- Thread starter dantfer
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JayRS4
Si vis pacum, para bellum
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There`s a putty of some sort you can patch it with, other than that it`ll be off to the scrappy to look for a second hand one. Welding petrol tanks can be very dodgy, it`s been discussed quite a lot before.
If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you`ll see some previous threads on the subject
If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you`ll see some previous threads on the subject
tank
If you empty it below the seam or compleatly and/ or poss remove tank then wire brush round the seam about 1" ether side of the seam then make sure its clean then use some fiberglass resin and paint round the seam then use some fiberglass strip and put over the seam and cover with resin let it go off a day should be ok then repaint/ OR Shiltz it ( anty chip paint ) your tank all over and re fit done this several years ago on motor and still going now,,,,,,,,
OR you can get some liquid that you put in the tank shake it about and it coveres it inside BUT its expencive,,,,,,
If you empty it below the seam or compleatly and/ or poss remove tank then wire brush round the seam about 1" ether side of the seam then make sure its clean then use some fiberglass resin and paint round the seam then use some fiberglass strip and put over the seam and cover with resin let it go off a day should be ok then repaint/ OR Shiltz it ( anty chip paint ) your tank all over and re fit done this several years ago on motor and still going now,,,,,,,,
OR you can get some liquid that you put in the tank shake it about and it coveres it inside BUT its expencive,,,,,,
Porschemaniac
Member
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Speaking personally, I would be reluctant to wire brush around a partially full (or even recently emptied) petrol tank. Especially if it's currently leaking.
Wire brushes = sparks. Fuel / fuel vapour and sparks = (at best) very brown trousers or (at worst) pushing up the daisies.
Read the threads below and, if you're intent on repairing it, either use a 'safe' chemical / putty solution or make absolutely sure that it's fully purged of all fuel and vapour before you do anything to it.
It's probably just my over-cautious nature - but better safe than sorry, eh!
gavuk
artful-bodger
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If you can afford to run a 4litre ,£650 sounds cheap ,a weeks petrol?
i agree with previous posts ,i would chemically seal the outside for now and see how much for a second hand from the scrappy ,if you plan to keep the car .At least you can prepare a scrap one before installing ...
i agree with previous posts ,i would chemically seal the outside for now and see how much for a second hand from the scrappy ,if you plan to keep the car .At least you can prepare a scrap one before installing ...When I wirebrushed my bike's petrol tank (lots and lots of sparks) while painting it, I emptied it out and filled it till it was overflowing with boiling water and detergent, flushed, and repeated about 5 times. Then took the fuel tap off the bottom and ran loads of clean water through it.
Never had any explosions despite wirebrushing right next to the open filler cap.
When I was ready to fill it up with petrol I filled it with meths and left it overnight to soak up the remaining dampness.
Not saying that's the right way to do it, but I've done it that way.
Never had any explosions despite wirebrushing right next to the open filler cap.
When I was ready to fill it up with petrol I filled it with meths and left it overnight to soak up the remaining dampness.
Not saying that's the right way to do it, but I've done it that way.
slim_boy_fat
Member
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Frost Auto Repair at www.frost.co.uk do a tank repair kit, but it means removing the tank and taking all the precautions against sparks.
biodoctor
BIODIESEL , the fuel of the future
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for a quick temporary repair use blu tac ,once it get wet with petrol it goes rock hard,and lasts for ages,i read in a land rover mag,some guy hit a rock whilst traveling in africa and his tank started leaking,stuck some blu tac on it and the landy made it all the way back to the U.K
Hello Dantfer,
I have serious doubts about the viability of glass fibre long term as movement of the tank will break the bond.
I have welded tanks before by the simple expedient of putting the repair to the top and filling the tank completely with water. No air space in the tank so no risk of an explosion.
I was shown that trick by an old mechanic, and admit to some nervousness the first time I tried it, but no problems whatsoever.
Alec
I have serious doubts about the viability of glass fibre long term as movement of the tank will break the bond.
I have welded tanks before by the simple expedient of putting the repair to the top and filling the tank completely with water. No air space in the tank so no risk of an explosion.
I was shown that trick by an old mechanic, and admit to some nervousness the first time I tried it, but no problems whatsoever.
Alec
looks very good for when the outside is repaired(somehow)
the snooper
getting older by the day
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i have welded petrol tanks in the past.
if you do go down that line
empty the tank leave for a hour to drain
fill to overflowing with water
put a good amout of washing up liquid in and add water
shake about so as to wash complete tank
empty fill with water again
then blow loads of compressed air into the tank to clear any fumes and away you go
BEWARE FAILURE TO CLEAN PROPERLY WILL RESULT IN A BANG
i know i rushed cleaning one and it did go bang
if you do go down that line
empty the tank leave for a hour to drain
fill to overflowing with water
put a good amout of washing up liquid in and add water
shake about so as to wash complete tank
empty fill with water again
then blow loads of compressed air into the tank to clear any fumes and away you go
BEWARE FAILURE TO CLEAN PROPERLY WILL RESULT IN A BANG
i know i rushed cleaning one and it did go bang
I've never tried it and don't recommend it but I have heard of people fitting a flexi pipe to a running engine exhaust and putting the other end in the tank to be welded to purge out any explosive gasses, its said the tank can be welded safely using this set-up.
pidgeon chit welder
sticking metal since 1962
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" Petropatch " is still made and sold after all these years , we used it to temp fix 100 gallon petrol tanks on Thorneycroft's Mighty Antar tank transporters .
I have seen one of my Petropatch repairs made at Andover roundabout travel up to Newcastle on an Antar fuel tank ( massive thing you could go to bed in the packing boxes of the new ones ) and back to Bulford three weeks later with out any sign of leakage then off to Castlemartin and back before it was replaced with a repaired one, cleanliness of the area is the reason it held up so well.
Once back in workshops we would use a live steam generator and live steam the fuel tank out for 3 hrs or so then wash it out a couple of times .
The tanks were then repaired with a steel tin plate patch put on initially with steel pop rivets , then killed spirits and solder ( with a 28 ounce blow lamp heated iron ) .
Though to be honest I'm thinking that for an all steel tank to leak along a weld seam then the rest of the tank would most likely be a problem as well so I'd change the tank without any repair of it.
Breakeryard.com may be useful to you for a second hand one.
I have seen one of my Petropatch repairs made at Andover roundabout travel up to Newcastle on an Antar fuel tank ( massive thing you could go to bed in the packing boxes of the new ones ) and back to Bulford three weeks later with out any sign of leakage then off to Castlemartin and back before it was replaced with a repaired one, cleanliness of the area is the reason it held up so well.
Once back in workshops we would use a live steam generator and live steam the fuel tank out for 3 hrs or so then wash it out a couple of times .
The tanks were then repaired with a steel tin plate patch put on initially with steel pop rivets , then killed spirits and solder ( with a 28 ounce blow lamp heated iron ) .
Though to be honest I'm thinking that for an all steel tank to leak along a weld seam then the rest of the tank would most likely be a problem as well so I'd change the tank without any repair of it.
Breakeryard.com may be useful to you for a second hand one.
the snooper
getting older by the day
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the tank i managed to explode was off a kawasaki 650 imagine the tank they are shaped like a pair of saddle bags to fit over the frame.
so i rushed did a quick clean and arked the mig on the tank bang went the tank it went from being saddle bag shapped to resemble the wings on a plane.
it only happend because the fuel filler cap had snapped shut anyway
i pushed the now guaranteed fume free tank back into shape ish welded it up
pressure tested it filled it and painted it
then gave it back to my brother in law it looked as good as new.
never skimpped on cleaning out again.
so i rushed did a quick clean and arked the mig on the tank bang went the tank it went from being saddle bag shapped to resemble the wings on a plane.
it only happend because the fuel filler cap had snapped shut anyway
i pushed the now guaranteed fume free tank back into shape ish welded it up
pressure tested it filled it and painted it
then gave it back to my brother in law it looked as good as new.
never skimpped on cleaning out again.
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Should have left it with "plane wings" and told him it was a custom tank!
the snooper
getting older by the day
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yeah should have he thought it could fly
Tino
Member
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Simply washing a petrol tank out with detergent and water is not good enough. Most tanks, carbs and other parts of the fuel system will have a varnish like residue coating them this can be very tough to remove, detergent will not always do it, I've even seen stuff made for removing this residue fail to shift it all. The residue when heated will give of highly flammable fumes (= good chance of explosion). I've seen and read lots of ways people have dealt with petrol tanks, and got away with it. And that is the point, they have got away with it. Using an engines exhaust to purge the tank is not safe. Using co2 is not safe (its not an inert gas). Using water is neither practical or safe. The only way that is both practical and reasonably safe is to purge with argon (or other inert gas) after washing as thoroughly as possible. I say reasonably safe, because even after taking all possible precautions, there is still the potential for explosion, so never 100% safe. Best avoided if at all possible.
