Finishing Up the Tank Internals
Capacitive Sender Work Complete
Today I decided that I would get the internal tank components as close to tied up and complete as possible. All that was on the list was sealing the inboard capacitive sender connections/wiring, securing the wires in one tank to the vent line, and torquing down the fitting nuts for the vent and return lines.
I purchased a little cup of B 1/2 sealant from my local parts distributor a couple of weeks ago, specifically to do these last little items before being ready to do the “big” seal of the rear baffles on both tanks. The quantity of sealant was more than adequate, and the pot life was just right for hitting these little jobs. I first cleaned up the wires and vent lines with MEK. Then I prepped the work area for sealant (actually was letting the sealant get to room temp), then mixed up the batch. I packed most of the B 1/2 into a medicine dispensing syringe and then started smearing away. As you can see from the above picture, I covered the entire inboard plate connection(s). I have heard that folks have had fuel leak out the BNC connection at the wing root because fuel had migrated through the wire to the post. While I cannot for the life of me figure how a properly soldered connector could permit fuel to leak through a solid wire, I figured a little more sealant over the connectors and wires would certainly keep fuel from wicking through all the way to the connector. Additionally, sealing the connections also adds some vibration resistance and stability. Needless to say, these aren’t going anywhere soon.
Once the sealant was spread and double checked, I turned to prepping the cover plate/pick-up line parts for sealing and assembly. Up to this point, I had simply hand fit them together. I took the protective plastic off the covers, deburred them, and cleaned them up with MEK and re-assembled. At this point, I can seal them together, which will likely happen after completing the baffles (or at the same time).
All that remains is torquing down the nuts for the return and vent lines. I am trying to decide if I should throw some sealant on the threads for this task. It would be a real pain to have to open up the tank to redo these if they ever came apart. I’ve read both ways…which didn’t help. I also need to rig up a system to get the proper torque as well. Some have used highly calibrated hand sensors (brain), others have put extensions on their torque wrenches and done the math. Either should work for me. 😉
Getting real close to a full day of sealant and then no more! SOOOO happy that day is approaching!
