Hole in gas tank repair.

Richard from SE AZ · Jul 25, 2016

Can a hole deliberately and maliciously punched into a gas tank be permanently repaired with JB weld ?

ss55 · Jul 25, 2016

Auto parts stores used to sell gas tank repair kits, I would check with one of those online.

Jiles · Jul 25, 2016

(quoted from post at 17:04:00 07/25/16) Can a hole deliberately and maliciously punched into a gas tank be permanently repaired with JB weld ?

NO---If possible, I would repair with Bolt/screw and gasket.
Sealed with "SealAll".

dr sportster · Jul 25, 2016

If you can take a brass screw off an electric receptacle and thread it in the hole , then solder all around it.

Steve A W · Jul 25, 2016

Why do you want to punch a hole in the tank?

redtom · Jul 25, 2016

No, JB will eventually melt off. Use Seal All. If needed saturate a bit of cloth with Seal All if hole is big.

DENNIS MIN · Jul 25, 2016

Richard AZ,

I'm guessing it's a metal tank first. I used JB weld on a dirty/rusty/crumpled corner of a tank in the lower half, while it was dripping gas, the JB tank goo is still working years after.

D.

Logan in SE Texas · Jul 25, 2016

I recently repair a leak on the plastic gas tank on my zero turn mower. It has a nut recessed into the bottom of the tank for mounting and it was oozing gas. cleaned and dried, applied JB weld and let cure over night, so far so good.

timcasbolt · Jul 25, 2016

I've had pretty good luck with this stuff: http://www.polymericsystems.com/epoxies-adhesives/epoxy-putty-tapes/kneadatite-blue-yellow.htm

Ray UK · Jul 25, 2016

This stuff works if you can find a local supplier I have used it a few times with success.

http://www.laco.com/repair-sealants/oyltite-stik-/

Stephen Newell · Jul 25, 2016

I would be more inclined to dry it out and weld a patch on the hole and use a fuel tank liner such as Red Kote. Just to patch a small hole you might use some Red Kote with some fiberglass cloth to plug the hole and then line the inside. JB Weld doesn't do well soaked in gas.

Jiles · Jul 25, 2016

I buy the large tubes of JB Weld because I use a lot of it--But not to seal a gas or oil tank.
Surface prep and cleaning is very important with using JBW and I tried it twice, on fuel tanks and it failed both times.
I guess some people have had success, but I can't.

Goose · Jul 25, 2016

I blew up a gas tank once. Self-preservation being a rather basic instinct, it was an experience I'd rather not repeat.

When someone talks about welding on a gas tank, I get about a hundred yards away with my fingers in my ears.

Stephen Newell · Jul 25, 2016

You dry one out to where you are sure there are no fumes and then stick a lit rag on a long stick in the tank to see if it will ignite to be sure. If you have removed the sending unit and leave the filler neck open it shouldn't contain the gas enough to actually explode. The fumes may ignite but will just burn. I completely cut the bottom out of a riding mower gas tank one time and welded a new piece of sheet metal on it. If it's recently had gas in it I usually rinse it out with lacquer thinner and run an air hose in the tank with less than 5 psi air pressure for two or three days before doing anything with the tank.

T.R.K. · Jul 25, 2016

Well, The gas tank on my '69 1 ton sprung a leak about 4-5 years ago. When I pulled it out to replace it, there was a JB-weld patch on the bottom. I had the truck since '93, so the patch was on there then and had lasted about 20 years before it failed. As far as I know, it was a pinhole, not a big hole.

T.R.K. · Jul 25, 2016

That said, If it was me doing the repair, I would coat the inside with some kind of sealer after the patch cured.

redtom · Jul 26, 2016

I bought a tractor that quit running shortly after. The previous owner had glued the float in the carb to the arm with JB weld. It had melted and fallen off.

GordoSD · Jul 26, 2016

Who's going to weld a gas tank. Certainly no one who has tried it before?

GordoSD · Jul 26, 2016

Can you buy 200 foot long sticks?

Stephen Newell · Jul 26, 2016

When gas fumes ignite it blows a flame out a couple feet out the filler neck or the sending unit hole for a split second. It's not near as violent than you think. The first time I did it I used a 10' stick and reached around a corner of a building to do it. Kinda had a chuckle worrying about nothing.

Stephen Newell · Jul 26, 2016

I've welded on at least a half dozen gas tanks. You just have to do a good job of drying the tanks out first.

Richard from SE AZ · Jul 27, 2016

A friend wire welded the tank for me. ( professional welder ) He did a beautiful job. Didn't go bang. Purged it with CO2 somehow. I didn't see it done. I had other errands to run. He checked it for leaks. None detected. Put it back on filled it with fuel. No leaks.

Jthomas1970 · Jul 27, 2016

I have repaired many using an old soldering copper. They are not used much these days, but are very effective in repairing metal fuel tanks.

Alan K · Jul 30, 2016

I have sealed up cracks on gas tanks with it. You have to really clean up the metal good before hand.

rankrank1 · Jul 30, 2016

If I wanted a permanent fix then I would weld, braze, or solder. Anything else is just a temporary patch that may or may not hold long enough.

As others have pointe out the key is getting all the gas out of the tank and even more importantly the fumes.

Some rinse the tanks repeatedly with water and then fill with water to displace any residual gas fumes.

I have heard of running a hose from the tailpaipe of a running car (or tractor) to let the exhast hydrocarbons dry the fumes out of an emptied fuel tank using CO from the exhaust to do it.

tractorguy2 · Jul 30, 2016

Try the new JB weld putty. Package states diesel and gasoline resistant.

sotxbill · Jul 30, 2016

yes.. have done it with variable success.. From a 50 year patch still holding, to not so good on a plastic tank that was wet...

jb weld has 3 rules.

rule 1.. surface must be clean
rule 2. surface must be clean
rule 3. surface must be clean..

when ever the surface was clean, dry, and clean,, its always worked very well. when I could not get to the area to clean it,, its been a throw of the dice,, ,sometimes good, sometimes not so good.

Hole in gas tank repair.

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