Repairing plastic petrol tank

[BrokenBiker]

Some scrote has put a screwdriver through the tank on one of my cars...fortunately it was dry at the time and he got away with nothing except fumes...

Is it worth trying to repair or just scrap it?

Standard ford plastic tank and hole isnon a flat side wall

 

[Gareth0123]

Araldite, Devcon or other two part epoxy................. or you could try welding it

 

[Burdekin]

Replace I would say, you don't want a repair to a petrol tank failing.

 

[steveo3002]

cant imagine theyre in much demand if plastic so id try and find a used one

 

[Barlidge]

Mechanical repair would probably be safest, could you put a large headed stainless steel coach bolt through the hole from the inside, with a penny washer and nyloc on the outside?

 

[Wozzaaah]

Melt the hole over with a cigarette lighter.

 

[Shox Dr]

Very easy repair with the correct solvent

 

[optima21]

you can get this filler for use on petrol tanks, I used it many years ago as I didnt want to change a tank in the middle of winter. (it was a steel tank that rusted through though)

http://www.loctite.co.uk/loctite-4087.htm?nodeid=8802657075201

but if its only a small hole I'd use epoxy resin adhesive (as already said earlier)

 

[Cobbler]

I don't think epoxy would work, all the plastic tanks I've seen are a sort of polythene, nothing wants to stick to it. Also it's flexible so epoxy would peel off. I would repair it using something similar to what Barlidge said, it would only take a few minutes.

Another suggestion might be, depending on the hole size, screw in one of the screws used on flat steel roofing, don't know what there called, like a short fat self tapper with a big head & an integral fibre washer. With a bit of sealant that would do it. I've screwed one into polythene before & it's surprising how well it held.

 

[Shox Dr]

There is a solvent. A lad at coach builders I worked out, drilled 11 petrol tanks with 13mm bit, they just glued a small patch over.

 

[wookie]

There is a solvent. A lad at coach builders I worked out, drilled 11 petrol tanks with 13mm bit, they just glued a small patch over.

You'd have thought he'd have stopped after the first one or two you're supposed to learn from your mistakes !

 

[brightspark]

what is tank made of nylon or polythene ?? that is the question on what solvent to use

 

[Shox Dr]

You'd have thought he'd have stopped after the first one or two you're supposed to learn from your mistakes !

You'd have thought so, I had told him how much space there was between the floorpan and tank so he could set a drill stop.. he couldn't be bothered to do that, and drilled every tank as it went through his section.

 

[james butler]

put a new tank in!
i had a hole in my datsun fuel tank and you would not believe how nerve racking it is if you stop at a set of lights and the moterist next to you flicks a fag end out the window and it disappears under your car.
i actually got mine repaired at cost by a guy in brum but on the scirocco i got a brand new tank for £100 so i cant see a plastic one costing much more and like has been said theres probably plenty of second hand ones available off a scrapper.

 

[wookie]

You'd have thought so, I had told him how much space there was between the floorpan and tank so he could set a drill stop.. he couldn't be bothered to do that, and drilled every tank as it went through his section.

He wouldn't have lasted long at the Bodybuilders I used to work for with that kind of attitude, I remember one lad didn't do a good job of covering up a chassis when doing some welding and the splatter melted holes in a bunch of the air piping, it took best part of a day to repair and he was told never to let it happen again or else...

 

[Swift&Bold]

If you have to repair it use a soldering iron and a cable tie as a filler rod. If you've got any fine mesh, melt that into the tank over the hole and build up over it.

 

[Shox Dr]

He wouldn't have lasted long at the Bodybuilders I used to work for with that kind of attitude, I remember one lad didn't do a good job of covering up a chassis when doing some welding and the splatter melted holes in a bunch of the air piping, it took best part of a day to repair and he was told never to let it happen again or else...

I could tell a few stories from that place

 

[octo0072000]

I don't think epoxy would work, all the plastic tanks I've seen are a sort of polythene, nothing wants to stick to it. Also it's flexible so epoxy would peel off. I would repair it using something similar to what Barlidge said, it would only take a few minutes

Another suggestion might be, depending on the hole size, screw in one of the screws used on flat steel roofing, don't know what there called, like a short fat self tapper with a big head & an integral fibre washer. With a bit of sealant that would do it. I've screwed one into polythene before & it's surprising how well it held.[/QUOTE

they are called Tek screws one of them with some sikaflex would cure it

they are called Tek screws one of them with some sikaflex would cure it

 

[BrokenBiker]

Tank appears to be hdpe from what i can see stamped on it...managed to get a replacement for a tenner but would still like to repair this one if possible

 

[steve_s]

[QUOTE="like to repair this one if possible[/QUOTE]

Bin it not worth the time and effott to repair and then will the repair fail ????