fuel tank weld

Anonymous-0 · May 20, 2010

I have an old 8000 ford tractor with the fuel tank behind the seat. Before we bought it someone cut two access holes in top of the tank, I guess something got in there and they wanted to remove it. Anyway these holes leak when it rains. I have two plates screwed over them but they still leak. Is there any safe way to weld covers over the holes? We have ran her for years but it is realy annoying to keep draining the water out after a rain.

gary in canada · May 20, 2010

ifits a diesel tank, sand it clean and solder a patch on it with a soldering iron,avoid open flames

Anonymous-0 · May 20, 2010

JB Weld works wonders on stuff like that.

ryanwheelock · May 20, 2010

I 2nd the JB weld idea. Too risky to try to mig weld, unless you cleaned out ALL gas fumes.
Ryan

gene bender · May 20, 2010

Just sand it so its clean and get a fiberglass kit and the problem will be solved forever easy to do.

Anonymous-0 · May 20, 2010

(quoted from post at 05:44:21 05/20/10) I 2nd the JB weld idea. Too risky to try to mig weld, unless you cleaned out ALL gas fumes.
Ryan

3rd it, but get it really super clean (as if you were gonna solder a radiator and have it on display at a million buck museum).

When the hummers first came out and units were issued fiberglass repair kits with them, welders got dusty. Almost everything cosmetic and light duty was JB welded :roll:

Dave

Anonymous-0 · May 20, 2010

I can't find my JB Welding helmet ! lol

teddy52food · May 20, 2010

I have filled them up with water to just below the joint & brazed a patch on. Don't do it on an empty tank.

Art Massing · May 20, 2010

ES,
If you are going to weld it make sure it is dry of gasoline then fill it CO2 from a bottle or put some dry-ice (again CO2) and a little water in the tank before you start welding (this goes for soldering too!)

Be careful and you won"t have any problems.

Good luck

Art

supergrumpy · May 20, 2010

how do you get ALL the water out afterwards??

BushogPapa · May 20, 2010

Probably the best idea is to flood the tank with exhaust plumbed from a gasoline engine..tractor, garden tractor or pickup would do..
I have seen the local radiator shop use that method to seld gas tanks with no trouble..

Ron..

RodinNS · May 20, 2010

Either run a steady volume of CO2 into it or a large volume of compressed air, STEADY.
Diesel fumes are nearly equally as explosive as gasoline fumes with very similar explosive ranges.
The theory is to either create an atmosphere that will not support combustion by using CO2 or create enough dilution of the fumes with airflow such that the atmosphere is below it's LEL (Lower Explosive Limit). Either can be dangerous if you don't know what you're doing.
You should also consider having it done by someone experienced if you're uncomfortable with welding on a tank.

Rod

Vernon in Ks · May 20, 2010

I thought you kept it next to the liquid steel?

Goose · May 20, 2010

I blew one up once, doing just that.

Now whenever I see anyone with an open flame around a gas tank I stand 50 yards away with my fingers in my ears.

Anonymous-0 · May 20, 2010

lift your patches, silicone and reattach patches.

Cas · May 20, 2010

I always used the flex pipe and pickup exhaust
method to purge tank. Probably not OSHA certified. Now that I made it to my sixties, if the situation arose I would go the JB weld route.

Fred Martin · May 20, 2010

You got the job almost done...now all you need to do is to seal it with a tube of RTV, it will waterproof the patches...just like it will seal the nails/screws in house trailer roofs...or barns/sheds for that matter. I think if you dig far enough, you'll find that RTV stands for room temperature vulcanizing. You're probably $5.00 away from a well done job....and you can smear it on with your fingers...the only protection you need is to not breath that stuff, it smells like Kung-Foo cabbage. Clean and dry first! Let us know if it satisfies you. ohfred

rlp in Co. · May 20, 2010

I have brazed a tank using exhaust fumes. I wouldn't try the water method. Gasoline and diesel floats on water. Don't use a diesel exhaust; a idling diesel has too much excess oxygen.

Ron in Nebr · May 20, 2010

Most RTV, at least the "gasket maker" kind, turns to jelly when exposed to gasoline....JB Weld or something similar would work better.

RodinNS · May 20, 2010

Yes... and when that RTV sealant dissolves in diesel fuel, then migrates into the tank strainer and filters... then you will know what a real migrane is all about.

Rod

teddy52food · May 20, 2010

Dump out all you can & let it out in the sun & wind for a few days. Add a can of dry-gas if you aren't sure.

mooseracing · May 20, 2010

I'd go for the exhaust method.

The way we did it was, wash the tank out multiple times. Then hook up a pipe from a running vehicle to fill the tank with fumes. Then start brazing.

For pin holes not in a mounting area fiberglass works the best from what I have seen.

supergrumpy · May 20, 2010

thanks, I forgot about dry gas, was worried about those last few drops of water inside the tank

RodinNS · May 20, 2010

You're lucky. That is perhaps the very most dangerous way you could weld on a tank... You're putting any latent fuel or vapor right up in the area just below the greatest source of heat.

Rod

Anonymous-0 · May 20, 2010

When we had the old filling station fuel tanks dug up at our tire shop, the state made us put a pickup load of dry ice in them. They said it was co2 and would prevent an explosion. We were happy to do this because a couple of years earlier a scrapper started cutting up a large abandoned diesel tank, had not been used for 15 years. He was killed along with a fireman

Barker Farm · May 20, 2010

Like we did this one!

Continous purge of an inert gas, CO2, nitrogen, argon.

Anonymous-0 · May 20, 2010

Check you local auto parts store for a gas tank repair epxoy read the label and see if it is compatiable with Diesel fuel, used this stuff years ago when I accidently drilled a hole through the trunk of car and went through the gas tank cant remeber what it was called

teddy52food · May 20, 2010

That one had so many holes rusted through it was well ventilated. Any vapors would have been like blowing through a screen door. After the metal is hot, the vapors are gone. I had it pretty full of water. As I welded I would tip the tank to find another leak. The cap was off also.

Anonymous-0 · May 21, 2010

If it's diesel, diesel fuel tanks are welded all the time. The best way is to steam it out and then weld it. Leave the filler cap off when welding though. Dave

JD Seller · May 22, 2010

There is a product call "Seal All" works on any fuel.
http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/reviews/SealAllGlueReview.htm
RTV will desolve and plug your tank.
Also if you weld it use the gas off of your wire welder. I have an extra Tee fitting in the supply hose that I have another hose on. I place the hose on the tank let it fill with the argon and then leave it on and weld. Filling them with water does not work all of the time. Some tanks will still blow. blow.

fuel tank weld

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