I just cut the rear frame out of a '87 Ramcharger for the tank assembly and frame cross-members at a Pick-N-Pull. The tank has holes punched in it from draining out the old gas - I'm blown away at how many parts that place ruins, there's lots of forklift damage to the vehicles! Can the tank be repaired and be counted on not to leak?

 

I have repaired plastic water tanks by melting plastic back into the hole using my heat gun and a big 200-watt soldering iron and it never leaked, I got the plastic from another old tank.

This should work for a fuel tank also I would think.
Jim


http://www.ehow.com/how_4690973_repa...paign=yssp_art

 

I've had success with JB Weld's WaterWeld Epoxy. I used this on my Ramcharger, I just dressed the area with a flap wheel and used Brakleen to all of the varnish out. So far so good.

 

Thanks for the tips. I think I'll try the melted plastic technique first, so when I go back to P-n-P for other parts I'll borrow some plastic from one of their tanks, where else can I get patch material! Is the plastic ABS? If so, would ABS glue work, seems like it actually melts the pipes together.

 

ABS might work and I would try that first, but if it doesn't work you might want to try using the butterfly screws that you use for hanging pictures on drywall, get a large washer and silicone make a gasket. I used this method on my travel trailer water tanks and worked out great.

 

I think that most of the newer fuel tanks are made out of polyethylene or a Crosslinkable High Density Polyethylene (XLPE)

When you go to the junk yard take a pair of snips and cut yourself some strips of old tank for some patch material.

Jim

 

The plastic you use to weld with has to match the type plastic the tank is made of or it will not hold. There is actually a plastic welding setup you can get that uses hot air to melt the 2 together. Comes with welding rod of different types of plastic and works real slick once you get used to it.

 

X2 on what Crobar said do a look in the yellow pages for plastic welding..

Here is what one from Harbor freight looks like:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=96712

A commercial plastic welding company(poly tank co) will have a better set up..

 

If I have to spend $80 on a plastic welder plus my time to do the repair I may be better off trying to find a non-holed tank and getting a credit from P-n-P for the tank I have.