Drug Smuggler Trick... Soap 

Jimmy, be careful with the soap. Most soap has a high pH of 9 or 10, and in contact with aluminum, will cause corrosion. Smugglers didn't care, they typically just abandoned the planes anyway.

Speaking of leaks, I noticed your door seal not looking all that great. Solution is to install an inflatable seal available either with electric pump or a hand operated air pump. I had the latter installed in my 310 resulting in the cabin being extremely quiet. No need for noise cancelling headsets.

I’ve used soap many times when I had a low rider pickup truck as a teen 😂

I have used the soap trick on a cat diesel on the farm before. I couldn't believe it would work either. Enjoyed the video and cant wait for the next "CLEAR PROP" where you get both engines running.

Great video, guys! Hey, has making ones own gaskets escaped everyone's memories? I've been making my own gaskets since my earliest wrenching days...my Dad taught me. I also was an Aircraft Mechanic for 25+ years. I do not recall cutting my own gaskets during me aviation days, though. Thank you all for your work and your content - it is appreciated!

Hey Jimmy, that soap trick is truly insane. Been watching this series since you first looked at it. You're utterly mental, but you're my kind of mental :D

Hey Jimmy y'all are doing great, I learned the soap trick back in college early 80s just put 10 gallons in my old Maverick and the guy behind me seen it steady dripping he told me the soap trick sure enough it held till the weekend nice and dry, so I could drain it dry it then JB weld it, I sure miss that old Maverick. Cheers from Jacksonville Florida 🌞

Hi Jimmy! Yes, I can absolutely confirm that soap will seal a fuel leak. Experienced it first hand. The soap needs to be malleable to close the hole and adhere to the surface of the tank. The fuel does not dissolve the soap. Only water will dissolve the soap.

Absolutely makes my day getting the notifications on these videos. Keep up the great work boys. MAKE THE 310 GREAT AGAIN 👍 🇺🇸

I get so excited when I get an alert on your videos. I love aviation and I'm enjoying watching your successes.... and headaches!

I was shown the soap trick on an old Chev suburban. It had a plastic guard over the tank that filled up with sandy grit and corroded a pinhole. Removed the plasticand found the pinhole. I was told to go to the washroom and get a bar of soap. He told me to scrub the pinhole with the ivory bar. That lil trick lasted the next 4 years without a leak. This was an underground vehicle at a mine i worked at. This trick blew my mind. I never thought it would work, yet lat the rest of the service life of the vehicle.

Just got my private ticket today. Lookin forward to seeing this beauty at sun & fun Jimmy!

Jimmy, just a message from the UK to say that i love your video's and keep up the great work! 310 will be amazing when she gets back up flying

Jimmy and crew you guys are amazing!! You work on multi cylinder planes with multi carburetors and parts that are hard to find!! And you guys get it done even though it gives you fits. I work with scooters lol I know baby time right . One cylinder no problem yeah right I have no mechanical training but by watching you guys struggle through it gives me inspiration.

Hi Jimmy, yeah soap is only a tempore fix for sure! Just like cracking an egg into a car radiator thats leaking, it will plug the leak but still needs a permanent repair! Great video as usual Cheers from Australia 👍👍👍

Yes Jimmy, learnt about the soap trick in my auto mechanic days years ago. Not a permanent fix as you said. Keep up the good work, I look forward to every episode.

The very best way, I’m told, to detect a fuel leak, is to hold a lit match to the suspected source of the leak and if the match fluoresces bright yellow you’ve found your leak.

Hello Jimmy!! From foothills of the Cascade Mountains in Lyons Oregon!! We enjoy your videos, full of laughs, ups & downs. I feel like this 310 project has become quite the ambitious effort of salvation!! 😁😂 Be Safe Buddy, and... CLEAR PROP!!

I enjoy the channel very much, and not just the save the 310 parts, Jimmy you have a great supporting cast which just increases the enjoyment of watching real people working together to achieve any goal. Good Job! Sierra Bravo out!

Hi Pastor Jimmy - I'm stuck at home recovering from Covid and your videos are bringing much laughter. Thanks!

Keep up there great work guys it’s very inspirational to watch, and what ever you get up to there is definitely a place for you and your team on you tube for sure cheers Paul in the UK 🇬🇧

For the fuel pump gaskets use 1.5 mm cork which can be bought in sheets or rolls. Just make up a pattern using template Paper and cut to shape. Then use a thin coat of gasket cement before fitting.

I ran semi wrecker for years an learned the same method from an old timer keep a bar of ivory shop in every wrecker and it came in handy quite a few times Godspeed brother

Bar of soap is quite useful and effective I had a leak in my car fuel tank struck by a sharp stone , the mechanic used soap bar and after 30 minutes or more the soap applied on the leak was rock solid and never leaked again and I never replaceed the tank also , worked fine

Hey jimmy, future private pilot here, just want to say I enjoy watching all your videos and where the 310 will take you. Keep it up!

My Father was a fireman in the 50s 60s and 70s, he said they kept a bar of soap on the rig for leaking gas tanks at accidents. I Enjoy your videos keep up the good work.

Really enjoying the series. Keep up the good work!

I’m finally all caught up with your videos Jimmy! I love the series and watched all of them from the start!!

that soap fix has been around for as long as I can remember, for car gas tanks and in the aviation world; for aircraft it is used as last resort when you are EXTREMELY desperate. I have used ivory a few times on leaky rivets on C-130's in Viet Nam, I finally talked a fuel cells guy out of a stick of what ever it was they used to fix minor leaks. Perhaps someone will know the correct nomenclature for it...just change the gaskets. you have a great show I find it very entertaining and fun to watch, to bad your so far away I would love to help on the 310.

Soap trick is great for a temp fix of a gas leak. Years ago my dad told me about the time him and his friends got a college summer job in Alaska, and on their drive back down to the lower 48, as they took some gravel road detours, their gas tank was punctured by a rock. Luckily they noticed it quickly enough and one of his buddies wedged a piece of bar soap into the hole. It swelled up and plugged the hole and they drove another 1500 miles.

Jimmy, in the 1980s I was on vacation and I backed over a parking block that had a large rebar sticking way up and punched a large hole in my gas tank, I remembered an old mechanic told me about the soap trick, I drove as fast as I could to the closest 7-11 bought a bar of ivory, rubbed it on and not only did it get me home but I waited 2 weeks before fixing the tank.

Congratulations Jimmy for such of great encouragement

Gainesville here! Thanks for teaching me not to buy an old air plane. My son bought me Flight Simulator causr the "Can I get a clear prop" became contagious in our household. Needless to say I crash and burn in simulation so I have learned a lesson watching your videos. Thanks for the life lesson.

Go to expressvpn.com/jimmysworld and find out how you can get 3 months of ExpressVPN free!

Keep up the good work guys !!! Loving the RU-vids : ) It's great watching other people work :D :D

So I am an Air Force active duty air force B-52H aircraft fuel systems repair craftsman and would love to help give yall any advice. I'm definitely glad the cells are not leaking lol. For us when we get called to a leak, we get a good visual of where the leak is coming from, Then use Methyl ethyl ketone AKA "MEK" to clean/dry the area. From there we use compressed air to really dry the area. Then we use a talcum powder "pink powder" that reacts with petroleum products to find the exact leak exit point. Hope this helps out in the future!!!! Love watching the videos!!!!!

It's a fix that has been around for years, was common in the remote areas of Australia where fuel tank punctures were not uncommon, especially on rubbish vehicles like Fords. It works a lot better if the soap is wet and you smear the soft soap around and in the hole, a chemical reaction with the fuel hardens the soap and seals the hole, only temporarily but enough to get you to safety.

Hey Jimmy, hope all is going well with you and the progress on the 310! Looking forward to seeing you in the air with it! Wish I could fly with you some time. Keep up the awesome videos!

You've got the best people working for/with you on this project too.... awesome videos

I have a ‘56 Chevy PU. When the original tank was still in it, behind the seat, I used to soap a crack in it about every 6 months or when I smelled gas. Had a bar of soap in the truck for about 6 years.

Jimmy do you have a multi engine rating to fly the 310? Also my kids love your show, especially the episode with your encounter with TSA…

Soap definitly works as a temporary fix. I was once flown from Kansas to Seattle WA to drive a 10ton crane back accross the Country. Day 2 in Oregon it started leaking fuel from a rust hole in the leading edge of the tank. I rubbed a bar of soap into the holes and made it to day 4 where rain washed out my patch. Re-applied more soap the next morning and made it on home.

Love the videos! The 310 is coming along. Keep up the good work!!

Soap was an old trick to fix a petrol leak on car tanks. Years ago when I was a young fella ( almost 70 years ago) I always carried a bar of soap in the tool kit to fix minor fuel leaks. Driving on gravel roads would play havoc with the tanks. Cheers Dave from down under.

It took me a few minutes, but I finally came up with a dumb question: is it possible to use air pressure to test the fuel bladders?

Your persistence is awesome Jimmy ! Don't let the 310 get ya down.

You got your hands full with the 310! Can't wait to see it in the air!!

Hey Jimmy, back in the 70's my dad owned a Piper Tri-Pacer, and he would seal a small leak in the left fuel tank with a bar of soap before we would go out for a spin.

Love your videos. I always loved flying when I was a kid. My dad and my mom's brothers used to fly. Always enjoyed flying with different instructors. Have often wished that I had followed up with flying myself. I guess it's never too late.

Another entertaining video. Good to see you getting so close to running the engines. Are you planning to paint it and upgrade the interior? I can't wait to see it fly again!

Thanks for the videos. Very entertaining !

Look forwards to you and your gang, make me laugh a lot, but seriously getting on with each others tasks.. Each episode brings new things to think about while you all get on with things but find somehow to make me laugh.. The silent camera person does a good job also..Thanks all, dont stop, I need you making me laugh.. Thanks, Ian -- UK..SAVE THE 310 yeeep.

I have used this soap trick while 4-wheeling. I cracked my tank on my jeep once ( back in the 90's) and a guy handed me a bar of soap. It lasted the entire rest of the trip and for about a week before I got the leak actually fixed. Since then, I have carried a bar of soap with me when wheeling...

Back in the days of steel gas tanks on motorcross bikes we would carry a bar of soap for that same reason. If you wreaked it would work long enough to let you finish the ride and get you back

The soap trick is a real deal. I was a hazmat tech in the fire service and we used it to plug holes in vehicles gas tanks.

I got a pinhole in underside of petrol tank, when I went off-roading in my lil' Mazda Metro. I did the soap rub trick... it worked ! Of course I eventually removed the tank ("Grunt! Curse! Ouch!) and welded a patch. Of course I thoroughly washed out the tank first! I checked for residual fumes by dropping a lit match into the tank. I still keep a soap bar in the glovebox. I would still feel better if those 310 leaks were eventually fixed.

Hey Jimmy, I'd bet that Sky King always had a bar of soap in his flight bag! LOL!! (Used to LOVE that show when I went over to Grandma's house and she'd let me watch TV...)

Pastor Jim skit is awesome! Lots of different talents. Great work!

Hey Jimmy. Aloha from The Big Island! Love the vids...hope you get to feeling better! Your crew is a great bunch of guys. I bet you have a ton of fun.

You guys are very informative as well as entertaining. I give Sparky big points for fessing up about the snake & his fiancé taking care of relocating the snake. I love critters and am all about relocating pests rather than destroying them. PS: The fiancé' is a keeper!

Yes, absolutely! The soap trick was pretty common in the way, way, back when, (I'm 71 now...). Used it a few times when rebuilding an old '37 Dodge pickup and some others with a buddy when we were in high school. Worked like a charm!

My dad had a major stroke a year ago tomorrow. He gets such enjoyment from your videos. Thank you for the effort.

Truth. Coffee is meant for a mug.

Another tip... after much research and tests, I found epoxy resin adhesive (the 2-part product mixed in equal amounts) is not affected by avgas. I used "Selleys Araldite"....I don't know what the equivalent brand is in USA. Cork sensor floats coated with Araldite, in my wing tanks, still unaffected since 2013. Also, I made new seals for my fuel tank caps, cut from a sheet of "Viton". Jimmy...don't forget to fix that fuel pipe "kink" at the wing joint.

Thanks for the tip. I’d never thought of stacking Keys on top of a bladder.

Love the videos! I was going to start pilot training, but with everything getting so expensive (especially fuel) I have abandoned that plan. It will cost me thousands more than I was planning.

Excellent stuff bro

fly on Jimmy and 310 - can't wait for the clear prop show ! Oh please fly over Clearwater and wave your wings at me :) so soap is like depends but for aeroplanes, ha !

Nice one. Yea I have done the soap thing on a leaky car fuel tank. It works but eventually it will start leaking again. I also temporarily patched a pin hole leak on my cars radiator when I was far away from home using 2 eggs. That worked too. Got me home.

I was in the tank truck business for years. One of the older guys in management said that they actually did this to stop leaks.

If your in the back woods of Columbia a bar of soap might be just as hard to find as it would be to find the parts to just fix it!! Lol.

Awesome camera work too!

We used to press soap into leaks on our motorbike tanks when we crashed messing around in the late 70s early 80s. Great times. Saying hi from the UK

I am a retired mechanic and YES!The soap trick works very good!!!I did it on many car gas tank leaks!!I never miss your shows!!

I feel your pain on the allergies keep up the good work my brother!

Yes Jimmy, Soap fixes cork and paper fibre gaskets :-) My old Range Rover's and Land Rovers (1960's and 70's) used a lot of cork and fibre gaskets on the fuel system including a tiny fuel filter can like a car oil filter and they all had Cork gaskets. Velvet Soap (The yellow clothes washing and dish washing type Bar soap) was a 90% sure fire fix for weeping gaskets and worked well for up to 2psi, even the huge filler neck gaskets wold seal up fine as the fats rehydrate and swell the gaskets up and I even use it when I was replacing old for new cork.

I was a volunteer firefighter for 32 years. Attended many accidents our rescue carried soap all the time. For car and truck fuel leaks. Ivory is the preferred brand. Lol

Old firefighter here..., Yep, a bar of soap fixes many fuel leak problems I've encountered. Used that fix for many auto leaks, in a car fuel tanks for parking garage..., more prevalent than you'd imagine. But yet, it's only for a very temporary fuel leak! Not airworthiness! Yes, replace the leaking gaskets!!

Great vid! thanks.

Thank you for the video.

Shade Tree mechanic trick learned long ago. My dad taught me that when I was rebuilding a 56 Ford Fairlane and had a leak in the line and connection to the fuel pump in my 352 T-Bird engine.

I have learned about soap in the 1970/s. We used sunlight soap to seal holes in gas tanks. Jacques. South Africa.

My 05 with a complete rebuild, high comp pistons, ported and polished, built a 696 stroker, with too many parts to add, made 162 to the wheel.

Got to admire how Sparky asked has it been done, and legally in a two different questions 😀

Hi Jimmy, Truly Love your channel! You are amazing! Wishing you every success! However I wouldn't ever consider flying in that 310. Wow!

We used Soap to Fix a Leak in Fuel Tank in a Car. It was a Temp Repair at best. I agree with Scott it may not be good on Aluminum in the Plane.

Get this plane done Jimmy! It's getting close to Sun N Fun! Great content and keep up the great work!

Hey jimmy Greetings from South Africa 🇿🇦 love your videos man. Keep it up🤟🏻

Yes, Jimmy, it works! I tried it on a leaking lawn mower gas tank ,rusted from the inside. Sealed it right up!

Expect to replace All the fuel bladders. Nothing like a tank that leaks!

@20:45 Yes Pipistrel had done it as an experimental now it is in production and used for Training now. I was there for the initial testing.

Hey Jimmy... the soap trick does work. I grew up on a farm down a gravel road. Rocks would bounce up and managed to put small pinholes in some of our vehicle fuel tanks. We would use soap on them to stop the leak. Of course it only worked until you got into some water, so we would put tape over it. Lasted a bit longer. We found Ivory soap worked the best. But, this was a road vehicle. Not sure I would trust it for an airplane! 8^)

Hey Jimmy, keep rocking!!!

Watching in Sussex UK and enjoying all of your content so far.

I have heard of this… in the automatic sprinkler system business, (for commercial buildings) I knew guys that would carry number 2 pencils (a whole fist full) and would rub the pencil on any threaded joint that was weeping, and could stop quite a few leaks!

I have used the soap technique on a diesel truck tank pierced by a rock impact leaking badly. It slowdown the leak tremendously but did not stop it but enough for me to drive from Tallahassee to Jacksonville Florida and get a proper repair

Jimmy, I remeber as a kid, we were out in the middle of no where Montana woods when we got a hole in the gas tank, and guess what my dad did to fix it! Yep! A bar if soap!

The bar off soap thing is well known in the overlander community. Out in the wilderness when your rig sprung al leak, it’s the first thing you try.

Snake's ere not Evil humans are!!! you destroyed his home and wine like a girl🙈🤣🤣🤣🤣 Great video🍾🥂

For what it’s worth, truck drivers carry a wax toilet ring for fuel leaks. Actually saw it work at our distribution center one night when a guy hit a fuel tank with his DOT bumper, the Fulton County Fireman pulled out a toilet ring and stopped the leak!