Technical Do Those Epoxy Gas Tank Repair Kits Work?

1 hole in the tank. Wondering best fix without pulling the tank and having a patch soldered on. It just came back from the tank place that steamed the tank for me. I don’t really want to pull the tank again.


Thanks in advance.

Allan

 

Is that gasoline running out?

 

I might use it as an on the road emergency band aide but not much more than to get me home.

if you have one rust through like that you know the rest of the tank can't be much better.

 

I'd be looking at a new tank; not a good part to compromise on.

 

X-2
6sally6

 

What he said! That pin hole likely is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Agreed.
It’s weird, the tank was replaced in 2011 before the car being parked. There was some crud in the tank under fill tube (the fill tube was pretty crusty) so I took it in to have it cleaned. It looked OK until I put gas in it.
Still had its red tank sealer internal coating. Must be these great fuels. This was the sending unit.

 

They can work, but not always. If you can get a new replacement you'll be better off in the long run. My avatar had a repaired-then-lined tank, it lasted ten years until some came loose and clogged the pickup.

 

I can find a new tank, but it doesn’t have a provision for a vent line which the existing tank has. Would a vented gas cap suffice

 

I've used the epoxy patch in the past. I put it on a tank I wired brushed clean and the epoxy wouldn't stick. It got some gas on it so I kneaded some more and stuck it back on and it stuck and sealed. I've used it a few times since and always mix a little gas with it before applying.

Not the ideal fix but when you're young, drive a beater and don't have a lot of money it'll work.

 

When I was young , I had money, now I've outlived that money & drive a beater ,with me it's whatever works .

 

Back in my heavy motorcycle days, this stuff was standard tool box equipment for everyone I was hanging around with. We used it a few times on the road to keep on rolling. It dries fast and it worked for us. Some of the temporary fixes lasted for years….
I haven’t seen it in decades but I found it quick on the internet.

 

I'm going to order a new tank. The car it goes in had a vented tank to a canister in the trunk. The replacement tank doesn't have a vent connection off the tank. Would a vented cap suffice?
.... but the Seal-All looks like a good experiment while I wait for the tank!

 

I repaired tanks on two different Semis . One, with a hole in the bottom I could stick my fingers through, with 2 part epoxy and steel wool. It was still holding 2 years later when the truck was wrecked. The second , hole was some smaller. Fibergl*** patch was still holding when truck was traded a couple years later.
Clean it well. Dry well. Apply sealer of choice and see what happens.

Ben

 

I repaired a tank that had a pin hole in it. I took all the gas out, cleaned the bottom of the tank and used a tight fitting screw with some JB weld. It was still working after 10 years. I don't have the car anymore, but it may still be working.

 

A lot of people are spooked by welding fuel tanks, and I don't blame them. I have repaired lots of tanks with a small square of copper sheet soft soldered (using a large soldering iron) onto clean mild steel.

 

Fill it with water and weld it up.

 

I only used it one time (epoxy two color stuff). Boom chain on the trailer rubbed a hole in the tank. Moved the chain, mixed the putty and pushed it in the hole. Finished our trip. I think it was still on the tank several years later when the car was stolen. But it worked for a long time.

my 2 cents.
.bjb

 

Yes, a vented cap will be fine. If you want to use the original vent, use a center punch to put a hole in the new tank and solder a piece of steel fuel line in for a ****** to clamp hose to.

 

Yes, A vented cap will work

 

A ''blind'' pop rivet will seal up a small hole.

 

I had a few pinholes in my tank in one small spot, the rest was perfect. I used a two piece epoxy stick you mixed together to make a putty like patch. Spread it out pretty thin, then used RedKote inside. Hasn't leaked again in 10 years...

 

Well it sat 13 years.
So I just checked, comes to, four thousand, seven hundred forty five temperature cycles.
My vote would be to let it go.
Enjoy a worry free new one.
If necessary, wait til it's time to use it. But use it

 

you could sandblast the outside of the pinholed area and lay some resin and cloth on the freshly cleaned area,done lots of them like that.the fibergl*** sticks like **** to a blanket on sandblasted steel.Or use a soldering iron and patch it with solder,it works really well ,find a sheet metal shop and see if they have someone there who can solder it for you.

 

This will save you some money.
1. Consider all the fixes for rusty tanks like.....
Gravel/nuts/gl*** ....shaken, spun on anything from a concrete mixer to a tractor wheel
Various rust kills
Acid
Chemical dipping
Various coatings and sealers....
Epoxy
^^^^^^^
Think on these strongly and consider them.

After considering this for a while, go to your toilet and peel out five 20dollar bills and flush.
Then, order a new tank.

 

vented cap will work fine,.
I have fixed holes in tanks a number of ways with good success. I have used a screw with a sealing washer.
I have used bondo then fibergl***ed over it.
a crayon or wax candle rubbed into the hole will plug the leak so it can be epoxied, or fibergl***ed.
I used just bondo on a repair that lasted for years [despite everyone telling me it will leak]

 

Yep I’ll bet ethanol is the cause, I think you’ll be chasing pin holes for ever, if it was mine I’d do the temporary epoxy etc fix and order a new tank, and use non ethanol fuel. I have fixed holes(punctures) in tanks that weren’t rust related and the fix lasted as long as I owned the vehicle. I drained the tank cleaned the area good using brake cleaner or acetone then a couple coats of good epoxy Slow Cure type. A sheet metal screw will help fill the hole.
Dan

 

I had a VW tank in a stock car that was leaking, we used a tube of gas-tank-leak-fix and it held for 2 seasons. I like the pop-rivet idea, but coat the rivet with JB Weld, aka a wet-install.

 

I had a small pin hole on a tank, applied some type of epoxy in the 80s and it's still holding with no issues. The hole was not the result of rust and on top of the tank, maybe that helped. They finally started making the tanks and I have one for it in the box, I'll replace it someday if needed. The original tank has never leaked since, no odors.