Plastic gas tank

[dpb]

Frank wrote: ...

What difference unless it's completely empty other than reducing the area that a crack could occur that would leak during storage does it make?

I'm w/ the "if the repair works, it works" camp. If it fails during storage, it's no different than if the initial crack begins leaking during storage.

Not sure about the particular tank/plastic in question, but I've had some success w/ epoxy on the rougher-textured white plastic which is very similar in appearance anyway on the stock tank floats. Haven't had need for it to try on a gas tank, but what's lost w/ the experiment--a quarter worth of epoxy and a few days experiment, maybe?

I have successfully "welded" a filler neck crack on a heavier plastic diesel tank on the little 955 Deere tractor w/ an old-style heat-'em up soldering iron (the heat the iron in the blowtorch then apply it to the joint type). That's lasted, oh, about five years so far, but, of course it's not a bond.

If all else failed, I'd not be above at least trying such an experiment

-- if it leaks anyway, a failure is still only an new tank... :)

[hallerb]

not if the unit is stored in say a garage, and the gasoline vapors cause a explosion.

i never store gasoline in my home, that stuffs always in my shed, 50 feet from our home......

[Rick-Meister]

Permatex makes a plastic fuel tank repair kit

[Steve Barker DLT]

JB weld works just fine also. I've repaired dozens of daily use weedeater tanks with the stuff. The secret it copious amounts of brake cleaner to get it good and dry, then a little gouging with a die grinder to create a 'v' , (just as if you were making a weld repair) then warm the tank with a heat gun to dry it completely , and apply the JB weld to the warm tank. I've also successfully repaired rusty oil pans on ford trucks this way. They always last AT LEAST two years under daily use.

steve

[salty]

That link specifiacally states that it will NOT stick to polyethelene, which is what Ransley's gas tank is made out of. Here is the exact quote from that website:

***Note: PC-Super Epoxy® will not bond to wax paper, Teflon®, Polyethylene, and some other plastics. There are hundreds of plastics in thousands of combination. Test a small area when in doubt.

[salty]

You are a fool, and a dangerous one at that.

The advice I gave you could save your life or the life of a loved one. Do you consider that poor advice?

[salty]

Both of those occurances are dangerous, but one of them is preventable.

[Ed Pawlowski]

This is why ***Note: PC-Super Epoxy® will not bond to wax paper, Teflon®, Polyethylene, and some other plastics. There are hundreds of plastics in thousands of combination. Test a small area when in doubt.

It may work on some tanks of some plastics, but not on very many as the ones on small engines often are polyethylene or a compound containing it.

[Ed Pawlowski]

>

Did you read the last line? Suggested Applications: Ideal for cars, trucks, boats and RV's; windshield washer reservoirs, radiator overflow tanks, coolant reservoirs, water tanks, waste tanks *Not for use on Plastic Fuel Tanks.

[dadiOH]

I have no idea if it will work on your gas tank but I've fixed various types of white/translucent plastic containers with molten nylon smeared onto and in the broken area. I just light a piece of 1/4" nylon rope and push the melted end around on the area to be repaired.

[ransley]

I wonder if that statement might be for liability concerns, it bonds to a plastic few thing will bond to, if it leaks again its ok, it only leaks when I fill it more than 1/4 full. I still cant believe JD used a metal screw down band type pipe clamp, anyone could over tighten it.

[ransley]

That is an interesting and cheap way to fix things. Once I was doing that for fun when was maybe 10, I remember a big lump melting on my hand and hurt for months.

[Phisherman]

Do it right: Contact the manufacturer for a replacement tank.

[David Combs]

"solid ribbon type" of epoxy?

New to me (and no, I am not current in these things!).

The only kind of exoxy I'm familiar is liquid and comes in two *tubes*.

Thanks!

David

[David Combs]

So what do you do if you have a lawnmower, need to store gasoline (I use a red metal tank (made for gasoline, I think) for it), and you DO NOT have a separate shed?

(people store cars in their garages, though)

Thanks,

David

[hallerb]

cars are designed to be stored in garages, i would buy a small shed just for safetys sake if I were trying a patch job on a lawnmower gasoline tank.

in the past before i had a shed i kept the lawnmowers gas tank nearly empty and stored gas tank in a locked metal trash can outside away from house

[Ed Pawlowski]

There are two parts either in ribbon form or bar form. You cut off a chunk and knead it until the two parts mix. Available in any hardware store or home center under various brands.

[salty]

,

Minor, but important point: A full gas tank is safer than an almost empty one.

Gasoline fumes are, pound for pound, 16 times the explosive power of dynamite.

[ransley]

Since this thread popped back up, an update, I just fixed the tank with a product from Ace that they use at their repair area, its a contact cement called Seal-All, a few bucks in a tube that has worked.