Larry, I hanger next to a 46 coupe and a Forney coupe, don't know the year, and I own a 66 Alon. Every one of the tanks on these planes is different. From steal, to welded, to riveted. My Alon with aluminum tanks is the only one with rivets. My tanks are in great shape other than a few seeping rivets.
I could just let it go. My seeping is so slight the only reason I know it's seeping is because it leaves small blue circles around a few rivet heads. If I switched to av gas again I'd never even know they were seeping on a red plane. Maybe I should just paint my tanks blue and stick with 100LL? Anyway, I want my plane in the best operating condition it can be in. However, I'm a working stiff, respectable income but family and mortgage that come first. As you can see money is an object and I can't see spending $2000+ converting to 15 gallon tanks when my 9 gallon tanks just need a little help. If I wanted range I'd buy another/faster plane not 15 gallon tanks. Flying a coupe is about stopping at airports along the way and enjoying the hops from airport to airport. I flew my coupe from Texas to OSH this year and believe me the stops were the best part of the experience, especially the stop at OSH and the last stop at home. Hell if I had the money/time I'd pay someone to totally restore my coupe and by a new plane to get me around in the interim. Lottery tickets better start paying off soon. On sloshing. Several A/P's have told me the worst thing to do is to slosh the tanks. If your bike fuel flow gets cut off due to loose crap in your tank after time/sealant deterioration you pull over, your plane you pull vinal/fabric out your a--, assuming you live to have to deal with your new found affliction. If you contact Mooney, the last co. to produce the coupe, they tell you to seal the rivets from the outside with their special formula epoxy. Basically JB Weld at 10+ times the hardware store price. On another note, perhaps there's something to be said about keeping our planes original. If these were 1940 to 1970 cars we'd do everything we could to keep them original. As such, I'll try the easy, low cost, original equipment fix until I've determined I have no other choice. Sometimes the best fix is not the most effective solution. Kind of like buying a wedding ring for your wife, when a cigar band would do. Don't you tell her I said that... Good luck with your repairs. I'll post my results in a few weeks. Larry wrote: > > I suspect that the problem is not as easy as having Univair make a tank and get it > STC'd. I needed a wing tank, but with an early SN, I couldn't fit a later SN > tank. It is my understanding that in the early production, Ercoupe made changes > in construction as needed, and I know that the later Ercoupe tanks are not the > same as the Alon tanks, which are not the same Etc. A far better solution would > be a suitable liquid liner that hardens and forms a flexible bladder inside the > tank. This could be poured into the tank, "sloshed" around, but form a thicker > liner than we've had available in the past. Being an old Harley Bum, I've on > several occasions installed custom fuel tanks on my bikes. Each time, I've used a > tank sealer prior to finishing the tank. I can't remember the name of it, but > it's available at most custom MotorCycle shops. The secret seems to be in using > the acid that comes with it to clean and prep the tank. After finishing, these > tanks are subjected to both Av and Auto gas, and I've never seen it come loose or > out. It seems that the problem some of you may be having with your leaks, is the > process, and not the materials. My own tank had sealant installed upon sealant, > and now I'm having to pay the piper. All the junk has to come out before I can > fix it right. There comes a time when we all should accept the fact that we'd be > better off financially if we'd taken up Cocaine instead of flying. We'd be money > ahead. If you don't want to, or can't afford to fix it right, DON'T BITCH ABOUT > IT WHEN IT FAILS AGAIN. > > LARRY > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > Syd and the group. > > > > As you know, I have been a proponent of keeping the header tank in place, > > argueing that it is safer to have a system that keeps the engine runnning > > than a system dependent on pumps that might fail and cause the engine to > > quit.....BUT..... > > > > I see a lot of comments about using "weld" glues on leaking tanks.....and > > that scares me. > > > > If the tank wall is so thin that corrosion is eating thru and causing a leak, > > that leak may be stopped by the use of one of these JB Welds, etc., > > materials....BUT...if the skin is corroded and thin, then it will probably > > rupture in a hard landing, minor accident, etc., ie: a condition where an > > airworthy tank would not fail... > > > > So folks, be careful, if your header tank is bad, replace it!....or have it > > rebuilt properly, by replacement of the metal by soldering, welding, > > etc....approved repair process, so that it is strong enough to sustain a jolt. > > > > I am concerned that there may be those of us flying with non-leaking tanks, > > but that have corroded through tank bottoms that have been repaired with > > brittle materials, that would fail in an otherwise minor incident...... > > > > Yes it would be nice to have one of the new type material tanks available for > > replacement. The Auto racing world is using such a tank - > > > > Shame on Univair for not exploring the issue of an economical replacement > > composite tank. Maybe they can be encouraged to do so. Call or write them.... > > <A HREF="http://www.univair.com/";>Univair Home</A> > > > > Leaking gasoline is not a matter to be taken lightly.. > > > > Regards, > > > > Fly Safe - Have Fun > > > > Harry Francis > > 93530 > > Blacksburg, VA. -- Have a good one! The sign said "eight items or less". So I changed my name to Les. Bill DuCharme - Senior/Special Projects Manager (CIA) Certified Internal Auditor, (PP) Private Pilot JCPenney Direct Marketing - Controller's Department (972) 881-4012 Address: 2700 W. Plano Parkway, Plano TX. 75075 Unit #9230 Netscape Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Home E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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