Meet Dave Wisenger and Remove Tank Filler Tube

I met Dave Wisenger at the hangar today.  He is the same fellow who painted Tom Driscoll's RV-12 and I want to have him paint mine.  We met, discussed the color scheme and what he needs to have me do so he can take the airplane to his shop.  This is pretty exciting stuff.  I gave him a copy of the color scheme I am going with and he is going to get some color samples to me so I can choose the maroon color.

One morning last week I woke up early and while laying there began thinking about the airplane.  It seemed to me that I was going to have a real challenge on my hands trying to remove the fuel tank to install the baggage area rear bulkhead.  Because the fuel return line extends up through the tank filler tube attachment into the filler tube it will be virtually impossible to remove the tank without removing the filler tube.  I don't think the tank can be tipped or turned sideways to get the return line out of the filler tube.  I decided to make a modification that is now in the RV-12 plans.  I decided to remove the filler tube and install nutplates on the flange of the tube so the tube can be removed and then the tank removed.  I removed the screws and nuts holding the filler tube to the turtle deck.  

Using a putty knife I separated the filler tube flange from the turtle deck.  It came off fairly easily.  The majority of the Pro-Seal gasket came off with the filler tube.

I camped the tube in the bench vise and proceeded to redrill the holes.  I used a microsink to countersink the holes in the flange and then riveted the nutplates to the bottom of the flange.  I used a Scotch Brite pad to prep the tube and flange for paint.  I took the filler tube home and primed and painted it.  I hung it up to dry in the garage.  I will take it back to the hangar tomorrow and reinstall it on the turtle deck.