Repair of crack in Fuel Tank

Well, perhaps not *exactly* true...

Maybe "financially not worth it" as opposed to "impossible", but:

If all the fuel were drained, the tank cleaned, and the fumes evacuated...

One of those plastic welding units might do it.

I've used these units to fix water tanks, but never a fuel tank. Ugly, but when done right, the "patch" is stronger than the original tank.

They sell polyethylene and polypropylene welding rods that go along with it. Also, McMaster sells sheets of both types of material, which could be used as a "patch". There may be a handyman or repair service that has one of these units in his area.

If said handyman or service refuses to work on a fuel tank or warrant the work, then I'd say for all practical purposes, you're right!

And since we're talking about dropping the whole thing anyway, might as well get a brand new tank...and a skid plate to prevent it from happening again.

In theory yes.

When I dropped my tank on a trail and tore a hole in the corner I called around to plastics places and tank makers and found one who said they could 'try' and fix it, but they wouldn't offer a warranty for the work.

I found a used tank instead.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

ELAhrens wrote:

I drove around for six years in an A100 Dodge van with a patch on the bottom of the tank, but that was a metal tank patched with fiberglass body filler. Fiberglass body filler is great stuff, by the way. I miss that van sometimes. I think that it was the only vehicle I have ever gotten laid in. There was that one other time I almost got laid in a Chevy station wagon in the sixties, but I guess that doesn't count, because I was so drunk I fell out of the car before I was able to consumate the encounter, but I digress...

Anyway, I *think* that these tanks are polyethylene (polythene to our British friends), and I *think* that in principle polyethylene can be welded with heat. However, age and exposure to fuel are likely to make the material more brittle and therefore make welding problematical. If it were mine I would rough up the surface around the crack using a wire brush and try to make a patch using silicon sealer, the good stuff.

Earle

Silicone will not work.

Silicone goes jelly in the presence of raw gas. Real fast too!

I tried to put a patch on my tank when I tossed it in the back torn corner up with the filler tubes plugged with chunks of trees. I ran my front diff vent line as a gas line extension up around and into the hole and tried RTV to stop the splashes and smell. It went jelly. So did duct tape so I just stuffed a plastic bag in the hole to slow down splashing.

Mike

Earle Hort>

I think a lot depends on curing time and quality of the product. If you let the stuff cure until it is as hard as it is going to get, and you use the expensive stuff you might be all right.

Earle

I used permatex ultra black and let it cure.

Mike

Earle Hort>

Also depends on the specific product. I patched a torn Corvair gas tank with some GE silicone and it lasted for several years as long as I owned the car. This was the sort of clear, chemical and solvent resistant GE adhesive silicone, not a sealer or caulk variety. Can't remember what the stuff was originally intended for, but it also worked nicely for electronics all-weather repairs.

Approximately 10/21/03 08:52, Earle Horton uttered for posterity:

I don't know what to say except that quality does not always equal price. I have had "the cheap stuff" prove amazingly resistant.

Earle

chewing gum works. I did a trail repair with 10 sticks on a Landy, and it worked so well that I [blush] never got round to doing it properly. That was

15 years ago ...

Dave Milne, Scotland '99 TJ 4.0 Sahara

: > I drove around for six years in an A100 Dodge van with a patch on the bottom : > of the tank, but that was a metal tank patched with fiberglass body filler. : > Fiberglass body filler is great stuff, by the way. I miss that van : > sometimes. I think that it was the only vehicle I have ever gotten laid in. : > There was that one other time I almost got laid in a Chevy station wagon in : > the sixties, but I guess that doesn't count, because I was so drunk I fell : > out of the car before I was able to consumate the encounter, but I : > digress... : >

: > Anyway, I *think* that these tanks are polyethylene (polythene to our : > British friends), and I *think* that in principle polyethylene can be welded : > with heat. However, age and exposure to fuel are likely to make the : > material more brittle and therefore make welding problematical. If it were : > mine I would rough up the surface around the crack using a wire brush and : > try to make a patch using silicon sealer, the good stuff. : >

: > Earle : >

: > > When I dropped my tank on a trail and tore a hole in the corner I called : > > around to plastics places and tank makers and found one who said they : > > could 'try' and fix it, but they wouldn't offer a warranty for the work. : > >

: > > I found a used tank instead. : > >

: > > Mike : > > 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 : > > 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's : > >

: > > ELAhrens wrote: : > > >

: > > > Hello, : > > >

: > > > A friend has a CJ?? with a plastic or fibreglass type fuel tank in it : > that : > > > has a crack. : > > > Is there any way to repair it? : > > >

: > > > TIA : > > >

: > > > Erik