Here's the summary I just posted over at the Cessna Pilot's Association, which covers everything so far... thoughts, comments, questions, commiseration welcome here at PoA, too... of course.
------
Time to summarize the couple of weeks and ask some questions of the gang here at CPA... about our bladder issue in a 1975 C-182P.
A couple weeks ago, one of our LLC co-owners arrived at the hangar to do some work on the tug and putter around, and found the left-side of the aircraft covered in a blue stain from mid-wing all the way to the rear wing root that had run considerably down the aircraft side.
Measuring with the stick... 2 gallons had gone overboard somewhere from that wing.
Prior to this we had had a more "minor" event with some fuel showing around the drain area, and a couple of drips on the pilot's door and we were "monitoring".
Let's get the info about how she's "treated" out here as well.
Aircraft is KAPA based. Dry Colorado air, always hangared.
Hangared for the entire life of the aircraft other than maybe a maximum of three weeks outdoors a year when we go on trips somewhere and tie-down.
The LLC has owned the aircraft 5 years.
Trips in the last two years have been to KGEU, KHND, and KUNU (never made it into KOSH last year - Sloshkosh! GRIN!), and a couple of airports in South Dakota.
There's currently three LLC co-owners and each of us might take two long trips a year, if that. That's when it's parked outside. As you can see, some of those locations are hot/dry, but the aircraft is fueled on arrival whenever possible.
Our hangar isn't climate controlled, and it can get hot in there, but it is vented overhead, and never is the wing in direct sunlight, etc.
None of the "bad for bladders" things are typically ever done to this aircraft.
A&P at KAPA took the ol' girl into the shop as we started to dig through the logs. Logs showed that the original bladder on the left side had made it 29 years (again, hangared and not abused) and was replaced in 2004 prior to our LLC buying the aircraft.
Right side replaced in 2006, different shop, different A&P.
Same manufacturer. Both bladders appear to be FFC bladders. Their date codes put them being built within 5 months of each other, so the right side bladder (the good one, for now) was maybe stored for about 1/2 year before being installed.
Whether that was stored at the manufacturer or here in town somewhere is unknown.
The A&P's word at KAPA to describe the bladder's failure mode was "disintegrating". The rubber is failing.
From what he can see through the inspection ports, it's failing forward of the left wing-root, and on back, an area that is never "dry" in the tank. Just forward of the drain.
A&P called FFC to see what they might do, since this is obviously a failure of the rubber. FFC says "5 year warranty" on the left bladder. They will do nothing for us.
I find it interesting that their website has this chart:
http://www.ffcfuelcells.com/repairs.asp
The chart shows no difference in technology for the bladders built since that time, but the standard warranty is now 10 years? Competition or did something really change?
Cute. Count me in the "FFC can bite me" crowd as of right at this moment.
Frankly, my podcast listeners and anyone within earshot is going to hear about this too... so they probably just shot themselves squarely in the foot, but I'm willing to talk.
Anyway...
We're looking at and talking about options right now amongst the LLC owners. The aircraft is back in our hangar with an estimate from the A&P of 16 to 18 hours of labor (which seems a touch high, from reading here, but it's a sucky job... I know...), and $1000 for the left bladder from Eagle.
A&P wants to put an Eagle bladder in the left wing. He says he's had "two INSTALLATION failures" of FFC bladders in the very recent past (likely both this year, but I didn't hear him say that) on two different aircraft.
He refuses to recommend FFC any more.
He also said the Eagle bladders have a better "fit" than the FFC bladders, and installation is easier.
Eagle wants $1000 for the bladder, per the A&P.
He also wants to replace the drains which are sold as a pair for $190 with Eagle drains. Well, the left side for sure, anyway... and I guess we'd have the other one stored for later on?
Annoying that Eagle sells them in pairs. Thanks Eagle. Dumb. But it's $190... so who cares, really, I guess.
Some questions arise:
If the right wing is or isn't still under warranty (it's literally within a month right now, we believe...) should we have the A&P go over the right wing with a fine-toothed comb looking for ANY signs it's in initial failure while it's under warranty?
It'd save $1000, but we'd then be doing both tanks at the same time, but instructing the A&P to put the bladder he likes (Eagle) in the left wing, and the one he doesn't like (FFC) in the right wing.
That'd be odd. Might even make him cranky with us. LOL!
What's the benefit to the Eagle drains? Anyone have a feel for that one? Is it easier to install or better or...?
We see that the Cessna style drains were replaced in the 90's probably ten years prior to the bladders. The RIGHT side drain has dripped from time to time, and the ASSUMPTION is that it was the drain... but maybe the right bladder is leaking... which leads again back to that particular question above.
Here's the interesting part... all the information I can find "out there", including perusing thousands of messages here in this forum, and Googling the Beechcraft and other type clubs... says that EAGLE bladders are the ones from that year range (2004-2006) that failed a lot, and it was cracking nipples in most cases. A large number of Eagle failures in the C-182 forum here.
I can't find any stories along the lines of "disintegrating" bladders anywhere. Anyone else ever had that diagnosis from your A&P?!
More info on history, no Ethanol/Alcohol in the bladders ever (although we have run about 2 or 3 full tanks of Ethanol-Free MoGas through them, since the STC was added to the aircraft, but MoGas is clear across town, and we only seem to do it when someone has a long X-C and the aircraft needs fuel, which is... since we tend to keep it full or near full... never...)?
Trying to think if there's anything else I missed here that someone might ask.
Very interested in thoughts from CPA folks. We're not happy about the surprise, but we're all generally willing to "fix it right"... we're just looking for more knowledge/data to add to our heads to make the best decision for the airplane.
And I'm seriously P.O.ed at FFC, but technically I shouldn't be. It was 5 years, and they stuck to it.
The previous tanks lasted 29... this FFC piece of junk apparently was designed to make it exactly 2 years past warranty in the same conditions. Sad, and totally inappropriate, considering the original was the "inferior" technology rubber, and all that hoo-hah that they tout on their website.
Thoughts? Comments? Questions? A&P probably wants our concensus/opinion next week...
on the inside of the body panels where it met the interior (apparently Cessna used corrosive glue on the insulation), so we got that repaired, including complete replacement of one body panel, at the same time. Total bill was about $15K, of which about half was the bladders, IIRC.
Check fuel senders first!!! 
