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Author Topic: Gas Tank Repair? Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 04-24-2004 02:12 PM                     Has anyone ever repaired a leaky tank? I have one that I keep patching pinhole size leaks every few weeks. The tank has been discontinued from GM, and I can't locate one from any shops. I have the tank off the car and want to fix it and not have to worry about it any more. Any ideas?? Thanks, Rick  |  IP: Logged Floyd Justin Newton Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 559 From: Phoenix, Arizona, USA Registered: Jun 2002 posted 04-24-2004 02:27 PM                     Junk IT. fjn Local 294 Ret.  |  IP: Logged Erick Akers Arse Kicker Posts: 201 From: Dallas, TX, USA Registered: May 2001 posted 04-24-2004 02:57 PM                     Rick, What kind of car is it? I have some connections that might be able to help in this situation. I'm guessing that the tank is rusting out??? I have used the fuel tank coating offered by Eastwood Co. before with some success, but if the rust cancer is too heavy the tank coating won't work. Have you checked to see if an aftermarket tank is offered?  |  IP: Logged Gordon McLeod Film God Posts: 9532 From: Toronto Ontario Canada Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-24-2004 03:34 PM                     Check with a wrecking Yard to see if they have a good used one  |  IP: Logged Aaron Mehocic Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 804 From: New Castle, PA, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-24-2004 03:53 PM                     About twenty years ago a local junkyard owner attempted to repair a leaky tank with a mig welder. He did not check for any residual gas still inside and the rest (including himself) is history . . .  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 04-24-2004 04:25 PM                     Floyd, I cant junk it because there isn't a replacement available. Erick, It's an 82 Vette and yes it is rusting out. .Probably sat with little or no gas in it for a while. GM, Ecklers, and Mid America have nothing available. Gordon, If I buy one from a yard, then I'd think I'm looking at the same problem!  |  IP: Logged Rob Butler Film Handler Posts: 91 From: Westford, MA, USA Registered: Mar 2004 posted 04-24-2004 04:35 PM                     I know someone with a jeep, he offered to give me a ride somewhere once, when he pulled up, I noticed a 5gal pail in the back with a garden hose running from it to a hole in the floor, with everything ducttaped in place, I called another friend instead.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 04-24-2004 05:08 PM                     Floyd is absolutly correct about a rusting fuel tank! A major concern would be just how much corrosion has affected the tank. Remember that tanks are designed for crash impact, and excessive corrosion may have effected its safety. If the corrrosion is not too bad, then yes, the tank can be welded and treated with special sealers inside and out. In a worst case scenario, you may need to result to a fitted "fuel cell", or you can use the origonal tank as a template and have a new one custom fabricated.  |  IP: Logged John Walsh Film God Posts: 2490 From: Connecticut, USA, Earth, Milky Way Registered: Oct 1999 posted 04-24-2004 05:32 PM                     Agree about junking it; I had the same problem with a motorcycle tank. There almost has to be a replacement tank somewhere, if you are willing to pay for it. Perhaps you can find a tank that fits another car, but is close?  |  IP: Logged Richard Hamilton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1341 From: Evansville, Indiana Registered: Jan 2000 posted 04-24-2004 07:25 PM                     I haven't checked any Corvette forums yet. It's strange, GM still makes tanks for Vettes up until 1977, then they discontinue them for 1978 thru 1982 and start again for 1984 and up! The inside of the tank looks fine. It looks black and feels smooth. I was expecting it to be full of rust, but thats not the case. The outside has little "pinholes" in the metal in certain spots. Erick, Is that Eastwood coating for the inside or outside of the tank? I heard about a coating for the inside, which sounds like the way to go for this problem. I can't seem to find an aftermarket tank so "junking it" isn't an option. I'm curious what an insurance company or bodyshop would offer if I got in an accident and the tank was damaged? Rick  |  IP: Logged Dennis Atkinson Expert Film Handler Posts: 129 From: Birch Run Michigan Registered: Feb 2000 posted 04-24-2004 08:48 PM                        There has to be a shop in your area like GasTankRenew. Try a Google search. Dennis  |  IP: Logged Randy Stankey Film God Posts: 6539 From: Erie, Pennsylvania Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-24-2004 10:25 PM                     quote: Aaron Mehocic: About twenty years ago a local junkyard owner attempted to repair a leaky tank with a mig welder. He did not check for any residual gas still inside and the rest (including himself) is history . . . Aren't you supposed to fill a gas tank with soapy water until it's completely full then empty it out before you do ANY major work on it? (Let alone welding it!) The idea being to wash out any gasoline and purge out any vapors.  |  IP: Logged Aaron Mehocic Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 804 From: New Castle, PA, USA Registered: Jun 99 posted 04-24-2004 10:52 PM                     I'm no expert about what you are or are not supposed to do regarding welding on gas tanks, but this particular person in question had worked all his life in the salvage business and should have known better. This man's son is not that much more intelligent as I once heard him tell a woman and her six year old son they could "go fuck themselves" since the boy wasn't that great of a T-ball player and he was his coach. At the time I thought it was hilarious, but aging teaches you what is important and what is just plain asinine.  |  IP: Logged Gerard S. Cohen Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 975 From: Forest Hills, NY, USA Registered: Sep 2001 posted 04-24-2004 11:28 PM                     I've had VW Beetles that had rust in their gas tanks, and found that there were services that would clean and reline them. Also, with the early models I was advised not to add dry gas (alcohol) to absorb water condensation, since it could disolve the tank's lining. Checking the Beetle customizers' catalogs, I found there were a number of replacement tanks sold, some of stainless steel of completely different shapes from the factory originals, which were preferred in such modifications as dune buggies or racing cars. Apparently it was not so important to match the original in shape or capacity.  |  IP: Logged Will Kutler Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1506 From: Tucson, AZ, USA Registered: Feb 2001 posted 04-24-2004 11:44 PM                     Randy Yes you can use soapy water for detecting leaks of all kinds...from tires, to air lines and gas lines. The important thing to remember is that the soap you use is NON-PETROLEUM BASED!...especially when working around flamable areas. NON-PETROLEUM soapy water solution is regularily used in avaition maintenance, and of course the soap solution has a Mil-Spec #, which makes it all that more expensive! BTW Gerard Be careful with your bug. Some have been known to have cought fire due to fuel leak problems...but I am not an expert on Bugs. In any case, a guy in my neighborhood had a beautifully restored Bug. He was having some type of leak problem and was taking it to have it serviced. He did not get far...the entire car burst into flames as he neared the end of our residential street. Luckily he was not injured, but the car was a total loss.  |  IP: Logged

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