height to be flush with the cage and then remove the protruding portions of each rivet.

 ---- Louis Willig <larywil(at)comcast.net> wrote: 

   

> 

>

> Hi gang,

>

> I would like to thank all of you who helped me with my leaky fuel 

> tank last month. The removal of the tank was much easier than I 

> anticipated. The removal of the access plate was Hell.

> Now, there is still a problem to solve. The tank has a 1/16" thick 

> x1" wide reinforcing ring flush riveted around the 5" access hole in 

> the tank wall ( rib). This was the mysterious 2nd layer of metal that 

> I saw when I tried to remove the access plate. This ring is riveted 

> to the outside of the rib. The nutplates that hold the access plate 

> sit inside the tank, and are thru-riveted to the ring. Thus, the ring 

> has 33 flush-head rivets sitting on the ring's surface. BUT NOT ONE 

> OF THEM IS SITTING FLUSH!!!  The holes were countersunk, but not very 

> well. Every rivet is different but all of them are sitting proud of 

> the ring. This is why I have always had some leakage on this tank. 

> The Proseal between the access plate and the ring was 99.99% 

> effective, but I believe there were some gaps it couldn't fill in. 

> Time made it worse.

>

> So how do I smooth out these flush rivet heads. I have decided to 

> install the access plate with a rubberized cork gasket (that I will 

> fashion myself) and use Permatex Aviation Form-A-Gasket. This will 

> make future removal easier than the proseal. However, these Unflush 

> Rivets must be improved upon. HELP, HELP!! You guys have been great 

> so far. I hope you can continue to tolerate my inexperience.

>

> Thanks again.

>

> Louis

>

> Louis I Willig

> 1640 Oakwood Dr.

>

- The Matronics RV-List Email Forum -

Use the List Feature Navigator to browse the many List utilities available such as the Email Subscriptions page, Archive Search & Download, 7-Day Browse, Chat, FAQ, Photoshare, and much more:

http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?RV-List

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