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A couple of things

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GrummanDude

Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 926
Location: Auburn, CA

Posted: Sat Mar 27, 2010 4:04 pm Post subject: A couple of things

Tiger LLC Tiger:  One of my customers has a 2005 Tiger.  He also has a fuel leak on the right wing, outboard rib, bottom.  I removed the wing and the sealant and couldn't find anything that would indicate a potential leak.  What I did notice is the ribs and attachments are different than earlier Tigers.  From the looks of it, there is NO place to leak without sealant.  It appears to be bonded all the way under the spar.  The sealant in the tank was also just a very thin coat that appeared to be brushed over the bond joints.  I resealed just like I would on an early wing.  It still leaks.  So, I can tell you the leak is not coming from the entire lower bond joint on the outboard rib.  Any ideas?  What do you know about the bonding on the newer Tigers? 

 

  

 

  Cheetah Lopresti Nose bowl:  I have worked on a few Tigers with the LoPresti nose bowl but this was my first Cheetah with one.  This Cheetah also had a donkey dick Power Flow.  The combination of the two makes removing the cowling a real pain in the ass.  The large exit ramp (LoPresti) and the rod sticking through the other exit ramp makes it impossible to remove the cowling without bending it in the middle.  The doubler on the cowling was cracked about half way through.  PLUS, the Power Flow airbox had been installed wrong and didn't fit either the cowling or the nose bowl worth a damn.  The airbox was held in with just the screws for the air filter access cover.  PLUS, the LoPresti nose bowl didn't fit all that well to the baffles in the front.  Something is definitely wrong with the entire combination.  

  

 

  That was my week.

  

 

  

 

   [quote][b]

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Gary
AuCountry Aviation
Home of Team Grumman

pitts_pilot(at)bellsouth.
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Posted: Mon Mar 29, 2010 11:42 am Post subject: A couple of things

OK, found the email ..... see below.

 teamgrumman(at)AOL.COM (teamgrumman(at)AOL.COM) wrote:  	  Quote: 	
		  Tiger LLC Tiger:  One of my customers has a 2005 Tiger.  He also has a fuel leak on the right wing, outboard rib, bottom. 	
 I guess there are blue stains???  So you know where the exit is?

  	  Quote: 	
		    I removed the wing and the sealant and couldn't find anything that would indicate a potential leak.  What I did notice is the ribs and attachments are different than earlier Tigers.  From the looks of it, there is NO place to leak without sealant.  It appears to be bonded all the way under the spar.  The sealant in the tank was also just a very thin coat that appeared to be brushed over the bond joints.  I resealed just like I would on an early wing.  It still leaks.  So, I can tell you the leak is not coming from the entire lower bond joint on the outboard rib. 	
 I'm confused.  Above you say "He also has a fuel leak on the right wing, outboard rib, bottom." but now you say the leak isn't there.

   	  Quote: 	
		    Any ideas? 	
 yes. Actually two.

 #1 ...... set up your (clean real good!) shop-vac to blow.  Seal off the vents.  Put the hose in the filler and turn on the shop-vac.  Spray the outer rib with soapy water and look for the leak.  You may have to put a rag around the nozzle, but be careful not to overpressure.

 

 #2 .... put a little 100 LL in the tank and stand it on end.  Pressurize as in #1 and look for the leak.  #1 should work better because air is thinner than the 100LL.

 

 Now, a fix from the RV crowd.  Once you find the leak, draw a small vacuum on the tank and paint the leak exit spot with green Loctite.  The green Loctite will expand due to the air (or maybe moisture in the air, I don't know) and plug a small leak.

 

 I've also used #1 with the hose stuck into the intake to find intake leaks, and into the oil filler to find crankcase, front seal, and pinholes in pushrod tubes.  Just make sure the shop-vac is clean.

 

 Linn

 

 [quote] What do you know about the bonding on the newer Tigers?   

   

   

   

   Cheetah Lopresti Nose bowl:  I have worked on a few Tigers with the LoPresti nose bowl but this was my first Cheetah with one.  This Cheetah also had a donkey dick Power Flow.  The combination of the two makes removing the cowling a real pain in the ass.  The large exit ramp (LoPresti) and the rod sticking through the other exit ramp makes it impossible to remove the cowling without bending it in the middle.  The doubler on the cowling was cracked about half way through.  PLUS, the Power Flow airbox had been installed wrong and didn't fit either the cowling or the nose bowl worth a damn.  The airbox was held in with just the screws for the air filter access cover.  PLUS, the LoPresti nose bowl didn't fit all that well to the baffles in the front.  Something is definitely wrong with the entire combination.  

   

   

   That was my week.

   

   

   

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GrummanDude

Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 926
Location: Auburn, CA

Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2010 7:39 pm Post subject: A couple of things

Hi Linn, 

 

  The leak is on the outboard rib of the right wing.  Before I removed the wing and opened the access covers, I looked for any tell-tale signs of a leak between the two adjacent ribs (tank panel and center panel).  There weren't any.  Just some fuel stains.  I thought the usual culprit, the spar area, was the source.  Nope.  Can't be.  It looks like it's further forward in an area where there is just a bond joint.  

  

 

  I will most likely remove the strap between the panels and try the shop vac trick.  That sounds like the best place to start.  

  

 

  I talked to Kevin Lancaster and he told me how the wing was made.  From what he said, I can't see how it would ever leak.

  

 

  Gary

 

  

 

 

  --

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_________________
Gary
AuCountry Aviation
Home of Team Grumman

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