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How do you repare a Gas Tank Leak?

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:48 pm
by Cub 1948
Hi all, I found out tonight I have a gas tank leak on my Farmall C. How do I repare it?

Len.

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:32 pm
by Pony Master
I always take mine off and take them to a radiator shop and let them braze it. It makes me more than a little nervous to think about doing it myself.

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:53 am
by spaceghost
I have also had gas tanks brazed at radiator shops. If the leak is on the very bottom of the tank you will be able to easily hide the fix. One tank I had brazed had a 1/8" or so of braze build up. The repair was on the bottom so I did not have to try and hide the buildup I just put the tank back on. Problem solved.

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:04 am
by beaconlight
If you do it your self keep an air hose running in it all the time. I have soldered many tanks over the years. Gases are explosive when mixed with air. There is a lower limit of explosive such that if you keep the percentage of gas in the mixture below that it is not explosive. For most people never done it before it is best to a shop.

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:10 am
by Eugene
Shop students used to braze gas tanks. One of the things we found out was that if the tank was rusted through from the inside - We would braze the leak. A short time later the tank would leak at another spot.

The simple, fastest, cheapest, answer may be to purchase a solid gas tank.

Edit. Before welding on the gas tank - we would wash out the tank with water, then let the tank set outside in the sun for several days. Then the sniff test. If the tank smelled like fuel - more washing and sitting outside.

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:32 am
by Jim Becker
Eugene wrote:Shop students used to braze gas tanks. One of the things we found out was that if the tank was rusted through from the inside - We would braze the leak. A short time later the tank would leak at another spot.

The simple, fastest, cheapest, answer may be to purchase a solid gas tank.

Another alternative on the rusty tank is to braze the known leak then coat the inside with a tank sealer. A radiator shop can do both if you don't want to do it yourself.

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:47 pm
by George Willer
Repairing a leak is the only reason I would even consider coating a tank. :evil: My understanding is that the coating, by itself, will stop leaks and prevent new ones, at least for a while. I'm not sure what to do when the coating fails except throw the tank away. :(

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:22 pm
by junkman1946
J.B. Weld slow formula . Reccommended for sealing gas tank holes, NO FIRE, NO SPARKS, NO HEAT, NO DANGER. Frank

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:09 pm
by jlcross81
Check out kbs-coatings.com I had a larger hole in the tank on my A. I followed the instructions and it works great, plus the tank looks new on the inside. One recomendation if its a larger hole they have some material that goes on in between the coats to help seal.

Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:54 pm
by Cub 1948
Hi guy's, I found where it is leaking, it underneath where the tank bolts to the touch contral, I have the tank off, in fact the tractor look naked. lol.

Len.

Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2008 11:04 pm
by Cub 1948
Hi all, Here's two pictures of the tank. Can this be fixed?
Len.


Image

Image

Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:31 pm
by Tim Martin
I would buy the Eastwood kit and seal the inside of the tank. They sell an entire kit and it is pretty easy to use. I have found that the kit for a motorcycle is usually enough to seal the inside of a tractor tank. I did a tank for a A/C Ace about 15 years ago with their kit and it is still holding just fine.

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?itemID=383&itemType=PRODUCT

Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2008 9:27 pm
by beetle
32 years ago I was taught at Vocational School that if you wanted to weld, braze, whatever on a used tank, run combustion engine exhaust gas through it while putting on the heat?

To this day I remember that discussion. HOWEVER......, I have never had the gonads to do it :shock: