Runtoeat Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 My mechanic is currently trying to determine the procedure to use to replace the gasket on my right wing fuel filler. I am going to have a spot on my wing painted near the filler and need to remove the tan caulk and the aluminum filler fixture before the painting so I can get the wing skin painted down into the depression which accommodates the filler fixture. If anyone has removed the aluminum filler and replaced the paper gasket that seals this fixture to the wing, please let me know. My calls to FD USA has not provided me with anything my mechanic can refer to for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N89WD Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 I'll bet Lockwood has done this..try 'em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Hi Dick, Why remove it. Take down the tan epoxy edge with a Dremel tool and tape on the aluminum part. then paint. It will look the same when done. taking that out and putting it back in may cause a lot more work, cost a lot more money and be a PITA to get put back correctly. If you need to build the edge back up again after the paint job then just top off the edging with some epoxy and all done without disturbing the seal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted August 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 N89WD and Roger Lee, thanks for the reply. My call to FD yesterday resulted in the suggestion that I call Lockwood - or what used to be called Lockwood. It is now Sebring Aviation, and talk to John Horn. I left a message and John was good enough to return my phone call. I asked him if he had done any repairs on this area and he said he hadn't. Another dead end. Roger, I had thought about taking out some of the tan caulking with my dremmel and will now consider this based on your reply and also based on my attempt to get all 4 of the little screws loose yesterday. We were able to break two free but the other two just won't budge. I was going to use some heat from a hair dryer on the two stubborn ones but then got to thinking that my mechanic is completely flying blind here without a repair procedure and if we screw things up, it might be a long an costly repair. FD has sent me the epoxy used to caulk this area so I have the factory material to fill in if I take a little out with my dremmel. Best to just take a little material out, mask the area, and have the painter do his thing for the time being. Thanks for the input guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tad Olmsted Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 I have to agree with Roger, this will be a huge PITA if removed. I wouldn't poke a skunk, just do what you have to and press on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josjonkers Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 I have done this twice. To get the aluminum plate of is hard and once the bolts are off you have to carefully wiggle and scrape behind the plate in order to get the old gasket bonding to loosen enough. Once there you now have to painstakingly remove the residue from the old gasket. For the new gaskets you have to make sure to get the ones that don't dissolve in gasoline since otherwise you get a leak in short order. Also use fuel resistant sealant (I ended up using a thick blue compound but can't remember the name). Have not had a leak since this was done (>400 hours ago). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted August 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Josjonkers, thank you very much for your reply. A few questions if I might: I have purchased new gaskets from FD and these appear to be made from a pressed paper material similar to standard gaskets. Were your gaskets (the ones that are "fuel resistant") made from a similar materials? How did you manage with the caulking that goes around the aluminum filler and seals it from the wing? This is the 1/8" thick material running around the outside of the aluminum. Did this material adhere to the wing and/or the filler and did you have any problems removing it? If you did have problems, how did you deal with it? Did you apply heat to the 4 screws which hold the filler to the wing in order to remove these? The gasket sealing material you tried to recall the name of might be Halomar? It is a qooey blue sealer which very little is used and then allowed to set up before assembly. If you prefer to not answer these questions no problem. Or, if you prefer to discuss on the phone, I'd be happy to call you. Your information may be the only documentation that one might find reagarding the repair of this filler. There really should be a repair procedure for this but I know of none. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted August 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Hi Tad. Your point and Roger's is well taken. At this point, I'm going to get the small area near my filler which needs repainting done without removing the filler. I am still not totally convinced that I have a leak and might just have slight fuel misting from the tank vent. It would be really nice if I could just get the caulking out prior to the painting but I have poked and scraped this a little bit and it is a very hard material. It is really not clearly understood why FD selected this material for caulking or why they installed the filler in a manner where it is so difficult to remove. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger Lee Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 Hi Dick, My guess is you don't have a leak around that seal, but it is possible to have the "O" ring get old and leak around the cap or like you said maybe at the vent. If I'm just flying I never fill past the 15 gal. mark. That said I have different vents and they usually never leak the the originals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tip Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 The sealant around my LS gas cap flange is called Epoflex. I have ordered the sealant from FDUSA and will try to stop a weeper soon. I'm not excited about removing the old seal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted August 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Tip, now that you have posted your leak concern and Josjonkers has also, there are now 2 documented leaks at this fitting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tip Posted August 13, 2011 Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Dick, I didn't have the seep until I started using 10% Ethanol. I mentioned this to FDUSA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runtoeat Posted August 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2011 Hi Tip. Interesting about the possible link between methanol and the leak. Wonder if the fuel might not be compatible with the standard paper gasket material that appears to be used to seal the filler fixture? Please let us know if you are able to get the filler out of the wing. I did not pursue doing this on my CTSW due to the mechanic not being able to remove 2 of the 4 screws that attach the filler to the wing. Even if we could have been able to loosen all the screws, we weren't sure if the caulking material might act like an adhesive and might cause damage to the wing during the removal of the filler. Too many unknowns and something that really calls for a procedure spelling out how to repair this area that is issued by the factory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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