waldersha

Hey, don't know if anyone has been down this road, but I think that the rear strap in my tank had something caught under it that rubbed a hole. I have looked at the tank module and don't see any wetness there, but there is a wet spot coming down the side of the tank and collecting on the bottom.

My question is if anyone has tried to repair a hole in their tank what did you use? My first thought was some kind of epoxy, but I only want to do this once and want to be sure. I am running low on fuel, so I will probably drop it this weekend to try to fix.

Thanks for any guidance.

coalburner400

Not sure how you'd repair but there's a steel upgrade you can get in the aftermarket.

I think it has a 55 gal capacity... that is if the repair turns out to be costly or if you're just looking for an excuse to upgrade


http://www.transferflow.com/html/dod...fuel_tank.html

I seem to remember some other manufacturer... Just google on it or search the forums.

Also: Some radiator shops also do fuel tanks....

Good luck

camelracer

Go to your parts store and get a Permatex fuel tank repair kit. It's a 2 part epoxy putty that hardens like steel. I've used it on a couple of vehicles and it works great.

phox_mulder

Will that work on our plastic tanks though?


phox

P.J

Tell you what I have had success with on a plastic radiator repair is NAP "clear Weld" Epoxy System.
It has a 2500psi strength (whatever that means) and resists most liguids including gas, water, antifreeze and oil. 30 minute set time, full strength in 8 hours.

I'm here to tell you, if you clean the surface properly and lather this stuff on it will work.

I have on on my beater car's radiator and it has been leak free for over 5K miles now and figure that is a 185+* surface.
Good stuff.

NAPA # 765-2418

infidel

The Permatex repair works on both plastic and steel tanks. Good stuff.

kandgo

I might also add, if you are able and the hole is in a area that can sustain a larger patch, seal the hole, then cut a larger piece of hard plastic and epoxy that over the patched hole also. Goodluck,,Rick

waldersha

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will give it a try this weekend and report back on how everything goes.

rowilson

I checked into fixing a repair on the plastic tank in my truck and found none of the epoxys out there were recommended with diesel fuel. What I did find that would work is a common hot glue gun. The glue is not really glue but polyethalene (I think it's been awhile) I bought from the local ACE hardware store. Use the fuel down to a level below the leak, use the high temp glue, scuff the tank with coarse sand paper and clean with brake clean and alcohol. I put a lot on to cover the hole and then covered the glue with some RTV I used from D-C for the rear end cover. It's been a couple years and has held so far. The big problem is the use of diesel and not gas when using the repair kits.

waldersha

I wondered about that myself, because I know the fuel line is rated differently. (Had to inform a few parts counter guys of that one).

My brother, quite jokingly, said that we could just use a propane torch and melt the plastic back together.

kawi600

Actually, the way I usually repair plastics on my dirtbikes is with a soldering iron with a temperature control on it. Get the iron just hot enough to melt the stuff, melt a deep slice where the crack is and melt the surrounding area back into the slice.
The hot glue gun stuff I have uses rods with very soft plastic. Doesnt seem awfully strong. Maybe you could inject it through the hole to help plug it from behind? It wont get sucked into the fuel intake, thats behind a screen.
Id go with the epoxy route before you tried this on the tank though. Polyethylene is tricky to do this with since if its overheated it sets up in a waxy brittle mess.
You could also look into epoxies made for plastics. I think they have added chemicals to etch into plastics. if you use this, Id strongly recommend kneading the mixed epoxy into a square of fibreglass cloth and covering the area with it for some added rigidity.

Sgt. Peper

That is good information! I had some "Adam Henry" break into my Toy Hauler and poke holes in my ATV gas tank with an ice pick to drain the gas out. The dumd **** could have just pulled the drain hose off and saved me a lot of trouble. Do you think clear weld would repair the hole?

kawi600

yeah Id try the melt method on an ATV tank, maybe see if theres any way you can hide a patch on the outside without making it look weird. If its in a bad spot it will just break again with flexing. Those tanks put up with a lot of abuse from the weight of sloshing fuel.

waldersha

Got everything down and repaired, I think. Ended up being a slice on the tank right where it curves in for the rear strap hanger. Seems that is a good place for rocks to collect and work their way down into the hole. Anyway, used some Permatex and cut some pieces of plastic from an old oil jug to go between the metal straps and the tank. Thanks to everyone for your replies, it saved me a lot of time.