Return-Path: Received: from imo22.mx.aol.com ([198.81.17.66]) by truman.olsusa.com (Post.Office MTA v3.5.1 release 219 ID# 0-52269U2500L250S0V35) with ESMTP id com for ; Mon, 25 Jan 1999 13:50:14 -0500 Received: from FVEGLI@aol.com by imo22.mx.aol.com (IMOv18.1) id QTBBa01433 for ; Mon, 25 Jan 1999 13:49:45 -0500 (EST) From: FVEGLI@aol.com Message-ID: Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1999 13:49:45 EST To: lancair.list@olsusa.com Subject: Pressure testing fuel tanks X-Mailing-List: lancair.list@olsusa.com Mime-Version: 1.0 <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> << Lancair Builders' Mail List >> <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<--->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >> I found that the most easily available and used pressure gage for this process is an altimeter. One must pressurize (or evacuate)the tank and then plot press. (altitude) vs. time over several days, also recording temperature at each point. A leak will be displayed as a trend on your chart. You can pressurize, or evacuate, your tank by mouth (lung power) to about +/- 1000-2000 feet altitude without much difficulty - try it. One thing about lung power is - you won't hurt your tanks. Balloons don't work !!! That is a very insensitve way to go. The fuel fillers are a prime source of leaks, I had to use silicon grease on both the outer O-ring and the one on the inner shaft to get a seal for my tests. Good luck. Fred (LIV N1228E) Egli