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Gas Tank Repair Or Replace?

Discussion in 'Intermediate CJ-5/6/7/8' started by joltes, Aug 7, 2019.

  1. Aug 7, 2019
    joltes

    joltes Member

    Wheeling, WV
    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2019
    Messages:
    74
    Hey all, I am looking for opinions here. I am working on my 72 CJ5 Renegade. I am to the point where I need to put gas in it, but low and behold, there are pinholes in it. I have done some reading on it and know there are many routes I can take, with pros and cons to each, but I am looking to the group for experience and opinions.

    The tank is out and cleaned up some, and I welded a patch into the area where the bigger hole was. I had to chase the hole a little because it was thin and the welder had some burn through as I went. After some more inspection, there are a few more pin holes that I am finding and I am afraid there may be more thin areas that could develop into problems down the road. I haven't gotten all of the rust out because I want to fix the holes first so the muriatic acid doesn't just pour out of the holes. So, do I spot weld these holes, hoping that it seals the tank up, or spot weld and then use a liquid liner on the inside to seal the tank up? Or use a JB Weld type of epoxy to fix the pinholes and hope it doesn't develop leaks around the epoxy? Or.... just replace the tank with new metal, or last resort, plastic?

    I am trying to stay as original as possible, just for nostalgia sake, not to make a show Jeep. Any new tank is going to different from the original, as the 72 model has a different vapor recovery system. I also am just trying to get it road worthy for now with the intent of slowly taking care of all of the non essential repairs.

    I am leaning toward just patching the holes right now and doing a more permanent replacement down the road, but am open to opinions and past experience to guide my next step. Like, if I use a epoxy pour in sealer, I will have near as much cost involved as replacing it with a non original tank. A plastic replacement will cost near as much as having my tank professionally restored.

    The pictures below show the rust. It has had a quick dose of muriatic acid just to clean out any gas fumes before grinding/cutting/welding. I think most is surface rust, but the tank is a thin gauge metal, so it wouldn't take much to blow through.

     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2019
  2. Aug 7, 2019
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    Aug 10, 2003
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    23,596
    If you get a steel replacement tank, I expect it will have to be a 1974-5 type. More Information for SPECTRA PREMIUM JP1A These do not have the vent holes at each corner like your current tank, but I believe the shape, size and connections are otherwise the same. The '74-5 tank has 2 small tubes, and you can connect these lines to two of the nipples on your expansion tank, and plug the other two. This will work the same, though not look exactly like the original tank.
     
    Last edited: Aug 7, 2019
    joltes likes this.
  3. Aug 7, 2019
    Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Tulsa, OK
    Joined:
    Sep 20, 2002
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    6,193
    Eh - I'd replace. It's not a visible part, having a clean source for gas storage is pretty important. Very few people would ever know the difference.
     
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  4. Aug 7, 2019
    ITLKSEZ

    ITLKSEZ Hope for the best, prepare for the worst

    Liberty Lake, WA
    Joined:
    Aug 13, 2015
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    6,656
    I’d replace. You’re chasing holes now, and you may never stop.
     
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  5. Aug 7, 2019
    Andy Salagaj

    Andy Salagaj Joshua70x7

    Colorado
    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2016
    Messages:
    33
    If you replace it you'll be done for several years - if you patch you'll continue to have leaks - so I'd replace it. JMHO.
     
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  6. Aug 7, 2019
    joltes

    joltes Member

    Wheeling, WV
    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2019
    Messages:
    74
    Looks pretty unanimous... replacement it is. Thanks for the opinions folks.
     
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  7. Aug 7, 2019
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
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    Jul 18, 2013
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    5,593
  8. Aug 7, 2019
    joltes

    joltes Member

    Wheeling, WV
    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2019
    Messages:
    74
    That is close, but not exact for a 72. The 72 was, I believe, a one year only tank with a vent tube at each corner on top of the tank. The one you linked to is just like the one linked to above from Rock Auto, with only 2 vent tubes. I think it is as close as I will find, so I am ordering one.
     
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  9. Aug 8, 2019
    dane71

    dane71 Member

    USA
    Joined:
    May 11, 2017
    Messages:
    195
    Just some thoughts:
    I think red kote will plug up the pin holes successfully if you wanna keep it. This would be an easy decision if the vapor recovery setup was correct but I see the dilemma. I got one of the newer tanks, the edges where the halves meet were square instead of rounded like factory, so plan a few hours there to grind them to match the old tank and throw some more primer/paint where you ground. Other than that the new reproduction was almost identical to my '74 tank.
     
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  10. Aug 8, 2019
    joltes

    joltes Member

    Wheeling, WV
    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2019
    Messages:
    74
    I would like to keep it, but ultimately I do think it would just fail again in a new place. Maybe I could encapsulate the whole thing in red-kote? lol. The new one is already ordered. And I did see another post where the square corners would need to be rounded off to match up to mine. Thanks for the suggestions.
     
  11. Aug 8, 2019
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    I had to trim the square corners to get mine to fit...
     
  12. Aug 8, 2019
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    That's '74-5 style, but they are selling it as a replacement for the earlier style of tank. They are playing fast and loose with the application data - it's not an exact replacement for a '70-73 tank. The PN for '76 is different, but the factory book says the '76 tank will work for '73-75. Spectra doubtless supplies the application info to RockAuto:

    upload_2019-8-8_8-56-44.png

    I had thought my '73 had the old style tank, but I could be remembering wrong. The '72-style tank could have been made to work with the '73 plumbing by teeing together pairs of vent lines on the top of the tank, but it was too long ago to remember well. I presume there would be a NLA tank style for '70-72 with the nipple at each corner, and a style for '73-76 with the internal vent plumbing. The corner vents are a pain, because the are just soldered in and get knocked off with any rough handling - BTDT in the Jeep parts dept.

    I suspect the '70-71 tanks also had the nipples. Jeeps from those years had the rear mounted tank, and I believe California required vapor recovery in those years. I have no books that cover those Jeeps though. Certainly '72 was the last year for the vapor recovery system that used the expansion tank under the rear quarter. The later Jeeps used a liquid check valve in the rear quarter and some different equipment under the hood.
     
    Last edited: Aug 8, 2019
  13. Aug 8, 2019
    FinoCJ

    FinoCJ 1970 CJ5 Staff Member

    Bozeman, MT
    Joined:
    Jul 18, 2013
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    You are correct tim...I got a bit confused...somewhere I had a 72 tank with the more complex vapor hose routing system...it may have been the one I pulled from the junkyard when i was also getting the skid and brackets etc. I ended up buying a replacement tank like posted and forgot it had a different vapor hose routing as I didn't use it for my retrofit (originally and underseat tank 70 - one of the last) and I just ran a short closed loop of fuel hose connecting them. It fit nicely with the 72 brackets etc, but I did have to trim the corners on the back edge of the tank to fit up between the frame rails. I always figured that was because my jeep didn't originally come with a rear tank, but it might also be some change in the frame rail in the 74-75 or maybe just a bit of quality control from the manufacturer. Whatever it may be, the aftermarket tank worked nicely with the rest of the brackets and skid...as to whether it hooks up to the vapor recovery as easily...
     
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