Will,
Not to worry, I think we have a fix.
If the tank must be replaced, it takes a three day weekend (not
including interior replacement), although I spent a week. With the tank
out I was able to play with some other things in that hole I preferred
to do differently....
I have some pictures of the removal, somewhere showing how I cut it out
and replaced it. I have done three at the shop over the years (mine
cracked and the other two had holes drilled in them by accident) and it
is not that bad... Just a technique and of course knowing where to cut
to avoid all those wires you may have run through there.
In the next month or so, when the dust settles, I will do a how to as
part of the tech help series and discuss why the old tanks fail... It
is the lack of bottom support and variances in construction which my
autopsy of the tank revealed causes the split(s), as well as some
hardening of the tank when left without fuel for some time, and when
refilled, the tanks lack of support on the front and bottom forces a
stress riser at the rear. More of that later....
Give me a few weeks, much to do in the shop and airshows to get ready
for and not enough hands or mind.
By the way, with the new tank, I can just hold 20 gallons to the filler
neck in my trigear vs. the 18.5 from before. The old tank had a
depressed top and the new tank was very straight and true, it's a bit
wider (read as I had to cut the rails a bit) and has small diagonal
support moldings which accounts for the slight bit of extra gas.
Bud Yerly
Europa Tech Support.
Custom Flight Creations, Inc.
www.customflightcreations.com
(813) 653-4989
----- Original Message -----
From: William Daniell<mailto:wdaniell@etb.net.co>
To: europa-list@matronics.com<mailto:europa-list@matronics.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2010 8:33 AM
Subject: Re: Europa-List: Europa fuel tank - LDPE or HDPE?
Oh dear....mine is already in but it seems the problem is not
universal.
Just out of interest how on earth do you get it out once the airplane
is built around it?
Will
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