---------------------------------------------------------- KIS-List Digest Archive --- Total Messages Posted Sat 10/23/10: 3 ---------------------------------------------------------- Today's Message Index: ---------------------- 1. 06:59 AM - Re: fuel seepage (Mark Kettering) 2. 08:59 AM - Re: fuel seepage (Flyinisfun@aol.com) 3. 09:09 AM - Re: fuel seepage (kent pyle) ________________________________ Message 1 _____________________________________ Time: 06:59:29 AM PST US From: Mark Kettering Subject: Re: KIS-List: fuel seepage Hi Scott, I am not so sure I would try to seal the outside. If you are having fuel going into the core and laminate then I think that I would like to have the fuel have a way out. Not that it really matters since there will still be fuel in the core. In the China LSA they were to use the Jeffco but only after much effort was spent trying to make sure the weave was fully filled with epoxy. I think the Jeffco is very thick and will not really get into the pores. I know it is a huge and difficult job but I would try to fix the seepage from the inside. Mark -----Original Message----- >From: Scott Stearns >Sent: Oct 23, 2010 2:11 AM >To: kis-list@matronics.com >Subject: Re: KIS-List: fuel seepage > >Hi Kent... It is comforting to know others have had fuel seepage. Scott > >--- On Fri, 10/22/10, kent pyle wrote: > > >From: kent pyle >Subject: Re: KIS-List: fuel seepage >To: kis-list@matronics.com >Date: Friday, October 22, 2010, 4:38 PM > > >Scott, I hope someone has the answer. I too, have had fuel seepage. I too, have coated the interior of the wing with sealer, four coats on the flat areas of the wing and eight coats in the corners. Kent > >----- Original Message ----- >From: Scott Stearns >To: kis-list@matronics.com >Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:01 AM >Subject: KIS-List: fuel seepage > > >My right wing has a lot of small places where fuel is seeping out of the laminate. For instance some of the screws that hold the aileron onhave blue stains around them. It's pretty clear that fuel has gotten into the wing skin sandwich panel and is wicking through laminate and foam. The left wing doesn't have any fuel seeps. > >The top right wing skin also has a lot of the weave showing through which might be related to the fuel getting to the panel. > >I'm a bit surprised since the fuel tanks have two coat of the jeffco fuel sealer in them. I played around with some sandwich panel that is the same material as the wing skin (but without fuel sealer)and fuel soaks through the laminate and through the foam core easily. > >Anyone have any thoughts? Should I worry or is this common? > >Scott > > >href="http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?KIS-List">http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?KIS-List >href="http://forums.matronics.com">http://forums.matronics.com >href="http://www.matronics.com/contribution">http://www.matronics.com/c > > >- Release Date: 10/22/10 01:34:00 > > ________________________________ Message 2 _____________________________________ Time: 08:59:45 AM PST US From: Flyinisfun@aol.com Subject: Re: KIS-List: fuel seepage Hi Scott, I have been reading your comments about your wing tank fuel leaks and feel you have used cosmetics to superficially solve your problem. You now have to seal the leak at the source and may never know whether you have really done that or not. I would be real concerned that the skin being soaked over a long period of time will deteriorate the fiber structure. You won't know until some years from now if there is a real problem. I also had some leaks in my tanks but at the contact points to the spar. I drilled two holes between each tank rib, about 1-1/4" in size in the very leading edge of my wing. This is where the joggles overlap each other. The holes were about 4 inches apart. I got some empty caulking tubes that have threaded fittings on the outlet end, then got a fitting that had a 1/4" size hole that I could fit a 1/4" copper tube to and attached about 3.5 foot of tubing to it. When I was ready I mixed up flox and epoxy, pored it in the caulking tube, attached the 1/4" copper tube and while seeing through the second hole in the wing, placed a bead at all contact points inside that fuel bay. You can bend the copper tubing to fit where you need to place material as well as flatten the end a little so you can lay a wider bead of material. I went from bay to bay doing just that. You can set up a 350 watt quartz light under the wing at the bay you are working in and it will give all the light you need to see what your doing. Keep the light some 2 ft. away and monitor the tempt of it on the skin as it will get to hot if too close. It will shine through the painted skin great. In your case you may need to rig some sort of spray that could be used to spray material on the flat surface for sealing it. When your done, lay about 4 layers of wetted glass cloth over the holes and blend in to the surface and repaint. Fill with fuel and recheck for leaks before blending in and repainting. I filled my tank with water and ran water through it before I drilled the 1-1/4" holes in an effort to get rid of gas and fumes. Let the tanks set for a couple of days in a warm environment so the water will evaporate before applying epoxy. Don't worry about water in your tanks, you've heard of condensate in your fuel? Good luck. Jesse ________________________________ Message 3 _____________________________________ Time: 09:09:54 AM PST US From: "kent pyle" Subject: Re: KIS-List: fuel seepage Scott, I worked nearly one entire summer on the fuel problems. The left wing tank and not been bonded to the wing spar. I would open up the wing seal with epoxy and then put the fuel back into the tank only to find a leak in another spot. This happend four times. I finally took the wing back to shop opened up the top an did all the bays with the sealer. this held for about three years and the seeping started over again. A very light seep, but annoying just same. Kent ----- Original Message ----- From: Scott Stearns To: kis-list@matronics.com Sent: Saturday, October 23, 2010 1:11 AM Subject: Re: KIS-List: fuel seepage Hi Kent... It is comforting to know others have had fuel seepage. Scott --- On Fri, 10/22/10, kent pyle wrote: From: kent pyle Subject: Re: KIS-List: fuel seepage To: kis-list@matronics.com Date: Friday, October 22, 2010, 4:38 PM Scott, I hope someone has the answer. I too, have had fuel seepage. I too, have coated the interior of the wing with sealer, four coats on the flat areas of the wing and eight coats in the corners. Kent ----- Original Message ----- From: Scott Stearns To: kis-list@matronics.com Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2010 12:01 AM Subject: KIS-List: fuel seepage My right wing has a lot of small places where fuel is seeping out of the laminate. For instance some of the screws that hold the aileron on have blue stains around them. It's pretty clear that fuel has gotten into the wing skin sandwich panel and is wicking through laminate and foam. The left wing doesn't have any fuel seeps. The top right wing skin also has a lot of the weave showing through which might be related to the fuel getting to the panel. I'm a bit surprised since the fuel tanks have two coat of the jeffco fuel sealer in them. I played around with some sandwich panel that is the same material as the wing skin (but without fuel sealer) and fuel soaks through the laminate and through the foam core easily. Anyone have any thoughts? Should I worry or is this common? Scott href="http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?KIS-List">http://www.matronics .com/Navigator?KIS-List href="http://forums.matronics.com">http://forums.matronics.com href="http://www.matronics.com/contribution">http://www.matronics.com/c -------------------------------------------------------------------- - Release Date: 10/22/10 01:34:00 =nofollow target=_blank>http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?KIS-List et=_blank>http://forums.matronics.com llow target=_blank>http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 10/23/10 01:34:00 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Other Matronics Email List Services ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post A New Message kis-list@matronics.com UN/SUBSCRIBE http://www.matronics.com/subscription List FAQ http://www.matronics.com/FAQ/KIS-List.htm Web Forum Interface To Lists http://forums.matronics.com Matronics List Wiki http://wiki.matronics.com Full Archive Search Engine http://www.matronics.com/search 7-Day List Browse http://www.matronics.com/browse/kis-list Browse Digests http://www.matronics.com/digest/kis-list Browse Other Lists http://www.matronics.com/browse Live Online Chat! http://www.matronics.com/chat Archive Downloading http://www.matronics.com/archives Photo Share http://www.matronics.com/photoshare Other Email Lists http://www.matronics.com/emaillists Contributions http://www.matronics.com/contribution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- These Email List Services are sponsored solely by Matronics and through the generous Contributions of its members.