Fuel tank leaks...

[Hengy]

Hi all...

Lewis (my '55) from Oregon finally made his way over to my house today from my in-law's house so that I can start working on it. The gas tank was empty when I went to pick him up, so I added gas, and started him up to head for home. When my brother and I got to taking the hood off, Brian noted that the underside of the hood was damp with fuel... Sure enough, there is leaking fuel coming out from the underside of the gas tank near the seams. Wondering if anyone had any ideas for fixing this kind of leak? Will tank resealing fix this kind of problem?

And yes... the hood is off... Lewis' fixing has begun!

[Yogie]

Yes Mike, Grayson's tractor had several holes in it and the Red Coat worked great.
BTW, I picked it up at my local welding supply for about $24
After thinning as they recommend it'll probably do 2 tanks.
Kind of messy but did a really good job.

[Clem]

Id imagine you could mig weld the seam or pin hole

[Rudi]

Mike:

Yeah, it can be fixed. I would recommend that you take it to your local Gas Tank/Radiator Repair shop and have them do it properly. They will clean it, weld it and then Red Kote it and that will be the last issue you will have with the tank. Be around a hundred to do and worth every dime

[clodhopper]

Id imagine you could mig weld the seam or pin hole

KABOOM! If done incorrectly....

[twotone]

Mike, I had mine fixed at a radiator shop. They soldered a patch and sealed the inside. No leaks yet.


Tom

[sammydonnacub]

YES,
Red Kote will seal it right. Mine was $26 @ Orielly's auto parts. If there is any rust, slosh some Muratic acid around in it a couple of minutes AFTER banging it with a RUBBER hammer all around and then a rinse of Baking Soda, rinse thoroughly then add 1PT of acetone and allow to drain, repeat the acetone and drain a minute or 2. the acetone is simply to get all the moisture OUT Then the Red Kote. As per instructions on the Can, DO NOT add ANY thinner. It is made to do up to a 12 gallon tank as is and will do a Much better Job. The thinning is for when or if you catch the surplus and want to use it another time later. I didn't want to reuse so used it straight from the can. There is NO need for thinner and it will make a much better coating without it. As per Directions, slosh it with long push and pulls instead of just shakes so it bets behind the baffle good.
Also, Mine was a really rough one so I replaced it then did the Red kote on the replacement. Worked great. I took the original one to a Rad shop and was told there was a real mess in there. It would run about $400 or better to do it. After changing Tanks I did the pounding with a RUBBER hammer, Acid and Baking Soda rinse, acetone and drain 2 times then the Red Kote. It looks Great, Has NO leaks and it is Full of Gas.
Hope that helps. The Forum walked me right through this and it wasn't bad. Thanks again Guys and of Course- Boss Hog.
Sammy

[tst]

POR 15 makes a great tank sealer, been using it for years, it holds up to the nasty additives in the gas today, many of the sealers on the market can peel loose after time, I etch the tank with muriatic acid first then seal
Tim

http://www.por15.com/Fuel-System-Restor ... oducts/12/

[Hengy]

Follow-up question to you guys... What is your preferred method for making sure that all of the gasoline is removed from the tank as well all of the fumes? I want to do a better inspection, but especially want to make sure that the tank is COMPLETELY empty before doing this!

Thanks for your help!!

[Cubota]

Mike,

There is a good radiator shop on 68 between Zelie. and Evans City called Britners Radiators.

Good Luck,
Fred

[Eugene]

Follow-up question to you guys... What is your preferred method for making sure that all of the gasoline is removed from the tank as well all of the fumes?

Drain tank of gasoline. Outside work area. Tank on stand, over fill with water. Wait a few moments, add more water. This will flush any remaining gasoline out the top of the tank. Drain and repeat several times.

Let tank dry in sun for a day or two. Sniff test. Smells like gasoline Start over with flushing.

Tank must be fully dry before adding the sealer to interior. In warm weather just set tank in sun for a couple of days. I have used a shop vacuum on exhaust with hose stuck in tank for several hours to fully dry out the tank in cold weather.

[tst]

after you flush with water you can also stick a heat gun inside the fill and it will dry out the tank quick and warm it up for the coating
Tim

[Rudi]

to what Eugene said

But I still recommend taking it to a good shop -- like Fred said:

Mike,

There is a good radiator shop on 68 between Zelie. and Evans City called Britners Radiators.

Good Luck,
Fred

Cubota

[Clem]

Id imagine you could mig weld the seam or pin hole

KABOOM! If done incorrectly....

Safety first always of course.