Leaky Fuel Tank

JB weld didn't work for me. It only lasted about a month. Then where the leak was it softened and peeled off. That's when I took it to a radiator shop to have it fixed right.

 

Has anybody here used bondo on a leaky tank?[/QUOTE]

I have seen guys do it and it has held for years!!

 

I used JB on one of mine 20 years ago and it is still holding, but, I cleaned it well and may have been lucky. I would just use the two part gas tank epoxy or solder it

 

The body man at the Jeep dealership used bondo to repair gas tanks - but that was 30+ years ago.

Today, I'd worry that modern fuels would soften it. Bondo is a polyester putty that is filled with talc. The talc makes the hardened mass permeable, and that's why bondo must be sealed front and back with steel and primer / top coat. Bondo exposed to the air will soak up water, and the steel next to it will rust.

If you have to use filler, I'd suggest any of the glass-fiber filled body fillers, like Kitty Hair. These are not permeable like bondo. You still need to worry about compatibility with modern fuels.

JB Weld is a metal-filled epoxy. That might work ok, as long as the hardened epoxy is compatible with modern fuels. I'd look for an epoxy putty that claims chemical resistant up front, like Devcon Plastic Steel.

 

Your mentioning Devcon reminds me that I happen to have a couple of different cans in a cabinet. I'll have to check which formulas they are.

Thanks for stirring my memory timgr...it's not what it used to be!

Off to the garage I go!!!

Edit: whoo hoo, I found a brand new can of Plastic Steel in the back of my chem. cabinet. I'm going to get to mixing and filling!

 

Holy old thread, Batman!

Water probably doesn't permeate as easily as gasoline.
I like to use applied air pressure (low psi), and use soapy water to detect leaks in gas tanks and radiators.

 

I used epoxy putty to repair my fuel tank which was broken a little bit by the PO.
Works with no problem. Already 4 years ago;
but it is good to change the tank with a new one. Depends on the problems;

 

It was fun to read this older thread. I don't like to use muriatic acid in original tanks as it eats all the tinning off that keeps the tanks from rusting. All the new replacement tanks are just bare steel inside. I have soldered the original ones very successfully. I have also used Hirsh's tank sealer very successfuly too. I still have a Willys wagon that was "patched" over 20 years ago with bubble gum. Its still under there and doesn't leak (or even weep). That chunk of gum is hard as a rock.
-Donny

 

When I got my 57 the various different patch jobs were leaking. I've heard horror stories about "new" gas eating liners and gumming up everything. Eastwood kit is 50 bucks for cars--POR15s is 80 something. I'd rather spring for a new tank or find a good used one. Nothing worse than smelling gas leaking in your vehicle. We'll maybe it turning into a ball of fire because the tank leaked. And this is coming from a guy who has used soup cans and pop rivets to get a few more miles out of a muffler.

 

Heaven forbid!

We are pretty easy about that around here. A new thread would have been ok.

You got a good answer from PeteL. In my case, I went ahead and sealed the tank anyway. I used Hirsch sealant, but it seems that Red Kote is good too. Or take it to a shop.

 

For today's fuels--and it's a tank float--I'd stick with the plastic one. It's likely made for today's wonderful gas. If brass one wasn't leaking id say run it. I don't like messing with patching gas filled or previously gas filled things.

 

Probably has a leak. Try putting it in hot water and look for bubbles.

Can be drained and resoldered (but remember you are dealing with a highly flammable liquid!)

 

X2 here. Float is not to have anything inside of it. I put the float in the freezer for a few minutes then submerge it in a pan of hot water and if it has any leaks it will bubble immediately.

 

Last time I tried to repair one of these floats, the brass was thin and it kept cracking along the groove where the wire bale snaps in. I am an expert solderer, but it was a lost cause. I used the plastic float that comes with the sender.