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ProSeal

PaulR

Well Known Member
I'm getting ready to do the tanks on my 9A and have a question. I've read the article Rick6A wrote and that's how I believe I'm going to proceed. The question is that it seems to me that using the tubes of sealant that Van's sells would be easier than using/mixing out of the quart cans. With that in mind I have two questions;

1. The time on the tubes is 1/2 hour vs. the 2 ? hours on the quart version.

2. Approx. how many tubes to do the tanks?

While I know that the tubes are more expensive, it seems that it would be less messy, though a little more expensive, than the quarts. I do have access to a semco sealant gun, though I've never used one.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks

Paul Rose
RV-9A 91300
Wings
 
Paul,

Good idea but I doubt it will work unless you are going to rivet up an entire tank at a time. The reason is that once you mix up those tubes, that's it, it will start setting up.

When I did mine I riveted on two ribs a night. This took me about two hours, including prep, riveting, and cleaning everything (Including me).

Working with the quart can wasn't that difficult. Just get lots of gloves, tongue depressors, and popsicle sticks (I used both sizes), disposable Zip-Loc containers, and a postal scale.

It really wasn't that difficult to do.
 
I thought the same thing as you Paul when I started the tanks. I went the tube route. It worked out OK, but in retrospect the quart can would have been better. The 1/2 vs. 2 hour working time is a killer. I did all sorts of stuff to lengthen the working time, chilling the Proseal, dunking it in a bucket of ice water while working, etc. I think Spruce sells the 2 hour variety of pseudo-Proseal in the tubes, but at a slightly higher price. As Bill mentioned, you'll need multiple tubes per tank. I ended up having a few leaks, so I had to buy some extra tubes that were largely wasted. Mixing up the tubes was a bit of a chore, but somebody now sells a nifty drill attachment for mixing. Other than all of that, the tubes are great. Less mess.
 
I did go the tube route, and wouldn't do it any other way. I DID spend WAY more $$$ than I could have had I gone with the quart can, but I didn't get any on me, and that was worth the extra moola. I stricly used the 2 hour stuff, except when I needed a small portion, where I used a "dab kit", which was the 1/2 hour stuff.

Depends...spend the money and stay clean, or save money and get messy... :rolleyes:

I did use Rick's method, and it worked wonderfully! I had one small leak at the rear baffle corner, but it had nothing to do with this method. The ribs sealed very well.
 
Make your own dispensers

I used the quart can. Throw on a pair of gloves, get your MEK, Acetone, whatever ready and don the respirator. (Respirator is more for MEK than proseal. I use a 3m disposable that I get at the local paint supply shop for about $15.) Mix up your batch in a cup, then use popsicle sticks to put it into a veterinary hypodermic injector. There's no needle, and the nozzle on the end is a perfect size. I don't remember what size I used, but it's enough to hold about two golfballs worth, maybe about the same outside diameter as a quarter. Once it's in the body, clean it up with some MEK, then insert the plunger. Squeeze away.

Always uses just the amount you need, no special expensive tools required, excellent results, clean and neat, cheaper. I got the injectors at Tractor Supply, in the horse veterinary section. Any tack shop should have them, and some pet stores will have some, but a much smaller variety. They aren't re-usable, so get a bunch. I think they come in packages of three.

Proseal is MESSY, but I never got any on my body or clothes, and VERY little on anything other than the tank, clecos, and rivet tools.

I read that tip somewhere on this forum. A thorough search may find it.

Furthermore, you're going to need a "dab of proseal" in a lot of places. Having the quart in the freezer / refrigerator and a couple of these injectors gets to be VERY handy! And you can mix up as little or as much as you need.

I've built one tank with the quart, and will be starting the other in less than a week. I'm defintiely using the quart size.
 
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How many tubes

Chad,
Did you get the 2 hour version from Spruce? How many to do both tanks?
You did the fay sealing method also I see. Did you do all the ribs at once or just a couple at a time. Just from reading, it seems that you could do most if not all the ribs in a tank at once, then after partial setup, go back and rivet.
Am I on the right track?

Thanks

Paul Rose
RV-9A 91300
Wings
 
PaulR said:
Chad,
Did you get the 2 hour version from Spruce? How many to do both tanks?
You did the fay sealing method also I see. Did you do all the ribs at once or just a couple at a time. Just from reading, it seems that you could do most if not all the ribs in a tank at once, then after partial setup, go back and rivet.
Am I on the right track?

Thanks

Paul Rose
RV-9A 91300
Wings
Well, I work at an FBO, so I got mine from the parts room...but it's the same stuff that Spruce has. I believe I used 4 tubes per tank, and 4 dab kits total. I did use the fay sealing method, and I did do all the ribs at once. No reason not to since they just get cleco'd in, and then set for a day. Then, like you said, just rivet them in place, and do the fillet and cover the shop heads.
 
Just one thing to add...

When you come back the next day and pull the clecos, there may be a little "ball" of proseal tah gets ripped off the end of the cleaco and sticks to the hole inside the tank. Make sure you pull these off before you rivet the hole...the clump of semi-set proseal will ruin your shop-head and cause an issue getting the bucking bar straight.

Wonder where I came up with this pointer? :mad:

Joe
 
arcane details

jferraro16 said:
Just one thing to add...

When you come back the next day and pull the clecos, there may be a little "ball" of proseal tah gets ripped off the end of the cleaco and sticks to the hole inside the tank. Make sure you pull these off before you rivet the hole...the clump of semi-set proseal will ruin your shop-head and cause an issue getting the bucking bar straight.

Wonder where I came up with this pointer? :mad:

Joe
When I wrote the proseal piece, for the sake of brevity I omitted certain details that would quickly become self-evident. Upon removing the clecos, my favored practice (but by no means the only way to do it) is to manually push the shank end of a #40 drill bit through the holes to break loose any remnants of proseal within the hole. Sometimes you have to reach inside the tank with your other hand and pull off a dangling bit of sealer from around the hole. I then use my fingernail or thumbnail to scrape any remaining proseal that lingers within the countersink itself. Sounds tedious but in practice only takes moments and is not the least bit messy since the proseal is partially cured.
 
You can get tubes of Proseal with 2 hr. working time, however I don't think Van's or ACS carries it. You can also get other sizes of tubes. I order my sealant from Sealpak Company (316) 942-6211. They can supply you with whatever flavor you want in whatever size you want. They are a little more expensive than Van's or ACS, but their stuff is very fresh and they offer more variety.
 
Rick--

Absolutely! Self evident to some may be not so much to a guy with a little brain, like me :) :)

Seriously, your technique has made this so much cleaner it's a shame it's not more widely used/advocated. You've convinced me...of course I haven't done any leak testing yet.

I will say, I didn't even bother with the drill bit. 50% of the clecos pulled the semi-cured proseal out, 50% didn't. A quick pull with the fingers fixed the problem.

Thanks again for the tip!

Joe
 
Syringes it is

Thanks guys for all the help. I've decided (I think) to go with the syringe method. I've done some more research and it seems several have had good success that way. I'm also going with Rick's way and fay seal. That just really makes sense to me. We'll see. Sometimes I spend way more time trying to decide how to do things than actually doing them.

Thanks again for all the help.
 
If you can get your hands on some PRC Desoto B2 brand gas tank sealant, do. I used a can I was given from work and it WAY better to work with than the can I bought from Vans. The PRC is thinner and very slippery which makes sliding the ribs in very easy. The Flamemaster brand is thick, sticky, hard to apply and it doesn't seem to set up as fast either.
 
proseal method

We went with the quart can and instead of using the syringe method we simply put the mixed proseal in small ziplock bags. Seal the bag and cut the cormer of the bag (start small until you get the size you need for a nice bead. Don't squeeze the bag too hard as it might split but otherwise is makes a great applicator and cheap.
 
ptrotter said:
You can also get other sizes of tubes. I order my sealant from Sealpak Company (316) 942-6211. They can supply you with whatever flavor you want in whatever size you want. They are a little more expensive than Van's or ACS, but their stuff is very fresh and they offer more variety.
FWIW... If you want a tech sheet from Sealpak with prices (may not be current). You can download it from my web site. Look for the Flamemaster link half way down the page.
 
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