Any thoughts regarding fixing two holes in the top of a 55 gallon gasoline tank on a truck that can only be taken out of service for up to 36 hours at a time and no way of completely removing all of the gas because of baffles? No shops in my area will even think about working on it. The tank can not be replaced, I have done a nationwide search. If it were available it would be $1700 +tax&shipping. I tried POR-15 and made sure I followed their instructions. It will last for about a day and a half before the gasoline dissolves the product. The POR-15 agent assured me that 24 hours would be enough for the product to be fuel resistant. I actually gave it about 60 hours of cure time over the holiday weekend. I am thinking of trying PERMATEX brand gas tank repair epoxy. I just don't want to keep wasting time. Any thoughts or experiences? Thanks
- Thread starter MCOHIO
- Start date
rustyfarmall
Well-known Member
How big are those holes? If not too big, maybe a sheetmetal screw with an O ring? If larger than that, maybe a bolt and some JB Weld?
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
We repair tanks all the time. It needs to be steamed out and then sniffed for hydrocarbons before any work is done to it. By sniffed I mean with a scientific instrument to make darn sure it is ready for repair. Guys get killed when they take chances!!!!
Jim in Ma.
Well-known Member
Why not solder it with an iron? No flame involved. Quick and easy.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
It can't be repaired until you get all the gas out. How did the holes get in the tank? They sound like pretty big holes. You're wasting your time if you're trying to do a band aide repair or fixing a tank that should be replaced.
clean the area very well to bare metal by what ever means necessary (wire brush and emery cloth) make a metal patch formed to match the contour of the tank and clean that also to bare metal , the metal patch then can be tinned and prepped with 50/50 solder with a torch, the tank will have to be tinned and prepped with solder using an electric solder iron prefferably at least a 600 watt iron, then place the patch on the area and heat it until it melts in . ruby flux is a good product for cleaning and tinning butter that is used is for radiator repair is a good product for tinning before the solder is used . if you dont have any of the necessary products or tools to do this repair its going to be a tough fix and do it correctly , solder irons of 600 watt are tough items to find unless your willing to shell out 300.00 for a new one .
The tank is on a 2005 Chevy 3500 express cutaway with a 16' box. The truck has California emissions but as I said in my post earlier a new tank is NOT available (no production) and salvage yards do not sell used tanks. Rust has caused these holes and the conversion to another tank is still over a thousand dollars. My initial thought was to buy a NEW 40 gallon and weld or braze my fittings and fuel pump ring on to the new tank. I have the knowledge and ability to safely work on the old tank except I can not find a shop in southwest OH to boil out my tank.In a pinch to prohibit explosive conditions I have filled other tanks with water and laundry soap and repaired tanks, but without the rust issue. A band-aide approach is against every fiber in my body but I don't see any options. I have not checked into a custom tank, so I don't know the costs associated.
I have used JB weld over the years.You can solder a piece of copper flashing metal over the hole if you can get the base metal clean.Boat resin and fiberglass cloth have patched many rust holes in my truck fenders.A friend fixed a quarter sized hole in his plow truck gas tank with a gas tank repair resin I had in my shop.
Dave in Tx
Member
I have welded dozens of them with the gas still in them. I won't say how on here because you can't leave out any of the prep, but they can be welded. Usually no one will stick around and watch.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
Why don't salvage yards sell used tanks? I bet a welding shop could build you a tank for a lot less than $1000, probably around $500 if I had to guess.
glennster
Well-known Member
you could use a product like sem weld bond adhesive. we use it here at the body shop for panel replacement on certain vehicles. you can bond a quarter panel on a car with it, the metal will ter before the adhesive lets go. you need a special applicator gun and the disposable one time use mixing nozzles. it is a 2 part adhesive, it is mixed in the applicator tip. your local body shop will have the applicator gun, you can have them apply it for you. make a patch to fit over the holes, clean and de-grease the area, then apply the adhesive. good to go. heres a link.
once this stuff drys, it will NEVER come off.
poke here
once this stuff drys, it will NEVER come off.
poke here
In 1988 I bought an Allis Chalmers G. It had a hole in the side of the carb, about 3/16". The carb on the G's is aluminum or pot metal. I patched that hole with epoxy. That worked well until 2 years ago, the epoxy started flaking off.
Someone started making after market carbs for the G's so one of those fixed my problem. But I would think if something was holding gas for 12 years it would keep holding. I can't help but think that the new blend of gas is what did in my epoxy patch.
Now I wonder if the tanks that have been coated inside are going to start giving problems.
Stephen Newell
Well-known Member
I've repaired many gas tanks. The last one I had to cut the entire bottom of the gas tank out and replace it with new metal. I haven't had much luck with epoxy products. I thoroughly wash out the inside of a gas tank with muriatic acid, neutralize it with vinegar and dry it before I work on it at all. It works good to dry it by sitting the tank out in the direct sun with a air hose at 5 psi run inside of it for 2-3 hours. Now with any openings the tank may have open I run a flaming rag on a 10'-12' stick over the tank to make sure there is no fumes left. Occasionally it will ignite but with the tank open it just burns instead of explodes. After getting rid of the fumes if there is a large hole I weld a patch over the hole with a wire feed welder with the amperage turned down as low as I can. Then I use a angle grinder and smooth it out. There will be pin holes left so I solder what is left with silver filled solder. Plumbing solder doesn't stick very good. I would braze it but I had the equipment. Last I would coat the inside of the tank with a gas tank sealant. I use Red-Kote. I would even recommend using this on a new gas tank if you are going to keep the vehicle for any length of time. It will prevent condensation from rusting out the bottom of the tank.
Dave, Be Carefull!!
I had BIL got killed about 5 years ago welding a tank trailer. It wasn't like he didn't know what he was doing. He was 65 and had been doing that since his late teens. That was 45+ years doing that and no way I would have ever thought he would blow him self up, but he did.
I had BIL got killed about 5 years ago welding a tank trailer. It wasn't like he didn't know what he was doing. He was 65 and had been doing that since his late teens. That was 45+ years doing that and no way I would have ever thought he would blow him self up, but he did.
BDT in Minnesota
Member
Time for the new tank.. the old one will be rusted in more than just those two spots..junk it..
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