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header tank leak

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21 Apr 2024 23:33 #1 by Matt Gunsch
Replied by Matt Gunsch on topic header tank leak
if you remove the header tank, and it is riveted, resealing it is not hard to do, drill the rivets on the AFT bulkhead, work a flat utility knife blade between the bulkhead flange and outer skin, once all the sealant is cut, work the bulkhead off, clean all the sealant for ALL the seams inside the tank, you can seal the forward bulkhead and top center seam from the inside. Drill off the fitting on the bottom of the tank, clean off all the old sealant and reinstall with new sealant. you can stand the tank on the forward bulkhead and fill it with water and look for leaks, if there are none, drain the tank and let it dry out. lay a heavy bead of sealant just below the rivet line for the rear bulkhead and a matching bead on radius and just onto the flange, carefully push the rear bulkhead in place, install new rivets WET with sealant. Let everything cure and then leak check. any A&P can do the work.

A&P, IA, PPSEL
too many years GA and Warbird Maint
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21 Apr 2024 14:36 #2 by Edward Moore
Replied by Edward Moore on topic header tank leak
Combine Raty and Super User suggestions. Proseal is excellent and I've seen tte vaccum used on Mooney built-in tanks in the wing, years ago. Certainly worth a try!

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21 Apr 2024 13:47 #3 by Ronald Raty
Replied by Ronald Raty on topic header tank leak
If you can pressurize the tank with a low pressure (I use a balloon as a pressure regulator), then use soapy water to identify exactly where the leak is at. Then, if you can get a small low pressure (vacuum) in the tank (not too much, don't collapse the tank), you could maybe paint a sealant over the leaky seam and suck it back into the leak to seal it. Just a thought.

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21 Apr 2024 11:41 #4 by Larry Snyder
Replied by Larry Snyder on topic header tank leak
Forgot to mention- if your tank is riveted, then the Univair tank won’t fit. It’s a welded aluminum tank, 6 gallons. Riveted tanks are 5 gallon. The filler is in a different place too.

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21 Apr 2024 11:37 #5 by Larry Snyder
Replied by Larry Snyder on topic header tank leak
You are certainly asking for BAD advice!
You can slosh your tank and it will last until it doesn’t any more and you’ll find yourself trying to handle a glider with a 5:1 glide ratio.
I don’t see how can really do any fix on it without taking it out and putting it back in, which is a big chunk of the cost.
IMHO sloshing it will put off the inevitable but I would be nervous about how it will fail when it fails. You are putting something in your fuel tank that is not fuel!
I guess when I’m nearly a mile above terra firma I don’t want to take unnecessary chances. It’s different in your car, when you can pull over when your fuel line clogs and the engine dies.
Sorry I’m a Debbie Downer but poorer is a lot better than deader!

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21 Apr 2024 11:34 #6 by Super User
Replied by Super User on topic header tank leak
Sorry - only good advice available here. ;-)

Depending on the nature of the leak, a product called ProSeal is FAA approved for fuel lank repairs. I recommend you investigate it. There are several "flavors" so pick the right one for you. It is NOT a sloshing compound - stay away from those. It's a paint on product.

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