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Tool Talk Discussion Forum

Gas Tank Repair

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XRogerX

05-11-2008 16:30:51




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Hello guys. I have a problem with a gas tank on a 25 year old motorcycle. The tank has been leaking from some small pinhole near the back of the tank. This tank is no longer available, and Ebay searching turns up only tanks that are in worse shape than mine. I have read about repairing the tank with solder, but I have never seen solder successfully applied to steel like this. Could I join some small sheets of steel to the tank with regular acid core solder, or would I have to use thin copper sheet? I have put two POR15 kits in the tank last summer, but it didn't stop the leaks. I have since successfully sealed the tank with Permatex fuel tank repair epoxy, but it is an ugly, temporary fix. I have no access to brazing equipment, and wouldn't trust myself not to bodge the tank even worse by trying that repair. Any tips? I'm sure this is an issue many of you have faced with old tractors.

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Don L C

05-14-2008 10:11:25




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
Take it to a good radiator shop.....they know how to fix it..... ..Don



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mj

05-13-2008 19:27:23




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to kopeck, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  

XRogerX said: (quoted from post at 17:30:51 05/11/08) Hello guys. I have a problem with a gas tank on a 25 year old motorcycle. The tank has been leaking from some small pinhole near the back of the tank. This tank is no longer available, and Ebay searching turns up only tanks that are in worse shape than mine. I have read about repairing the tank with solder, but I have never seen solder successfully applied to steel like this. Could I join some small sheets of steel to the tank with regular acid core solder, or would I have to use thin copper sheet? I have put two POR15 kits in the tank last summer, but it didn't stop the leaks. I have since successfully sealed the tank with Permatex fuel tank repair epoxy, but it is an ugly, temporary fix. I have no access to brazing equipment, and wouldn't trust myself not to bodge the tank even worse by trying that repair. Any tips? I'm sure this is an issue many of you have faced with old tractors.


If you use a soldering COPPER you don't need to worry about fumes in the tank - just be sure that your heat source is far enough from the tank. :roll: If you're going to weld it with a torch fill it with water and pass the torch over the filler hole. Then open the petcock and keep the torch in the filler as the water drains out - touch her off every little bit as you're welding to keep the fumes burned off. Even tanks that have sat empty for years will give off fumes from the seams as they heat up. 8)

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jpl

05-13-2008 08:18:11




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
yes, you can solder steel tanks, you have to clean them good and tin them good. i;ve fixed hundreds of tanks, with a torch even. mostly auto gas tanks and a few large trucks .larger holes use a copper patch or small just use a copper penny. my system was exhaust. also use a good solder usually 40-60. former radiator shop owner.



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lucas boy

05-13-2008 06:36:48




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
i do alot of bike and mower tanks with kreem.bike shops sell it. it seals pin holes.if there is a bigger hole i use deavcon plastic steel putty on the hole ,then coat with kreem inside. never had a problem. the kreem kit has the cleaner and etcher with the kit.lucas



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Nolan

05-12-2008 17:17:32




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
I've also soldered them. Well cleaned, fluxed steel solders just fine. It must be well cleaned. As in wire brushed til it's bare and shiny, then wiped down with a solvent. Brush on plumbing flux and solder away.



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Pollack Pete

05-11-2008 23:39:39




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
Years ago,I worked at the local Ford dealership.Whenever a gas leaker came in,the tank was removed,rinsed out with water,the hole was sanded clean and shiny,then we tinned the damaged area with a copper solder iron and soldered a shiny penny over the hole.Seemed to work well.



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2t2@ia

05-11-2008 21:01:15




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
Unfortunately, where there is one pin hole, there are probably other spots in the tank that will soon break through and become pin holes. I once tried to solder a small engine (maybe a quart size), gas tank. I washed it out good, (I thought), filled it with water nearly to the top (I was working on a break around the cap). All of a sudden a bang, and that area where I was soldering was blown apart. Fortunately, there wasn't much air space above the water, and I wasn't hurt.

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Sam#3

05-11-2008 20:09:00




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
I once patched a pencil sized hole in a fuel tank with a product called 'Liquid Steel.' I layered it in and sanded with emery cloth between layers. Also used the same to patch a pinhole in a Farmall oil pan. With that said I also remember my Granddad repairing buckets with solder and a soldering copper heated in the cook stove.



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Puddles

05-11-2008 18:45:29




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
I�ve never used it, read posts where others have had good luck with it.
JC Whitney sells it, Kreem Liquid Fuel Tank Liner Kit $34.99



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Mike M

05-11-2008 18:29:56




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
Sealer inside should fix pinholes. Red-Kote is the best. Is your leak by the outlet in the bottom ? in this case the stress of the fitting may just crack the sealer out. Tanks are easy to solder with acid core solder.



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johnski

05-11-2008 17:04:21




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
Solder will be the best repair. I just soldered over somebodys botched weld on a tank at work. DO NOT,however, use any kind of open flame. The best tool to use is an old fashioned soldering iron. It is a large copper head that has a pointed end and is mounted on an iron shaft with a wooden handle. You heat the head with a torch far away from your work. An electric soldering gun might work if the tank is thin and over a small area. The steel must be shined bright and clean then tinned first. Don't forget that all of the old time auto-body builders used lead on steel before the invention of bondo. Think "Lead Sled". If you need a patch I would stick with steel also to make refinishing easier. HTH Jf

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36 coupe

05-12-2008 03:43:16




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to johnski, 05-11-2008 17:04:21  
Solder guns are worthless on large areas.Old fashioned solder irons of 300 watts work well.Used tool shops usually have big soldering irons for sale cheap.I have several irons that I keep in an old mailbox because mice will chew on the woven cover cords.You cant solder dirty surfaces,a fingerprint will interfere with solder.Its odd that they are called solder irons because you need a copper tip to solder.The tips have to be kept clean and tinned.You have to beware of poor solder, any solder that costs under 10.00 a pound is suspect.Probably more more with current metal prices.

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TimV

05-11-2008 16:55:57




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
Roger: I've fixed quite a few metal tanks by soldering--wash it out well, fill with water, and solder away. You may have to "sweat" a piece on--tin around the hole, tin up your patch piece, apply the patch piece and heat until solder flows out from under the patch. No reason why it won't hold forever--you don't have any pressure to speak of in a gas tank.



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Goose

05-11-2008 16:44:18




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
Take it to a radiator shop and see if they have any suggestions. They can at least boil it to get rid of the gasoline fumes before you to ANYTHING to it.

I blew up a gas tank once trying to fix it. I landed about ten feet back in my shop on the hood of a stock car. As far as I'm concerned, working on a gas tank is akin to working on a live hand grenade.



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Elijah

05-11-2008 16:42:02




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-11-2008 16:30:51  
I've seen wheeler tanks done with solder but, it doesn't hold up to well since it's just layered on top and doesn't fuse. I would suggest an epoxy like J-B weld, then sand, paint and voila. Just test the epoxy ahead of time to make sure it will stand up to gas. Another option is welding the tank but, that would foul up your epoxy liner. If you do weld it make sure and clean it out real good (dishsoap works well) then clean it out again just to be sure and if possible pump it full of an inert gas while welding. Should probably do the same for soldering, brazing etc. What kinda bike you workin on, maybe ya get lucky n someone here has a tank.

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rst277

05-12-2008 07:13:24




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to Elijah, 05-11-2008 16:42:02  
Where there is one hole there are almost certainly more just about to surface. The tank liner idea is the best. I haven"t done it myself, but I had a radiator shop do it on my motorcycle tank. They use an acid cleaner and then an arcrylic epoxy, just like the JCWhitney kit. It cost $150 and they didn"t harm the paint or the decals. I just ordered a JCWhitney kit to do the tank on my Massey where I"m not worried about the paint. Good luck!

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XRogerX

05-12-2008 17:23:58




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to rst277, 05-12-2008 07:13:24  
The bike is a 1983 Suzuki GS1100E. I know that pinholes are harbingers of bigger problems. I will try to cut and form a new section of steel near the back of the tank, then sweat it on. The POR15 wasn't a total loss if it prevents any more harm. I think this bike sat a lot, and whatever water was in the tank settled in the low spot, near the rear, on the sidestand side of the bike. The Permatex Fuel Tank Epoxy sealer is holding well. Excellent stuff, just visible, and a different color. The holes themselves are so small, just trying to push it in would not work, unless I hogged them out a bit with a drill, but replacing metal with metal always seems to be the best idea to my way of thinking, I just never saw steel being soldered before. The bike itself is as strong as the magazines of the day reported, and would be well worth a new tank if they were still available.

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Bernie Steffen

05-12-2008 17:31:12




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 Re: Gas Tank Repair in reply to XRogerX, 05-12-2008 17:23:58  
I always braze the holes in my gas tanks. I just put a rubber hose from the exhaust pipe on my pickup in the filler neck let it blow in awhile then braze away. Let it run while working. Bernie Steffen



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