Kitfox Aircraft Stick and Rudder Stein Air Grove Aircraft TCW Technologies Dynon Avionics AeroLED MGL Avionics Leading Edge Airfoils Desser EarthX Batteries Garmin G3X Touch
Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: What a vintage 90’s fuel tank looks like on the inside

  1. #1
    N14ND's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Graham, WA
    Posts
    113

    Default What a vintage 90’s fuel tank looks like on the inside

    This is my right fuel tank. I did my left fuel tank 6 yrs ago. It looked the same. Slosh or whatever they used pealed off in sheets and the fiberglass work was/is sub-par. I used Jeffco 9700, now called Rhino 9700 as the sealer. It is what the Ez/Cozy/Glasair/Lancairs use in their tanks. The top came off surprisingly easy. Now it’s time to clean everything up.
    860CDFED-019E-4EBC-931C-B2C65124ABAD.jpeg0198E6B3-C825-4342-A310-E9AF0B50F5EC.jpeg83FDD334-261B-4421-B7BF-6951585629F1.jpeg3677F35B-3BE3-49FA-9836-6ACB0023BBC5.jpeg
    “I wish I knew now as much as I thought I knew when I was 18”

    Building Kitfox 5 (25 yrs and counting)
    0-200
    A&P, ATP

  2. #2
    N14ND's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Graham, WA
    Posts
    113

    Default Re: What a vintage 90’s fuel tank looks like on the inside

    Started to clean out old slosh. All I have used so far is compressed air and an old gift certificate card cut in half to use as a scrapper. Doesn’t take much as the air alone lifts the slosh off. I can see why the top came off so easy as the slosh was sprayed into the tank attempting to coat it and the top was glued on with polyester resin which went right over the slosh. Not a good bond.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    “I wish I knew now as much as I thought I knew when I was 18”

    Building Kitfox 5 (25 yrs and counting)
    0-200
    A&P, ATP

  3. #3
    Senior Member 109JB's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2019
    Location
    Morris, IL
    Posts
    484

    Default Re: What a vintage 90’s fuel tank looks like on the inside

    I'm watching. I'm seriously giving thought to doing this on my project Kitfox IV. Do you know if the Jeffco 9700 is good for use with auto gas containing 10% ethanol?
    John Brannen
    Morris, IL
    Sonerai IIL (Single Seat)
    Kitfox 3/4 1050 - Rotax 582 (Back Flying and sold)
    Kitfox IV 1050 - Rotax 582 (sold)
    Kitfox IV 1200 Speedster - Rotax 912 UL (project)
    Piper Twin Comanche (Sold)
    Glasair 1 FT (Waiting to start)

  4. #4
    N14ND's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Graham, WA
    Posts
    113

    Default Re: What a vintage 90’s fuel tank looks like on the inside

    Jeffco 9700 (now Rhino 9700) was formulated to paint/coat the inside of underground fuel tanks, as well as their go to coating for hangar and industrial floors. I chose it specially for use with auto gas or Mogas. Before I chose it I did an extensive search on the different composite aircraft forum sites, as well as individual builders sites. While you won’t get anything specific from the manufacturer, I think it is the best product out there. It does require sanding the surface and applying two coats, so you can’t use it as a slosh. PM me when you are ready. I have a lot of info.
    “I wish I knew now as much as I thought I knew when I was 18”

    Building Kitfox 5 (25 yrs and counting)
    0-200
    A&P, ATP

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Location
    Steilacoom, WA
    Posts
    729

    Default Re: What a vintage 90’s fuel tank looks like on the inside

    Quote Originally Posted by N14ND View Post
    Jeffco 9700 (now Rhino 9700) was formulated to paint/coat the inside of underground fuel tanks, as well as their go to coating for hangar and industrial floors. I chose it specially for use with auto gas or Mogas. Before I chose it I did an extensive search on the different composite aircraft forum sites, as well as individual builders sites. While you won’t get anything specific from the manufacturer, I think it is the best product out there. It does require sanding the surface and applying two coats, so you can’t use it as a slosh. PM me when you are ready. I have a lot of info.
    What are you going to do to reskin the tops? I'm assuming the old ones were destroyed in removal?
    Kitfox 5 (under construction)
    Commercial SE/ME, CFII

  6. #6
    N14ND's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Graham, WA
    Posts
    113

    Default Re: What a vintage 90’s fuel tank looks like on the inside

    I made new lid/tops. I wrote down the fuel cap location for installation later and then cut out the cap and clamped a piece of 1/8” hardboard melamine over the top (white smooth side next to lid) with 4” on each side of the tank and marked the melamine with tank reference lines and made some curved supports and bondo’d them in place to hold the shape. And added a couple other supports to give it rigidity. Laid it on a table and draped it with thin painters plastic, peel ply and a wet lay up of 4plys bid cloth 7725, another layer of peel ply over the top of the epoxy resin cloth. Made two.
    “I wish I knew now as much as I thought I knew when I was 18”

    Building Kitfox 5 (25 yrs and counting)
    0-200
    A&P, ATP

  7. #7
    N14ND's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Graham, WA
    Posts
    113

    Default Re: What a vintage 90Â’s fuel tank looks like on the inside

    Here’s a pic of my top.
    Just an FYI for everyone. You can repair polyester resin fiberglass parts with epoxy resin components. You can’t repair an epoxy part with polyester resin. Epoxy doesn’t shrink, more stable and better chemical resistance. There’s lots of epoxy products out there. I have used just about everything. West, Poly Poxy, A/O, Pro Glas, Aeropoxy, just name a few.

    This current tank will need more repair work than my first tank. The bottom appears to have only one ply of glass cloth. And all the fitting bosses will have to be redone as they had voids in the npt threads. I think I would have fought leaks with this tank forever.

    The remaining slosh material is coming up with a heat gun and light scraping with a tiny screw driver. 5D3434A6-DF89-44CF-AA67-D08052BBA82A.jpg
    “I wish I knew now as much as I thought I knew when I was 18”

    Building Kitfox 5 (25 yrs and counting)
    0-200
    A&P, ATP

  8. #8
    N14ND's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Graham, WA
    Posts
    113

    Default Re: What a vintage 90’s fuel tank looks like on the inside

    Cleaned all the gunk out the fuel tank. Used a heat gun set at 200° and a plastic scraper to get the last little bits up. Started to clean up the baffles as they need some work. The fitting bosses (drain, fuel pickup, vent and sight gauges) are getting a total remake.
    03ACB636-DB6C-4B25-B943-94178A768CED.jpeg
    “I wish I knew now as much as I thought I knew when I was 18”

    Building Kitfox 5 (25 yrs and counting)
    0-200
    A&P, ATP

  9. #9
    N14ND's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Graham, WA
    Posts
    113

    Default Re: What a vintage 90’s fuel tank looks like on the inside

    Here's a couple of pictures I found when I layed up the fuel tank lids a few years ago.


    Kitfox Tank 021.jpgKitfox Tank 022.jpg
    “I wish I knew now as much as I thought I knew when I was 18”

    Building Kitfox 5 (25 yrs and counting)
    0-200
    A&P, ATP

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •