I need to replace the fuel bladders in my 53 180. While I am at it I will be replacing the fuel caps. Any recomendations on who to buy this stuff from. Thanks

Not sure what kind of caps you have now. One of ours had Monarch's, we really liked them. I dont know about bladders, Hartwig is a name I am familiar with, not sure if that helps your situation much though.

Hartwig does bladder overhauls, and also makes & sells the Monarch cap. Don't know about bladder pricing but the caps are six or seven hundred bucks for the pair.

Thanks for the replies, sorry for the typing error "bledders", my typing skills suck. I just ran across another thread that mentioned that my leak may be from the fuel guage gasket in the wing root. I used ethenol free auto fuel last summer. the plane hadn't had auto fuel in it for 25 years, I burned up a couple of tank fulls of auto fuel then got too busy to fly and the plane sat for over a mounth. I drained the auto fuel and put 20 gallons of av gas in each side and that is when the leak appeared in both wings and there is a heavey odor of av gas in the cabin. I will take a look at it tomorrow, hopefully that will be the issue. I still want to change the gas caps, 600 bucks doesn't sound that bad of a price, I heard rumors that they were over a grand for a pair.

Eagle Fuel Cells, that's who I got the best references for and ended up buying one last year. They are ethanol compatible as well.

www.eaglefuelcells.com

+1 for Eagle, good stuff, also have had good luck with Hartwig. I believe the Monarch caps to be worth the price, even with a little more difficulty in filling.

For what it's worth the shop I used to work for mostly refuses to install overhauled fuel cells. Too many early failures and subsequent warranty work.

Somebody needs to edit the title of this thread...

Don't install overhauled bladders like said. The last overhauled bladder was almost as stiff as the one I pulled out except for the new ends. I have not installed an overhauled bladder since.
Eagle fuel cells are nice and never had any problems.
I have used floats and fuel cells for the last ten or so bladders and love them. Super pliable tanks good price, they usually have stock.
I like the monarch caps the best as well.
You will almost always need a new sending unit, check valve, sometimes finger screen, all the gaskets, fuel quick drain, and of course new screws for the filler. McFarlane makes senders that are a better price.

I put an overhauled bladder in a 57 182 many years ago and it only lasted a couple of years. I won't go that route again.

I am computer challenged and don't know how to edit the subject, if someone feels like fixing it I would appreciate it. Thanks.

cliff wrote:
I am computer challenged and don't know how to edit the subject, if someone feels like fixing it I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Heck, as a non-mechanic (I think "mechanic challenged" would work), I was hoping to learn something new when I saw "bledders". I am SOOOOO disappointed!

Cary

We are putting in brand new hartwig cells, monarch aux tanks and caps in a 1955 180 in the next month and a half. We had good luck with hartwig in the past when we did the tanks in the "54 180.