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Date:  11-13-2015
Number of Hours:  9.50
Manual Reference:  
Brief Description:  Right Fuel Tank Assembly

The right tank back was assembled yesterday. The inside of the fuel tank and the tank back were carefully cleaned with acetone on lint free wipes. I was surprised how much crud and corruption was removed from inside the tank. Areas of the tank and back where sealant would be undesirable were masked off with green masking tape to minimize cleanup at the end of the process.

Sealant was mixed and applied to all of the mating surfaces on the both components. The tank was raised out of the saddle enough to allow the rear of the tank to be spread slightly, easing assembly of the back into its final position. The back was clecoed in place using every-other rivet hole, to apply pressure to the tank back to squeeze out excess adhesive and air that might be trapped in the joints.

The back was riveted to the rear of the ribs first. Then wooden clamps were applied to the saddle to firmly seat the tank assembly into the saddle. With a small level across the back ends of both skins at both ends, the wooden clamps were adjusted until the level bubble was exactly centered at both ends, insuring that there was no twist in the in the fuel tank (see log entries for May 4 and 5, 2015.) The upper and lower skins were then riveted to the tank back flanges with flush rivets, locking the tank in a perfectly straight condition.

Strips of wood were then clamped on both sides of the overlap between the tank skins and the flanges of the tank back, to insure these flanges were squeezed together while the sealant cured.

Today, all of the clamps were removed. The tank back was cleaned again with acetone, then all of the exposed rivets inside the tank back were coated with thinned sealant. The tank assembly was then placed in a small closet heated to about 75-degrees, where it will spend the next two weeks to complete the curing process before leak testing.

Strips of wood were then clamped on both sides of the overlap between the tank skins and the flanges of the tank back, to insure these flanges were squeezed toget
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Clamping Rear Flanges While the Sealant Cures

Clamping Rear Flanges While the Sealant Cures

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Clamps to Insure That the Tank is Not Twisted

Clamps to Insure That the Tank is Not Twisted

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