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Tank repair

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Jim Feldmann

Joined: 01 Sep 2008
Posts: 54
Location: Burbank, CA

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 8:53 am Post subject: Tank repair

I have the fiberglass wing tanks.  They have been sloshed and they look very good inside, except for some small spots directly under the filler cap.  Apparently ham-handed gas jockeys have hit the bottom of the tank with the nozzle and broken through the slosh coating and now the glass is deteriorating.



I can reach those spots easily, but I don't know what to use to repair them.  As an RC modeler for many years, my first choice would be Cyanoacrylate (Super Glue).  Has anyone had good results with anything else?



What should I use to clean the area before repairing it?



Thanks

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_________________
Jim Feldmann
Kitfox IV Speedster / 912 lost to prop failure
Building a Kitfox 5 Voyager

Guy Buchanan

Joined: 16 Jul 2006
Posts: 1204
Location: Ramona, CA

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:39 am Post subject: Tank repair

At 08:53 AM 2/10/2009, you wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		  I have the fiberglass wing tanks.  They have been sloshed and they 

look very good inside, except for some small spots directly under 

the filler cap.  Apparently ham-handed gas jockeys have hit the 

bottom of the tank with the nozzle and broken through the slosh 

coating and now the glass is deteriorating.


	


Jim,

         What's failed, the Kreem coating, or is the glass shattered? 

If the Kreem coating I assume you could rub the local area with MEK 

to form some kind of blend, then re-coat with Kreem. I don't know how 

fuel resistant CYA is, or whether it would bond to Kreem, which is 

what you want to have happen.

         If the glass has been locally damaged, then you're right, 

thin CYA can often be wicked into the fibers to stabilize the matrix. 

You'd then want to re-coat locally with Kreem. Just whatever you do, 

don't use a heat gun on it. 

Guy Buchanan

San Diego, CA

K-IV 1200 / 582-C / Warp / 100% done, thanks mostly to Bob Ducar.

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_________________
Guy Buchanan
Deceased K-IV 1200
A glider pilot too.

Lynn Matteson

Joined: 10 Jan 2006
Posts: 2778
Location: Grass Lake, Michigan

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 9:45 am Post subject: Tank repair

Why not use what the tank is built from...fiberglass. If it was me,  

I'd clean the area with MEK or acetone, stick a Dremel in there to  

scuff it up, or a long dowel with sandpaper glued to the end, or any  

other such tool to roughen the area, then apply some chopped  

fiberglass and resin to the area for reinforcement, and finally  

follow up with a new Kreem treatment, if this is what it had before.



Lynn Matteson

Kitfox IV Speedster, taildragger

Jabiru 2200, #2062, 605 hrs

Sensenich 62x46

Electroair direct-fire ignition system

New skis done and flying

do not archive



On Feb 10, 2009, at 11:53 AM, Jim Feldmann wrote:



 	  Quote: 	
		   

 <feldesign(at)earthlink.net>



 I have the fiberglass wing tanks.  They have been sloshed and they  

 look very good inside, except for some small spots directly under  

 the filler cap.  Apparently ham-handed gas jockeys have hit the  

 bottom of the tank with the nozzle and broken through the slosh  

 coating and now the glass is deteriorating.



 I can reach those spots easily, but I don't know what to use to  

 repair them.  As an RC modeler for many years, my first choice  

 would be Cyanoacrylate (Super Glue).  Has anyone had good results  

 with anything else?



 What should I use to clean the area before repairing it?



 Thanks



 --------

 Jim Feldmann, 3rd owner

 1994 Kitfox IV Speedster / 912

 Down for engine work





 Read this topic online here:



 http://forums.matronics.com/viewtopic.php?p 29555#229555

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_________________
Lynn
Kitfox IV-Jabiru 2200
N369LM

Jim Feldmann

Joined: 01 Sep 2008
Posts: 54
Location: Burbank, CA

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:13 am Post subject: Re: Tank repair

Thanks guys'



I don't know what the slosh material is.  The builders documentation does not mention it.  I also don't know whether the fiberglass resin is polyester or epoxy.  As you probably know, applying one type over the other does not work.  Maybe John McBean can tell me which was used in this 1992 kit.



CA is 100% fuel proof (gas, oil and methanol) but as you point out, there may be issues with it adhering to the slosh material.  I will do a test.



I have Acetone on hand.  Will that work as well as MEK for cleaning?



Jim

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_________________
Jim Feldmann
Kitfox IV Speedster / 912 lost to prop failure
Building a Kitfox 5 Voyager

vadert(at)shaw.ca
Guest

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:14 am Post subject: Tank repair

Jim

When rebuilding my wings I sloshed the tanks with an epoxy resin from 

Caswell Coatings.  While the resin was still drying I cut an aluminum disc 

the size of the filler neck and dropped it in the tank. I positioned it 

directly below the filler neck and when the epoxy was nearly dry I poured a 

bit more over top to cover the disc.  Hopefully thiswill protect the tank 

bottom from just the damage you describe.



Tim Vader

Kitfox IV

2276 cc Great Plains

Calgary Alberta

---

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Paul A. Franz, P.E.

Joined: 02 Dec 2008
Posts: 280
Location: Bellevue WA

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:27 am Post subject: Tank repair

On Tue, February 10, 2009 9:44 am, Lynn Matteson wrote:

 	  Quote: 	
		   



 ..... and finally

 follow up with a new Kreem treatment, if this is what it had before.


	


Can this be done in a small area? I suspect you have to slosh the whole thing with

Kreem. If that's the case, he may as well have sloshed with solvent (MEK) to begin

with, do the Fiberglas repairs as you suggest then reslosh with Kreem and thinner.



No matter which alternative is chosen for the repair, something has to be done as a

preventative measure to keep this type of damage from recurring. My suggestion is to

fabricate aluminum sleeves that can be inserted into the tank filler that have a

collar on them to prevent them from bottoming out in the tank by resting on the filler

neck. These sleeves should protrude far enough out of the tank such that the typical

fuel filler nozzle can no longer bottom out in the tank causing the damage to occur.



You just carry the slip in sleeves with you. Probably only one is needed if it will

fit the other fill points. The sleeve could be made with a nice tang on it for

connecting the ground wire when filling too.



-- 

Paul A. Franz

Registration/Aircraft - N14UW/Merlin GT

Engine/Prop - Rotax 914/NSI CAP

Bellevue WA

425.241.1618 Cell

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_________________
Paul A. Franz, P.E.
Registration/Aircraft - N14UW/Merlin GT
Engine/Prop - Rotax 914/NSI CAP
Bellevue WA
425.241.1618 Cell
425.440.9505 Office

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