Putting Heat on a Gas Tank

DScott

Member
I have a gas tank that has screw on caps that are rusted up and stuck pretty good. The tank has been in dry storage for several years on a shelf. There is nothing in it and it has no gas smell, been bone dry for years.
Is there any danger in putting a torch to the caps to see if I can get them loose? Should I fill it with water first? I have never fooled around with putting a torch to a gas tank but I have heard horror stories about them blowing up.
Any experienced advise?
 
I will not even CONSIDER applying a flame to a gas tank that has not been steam cleaned and/or filled with inert gas.

Can you rap and tap and apply "Loosen Juice"?
 
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Be careful with water it to expands and makes steam. Years ago local
coop had tanks that developed a leak at the bottom guys came and
welded it full of gas after all its the fumes that go bang. They
invited anybody that wanted to go up and look inside they said the gas
would be boiling as far as I know nobody took them up on the offer.
For some unknown reason anybody that knew they were welding seemed to
find something to due outside of town
 
Let me start this off first by saying to some I am crazy. I have made a good living as a wrench and a welder fabricator so I can say with experience I have built, repaired, and welded on many fuel tanks. I will be honest I NEVER felt happy, or comfortable, just needed to make a living. With that said I did do it as safely as possible. On large oilfield semi type tankers that got to leaking we used to pull them under a slight vacuum. On gas tanks from heavy equipment or farm units I fill them with CO2. Either from a exhaust pipe from a gas engine running,(make sure it is not running rich). Just a hose over the tailpipe for 5 min. or so. (old timers would say walk away and have a smoke). Co2 from a wire welder works the best. Either way you are displacing the oxygen. No oxygen, no boom. Vacuum is easy also, just hook up a vac pump from a old milker, or AC unit. Hook it on the nipple for the fuel line, suck it down and your good. Just make sure you have a gauge on the system so you are not guessing that you have it pulled down. Good luck, just use your head. If you don't feel comfortable hunt up someone who has experience.
 
I could see using a torch on a gas tank however not for removing the cap. If anything ignites it needs the large opening to let the pressure off. I've ignited gas in a tank many times but with the filler neck open and the sending unit removed. It makes a little noise but no boom. I think I would use a pipe wrench to get the cap off.
 
use something without a flame heat gun soldering iron etc. used to have a five pound soldering iron would make the gas boil while soldering fuel tanks.
 
I would bet that if you turned it upside down, soaked the threads with some penetrating oil.

Let it sit a day or so, then use 2 hammers, one to back up one side, the other to hammer on the opposite side
of the cap. Get a good pipe wrench on it, keep beating, it will come off.
 
If this tank had not been sitting bone dry for years I would not even think about putting a torch to it. But, last night I did exactly that and I have nothing exciting to tell. I got one cap off and I am letting the other one soak some more in penetrating oil and will work on it some again tonight. The inside is rusty and I will need to clean that good and put a good seal job on it. I always clean and seal them while I have the tank off whether it needs it or not.
 
The exhaust pipe from a gas engine I have personally seen performed. The gas tank was removed and rinsed out with water and hooked to a hose from an exhaust pipe on a car. A torch was used to repair the leak spot while hooked to the car. Everything went fine. I could smell gas fumes from the tank that had just been rinsed out with water once.
 
I'd of put a pipe wrench or strap wrench on the caps or just cut them off as you are going to need new ones anyhow .

NEVER EVER run exhaust into a gas tank ! The one time I tried that it went boom ! a little bit. Figured it was a rich mixture.
 

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