I have a 1975 AA5-B Grumman Tiger with purple bonding agent (the one that looses its bond easier). The logs provide the following:
Repairs of May 22, 1995 and June 26,1995 were completed by different AWO's and neither removed the wing. The leaks returned a short time after eight(8) separate applications.
Dave Fletcher advises that the skin should be removed, re-glued and riveted wet, then resealed. Glue and reseal with CS3204 B1/2. This is to be completed with service kit 125A (an aggressive repair in my opinion).
Air Mod advises to remove wing, clean and reseal with PR 1422B2 then coat with PRC 1422A2 as a topical brushable cover. This process comes without guarantee or warranty.
Any comments or procedure or sealant used or application recommendations. I am a little hesitant in the more aggressive "Dave Fletcher" method but if that is the only thing that works it would be more appropriate to do it now.
I don't have a lot of direct experience with these procedures, however I was involved with a Tiger a few years back that had persistent fuel leaks from the right wing. We removed the wing and shipped it off to Airmods NW in a custom-built crate. It's been fine ever since.
Where exactly are you seeing leaks? Have you been able to trace the leaks back to their source (a good flashlight and inspection mirror are required). Even then, it can be difficult to locate the true source, as fluids (like fuel, water, and oil) tend to move in mysterious ways sometimes, but it's worth looking anyway.
It could be. Has someone done a "tap test" on the bond lines? If you're not familiar with this procedure, what you do is take some hard object, such as a coin, and go along the bond lines tapping the coin on the skin. Listen for any change in the sound, which may indicate a delamination. A negative result from this test doesn't necessarily mean you don't have a problem, but it's cheap to do (depending on the coin you use :)) and it may yield useful information.
Certainly. Any significant re-seal job on these things (other than the access covers) is hard enough to do properly without having to do it 1/2 laying down under the airplane.Clean inside and outside of ribs and inspect for delamination.
The only way to properly apply these sealants is on a clean surface. So, if you're going to do a major re-seal, you'll need to clean everything anyway.
Internal to the tank, I assume you mean? Probably not much point in this. It's the ribs on the ends of the tank area that hold in the fuel. I'd only mess with the others if there's some reason to.
Any comments or procedure or sealant used or application recommendations. I am a little hesitant in the more aggressive "Dave Fletcher" method but if that is the only thing that works it would be more appropriate to do it now.
I guess cost would be a major factor. If you can only afford to do this once, the more extreme procedure may be the best choice. On the other hand, if you can afford to try the AirMods NW procedure, then go with the Fletchair procedure if that doesn't work, I might favor that. Then again, I know how aggravating these things can be, and it may be worth something to have it done with once and for all.
As a former Mooney owner I have more familiarity with wet wing leaks than I would care to acknowledge. Given the history of problems with your wings I am inclined to agree with Dave Fletcher- deskinning the wing and re-sealing is your best option. This , of course will be fabulously expensive. Another option would be to try "Aeroseal" a product made by an exintric (?) engineer in Florida who has produced several products for the Mooney line. He also designed and manufactures the "Aerotrim" product (aeleron trim) which is installed in some Grumman products. Phone number 305-864-3336. This is a methacrylate based product in a volatile base which is basically "sucked" into the leaking spots by applying a small amount of negative pressure to the fuel tank. I resealed a Mooney this way and saved thousands. The aeroseal worked well with no leaks in the remaining 18 months I owned the aircraft. Norm is an honest guy-- call him up and discuss your problem with him. He WILL NOT recommend the product if he feels it won't help you. Only problem, treatment about $500, however it is fairly simple, I did mine myself and had A and P sign it off. Another possibility is Charlis Hinohosa at Wet- Wingologists (Unknown phone number; the old one turned into a porn site) They mostly have Mooney expereince but probably have done some Grumman work by now.