To the posting concerning wing tank rivets weeping fuel. You are not alone! I also have/hopefully had problems with weeping fuel from my 66 Alon's wing tanks. As was stated the best fix is an expensive tank rebuild. However, there are other solutions, all be they temporary. This process should buy you 2 to 4 years if your lucky and your plane is hangered.
I used a product called miracle paint purchased from JCWhitney via the web. The address is http://www.jcwhitney.com Miracle paint comes in Black, White, and clear. For some reason the Black is said to be the strongest so that is what I used. Black also gives you a better feel for the coverage your getting too. First I stripped all the paint off the top and bottom of the tanks, then roughed the surface around each rivet with sand paper. Good opportunity to fixed any small dings you may have while the paint is removed. It's not necessary to remove the tanks if your careful and use the correct type masking tape. I then taped off about a two inch stripe down each of the three rows of rivets all the way around the leading edge and to the back edge of the tank underside. If I remember correctly there are 54 rivets on each tank. Only a few rivets were weeping on my tanks but I was sure that if I only repaired the bad ones the others would surely start weeping about the time I got a fresh coat of paint applied. Anyway, three coats of the miracle paint were applied. Apply all three coats at once allowing 30 to 60 minutes between coats to let the paint get good and tacky. 60 minutes after the last coat is applied remove the tape. If you don't you'll have to cut the tape off with an exacto knife. This stuff gets really hard! Don't get it on your hands either. If you do it'll take days/weeks to wear off. There is no solvent for miracle paint. Let the paint set for a few days and then rough the painted surface very lightly with sand paper. Then repaint with aviation/zink primer and then apply your finish coat. Important: Be sure to completely drain the fuel system before you start the process and leave all three gas caps off for a week or so to let any remaining fuel evaporate. I've been working on my tanks now for about 8 weeks. Way too long but, I usually only have the opportunity to work on my plane one day each weekend. My repairs are now complete and I've got one side in primer and the other side is taped off waiting for a warm Texas winter day to apply it's primer coat. Best advise I can give you is take your time. You don't want to do this twice! While the fuel system is completely drained, check the header tank for weeping rivets too. I found three stains indicating weeping on my header tank. Again there are at least 15 rivets on the under side of the header tank. Seal them all while your at it. I used clear miracle paint for this tank. Have fun laying under the dash. You may want to call a chiropractor for and appointment before you get started. Good luck with your repairs.... -- Bill DuCharme N6554Q
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