Alfred Buess
Joined: 11 Jan 2006
Posts: 67
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 Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:53 am Post subject: AW: Fuel tank leak - another type |
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Bud,
Thank you for your advice. I’ll try to fix it with redux and two or three plies of glass.
The indentations were most likely there from the beginning, but as they are inside the tank and located at a place where something looking like a seam is, they were not obvious. I don’t know of any flexing or bending of the tank during its installation. The indentations are not visible on the outside of the tank, that means the tank wall material is much thinner and therefore the pinhole(s) could occur.
Thanks again and best regards,
Alfred
Von: owner-europa-list-server(at)matronics.com [mailto:owner-europa-list-server(at)matronics.com] Im Auftrag von Bud Yerly
Gesendet: Montag, 11. August 2014 00:04
An: europa-list
Betreff: RE: Fuel tank leak - another type
Alfred,
Any good epoxy will stick to the tank. I use Redux and glass for small repairs like a screw put into a tank by the builder. Still holding after 10 years. Do not use ethanol based fuels.
Also, it can be successfully repaired with a plastic welder as I was shocked by one person that installed drains in the bottom of his tank. It worked well. We tried on one tank in the shop by cutting a hole in the center under the aft bulkhead and clearing the area where the tank could be welded. It worked until the next annual when we could get in a new tank and replace the repaired one.
I am surprised to see an indent as you showed in your photo. Was it there from the beginning? During your cockpit module install was the module flexed by accident?
Regards,
Bud Yerly
From: ykibuess(at)bluewin.ch (ykibuess(at)bluewin.ch)
To: europa-list(at)matronics.com (europa-list(at)matronics.com)
Subject: Fuel tank leak - another type
Date: Sun, 10 Aug 2014 11:14:24 +0200
Collective wisdom,
My Europa XS is mostly finished. Two days ago I filled the tank with fuel – it leaked after I filled in about 40 liters. Not much, but steadily. After emptying the tank and opening up the access hole on the tank top the culprit was quickly found: On top of the tunnel there are three distinct indentations and three more that are smaller. At least one of them must have a pinhole. The tank leaked exactly where these indentations are. See attached pictures. It must be a manufacturing error. I am not keen to cut this tank out and replace it with a new one, but would rather like to repair it. As it is not a stress crack and as the top of the saddle should not be exposed to particular stress, I think a repair should be possible. I added the spray foam bottom support suggested by Bud Yerly (thank you for the advice !) before filling the tank to minimize deformation stress.
My question: What adhesive sticks well enough to the tank material (I read it is medium density polyethylene MDPE) and is fuel resistant? Is redux the the good choice? Any other advice? Thanks in advance for all suggestions and shared experiences!
Alfred Buess, Switzerland, Europa XS HB-YKI, Ercoupe 415-E N94804
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