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Gas tank repair


thedaddycat

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The gas tank on the Putt Putt has developed a leak, so I decided to repair the one from the parts 725, then swap them. The bad news is that the parts tank has a dime sized rust hole through it. It appears that the battery either vibrated up against this tank a lot, or leaked acid onto it and rusted it through. Though hard to see, the hole is on the right side of the tank. Here's what I did to fix it.... Step one, remove the rust. This gunsmithing product works well at removing bluing from guns, but left some of the "patina" on the tank.

Step two, a light sanding. The pitting is fairly deep all across the tank. The hole is a bit more visible here.

Step three, Alvin's Lab Metal fills in the pitting and covers the hole. This product is a metal putty that can be sanded, machined, drilled, tapped, and painted once it is hardened. I wil go back and sand it down later, maybe put on another thin layer if needed. According to the can, it can be used for a great many uses including fuel tank repair.... We'll see how it works. Though fairly pricey, it beats a leaking tank or expensive new tank!!

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Birds of a feather. I did the exact same repair in the same way, (I substituted a wire brush for the rust removal), on both of my B-10's, but used "VersaChem, Instant Gas Tank Repair." It comes in a small roll like a piece of playdough with one chem. rolled into the other. You break off a piece, the size you will need and knead it all together, then press it into the hole. It hardens within hours. Worked real nice. Coincidently, Daddycat and I must buy our jeans in the same place too.:D
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Any of you who want to throw away your "old" tractors because they show some age and use, toss 'em my way. I like to get every bit of use I can out of everything I have. Those jeans are old ones from my former job that we got rid of when we changed uniform styles. I have just about got them set to make cut-offs for the summer!!Sometimes it seems like the only way kids learn that nothing's free is to have to start paying for it themselves, and I learned that lesson a while ago..... LOL
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Learned that same lesson, and it'a a good one. My wife wants to throw out my old work shirts. No holes, but they are awfully close to mosquito netting now. She no longer patches my work pants, so I have had to master that myself. I say I'm thrifty. She calls me a tightwad. Pat
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Gang, Where can I get some Alvin's Lab metal? And, will it work on fatique cracks? The original tank from my B-1 is metal fatiqued on the bottom and leaks. I soldered it once to seal the leaks but that did not last long. Thanks,
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Thumbs up to Daddycat;)I love these illustrated pictures on how to do the job.:o)I may have to try this myself.:DI'm with Roy tell us where to get this stuff. Don't worry about those Jeans Daddycat...you are in style....the kids around here pay mega bucks for jeans with holes..look like they been beat to death on a rock ...and worn for 25 years plus.:D Robin
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I got it at the local Abco welding supply store. I will check on it, if you want some and can't find it I could get it and send it to you. There are other products that will do the same thing, I'm sure.
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I used loctite epoxy on the leaky tank for my B-10. Have used simalar products for years to patch cast iron sewer lines and figured what the heck, if it can hold sewage it can hold gas. Has worked well so far and is available in most any hardware or tractor supply store. This stuff is a bit runny when mixed so if you have a bigger hole is a little harder to use. When patching larger holes in C/I I would spread it on a piece of plastic then apply the plastic with the epoxy to the pipe. When it dries up you can just pull the plastic right off.
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Napa sells an Epoxy gas tank repair kit. you can repair a tank with it with gas leaking out of the tank. It comes with a bees wax stick to plug the leak and fiberglass cloth to reinforce any large holes. It is a 2 part kit in its own mixing pouch. Price runs around $8.00.
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Hi, I have repaired some tanks with fiberglas cloth and epoxy, be sure the epoxy is gas proof, I clean the outside of the tank and then wrap a sheet of glass cloth to the top of the tank and cut to shape. Then I lay the glas cloth on a sheet of Saran wrap and pour the epoxy on and work it through using a popsicle stick. Once the cloth is saturated, I pick up the Saran wrap and lay the cloth on and you can work it smooth with your hands through the Saran Wrap. Then pull the wrap off if you want. The tank will be solid and re-inforced all the way around. The top is rarely bad so I never run it over the top. Thats my story and I'm stickin to it. Al Eden
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Another thought, since patching the outside of the tank will stop the leak but will do nothing towards stopping the rust from eating a new one, What do you guys think about pouring fiberglass resin in the tank to line it, the stuff they use for body repair, seeing as the gas tank liner chemicals seem to be so hard to get your hands on? Haven't come up with a real good solution to remove the rust, was thinking maybe muratic acid, iron out, or maybe using tanic acid to neutralize the rust. Thoughts on this?
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The napa kits are made for gas and are user friendly. Lay on the cloth over large hole pour on epoxy and spread with brush that comes with the kit. I used these for years in my Garage repairing car gas tanks.
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a good idea... would work on however the tank first with a sand jet and would use only then the Lab Metal . it is to be removed very importantly the entire rust completely, and do not only place where the rust is very strong the sand jet remove also strong rust, and the rust-converting primer cannot keep rust particles firm any longer to make not better.
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I used a product from the Eastwood company that lines the inside of the tank. I bought the small kit that is used on motorcycle tanks. It should be enough for two or three tractor tanks. I am not sure if it will plug rust outs in the tank, but it worked great for my rusty tank. JH
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I have had very good luck with a product called (sp) Marine-Tex. They told me to use the "gray" one and it works great. I got it at a local boat place. and was like $10 for way more than I'll ever use. [img]http://www.simpletractors.com/club2/uploaded/JoeJ/joej_sig2.gif[/img]
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I was leaning towards a local radiator shop to clean the rust from the inside and letting them line it with fiberglass.Their are alot of great ideas on this topic and can't decide which to go with.:) Robin^
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I had my friend (actually should call him my brother, My Mother already calls him, "her other son" It's like he lives here, tools,clothes, are here and his tractor down the street at his grandparents) while he was at local Harley Shop to see if they had the liner stuff for gas tanks. He forgot, He said next time he was there he would check it out. I know JC Whitney carrys it, but I don't need the one for a car gas tank, I would have to much waste.
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We have gas tank shops here that specialize in repairing gas tanks for cars. I wonder if one of them could line this small of a tank? Steve
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I took a tank that had alot of holes in the bottom to the local radiator and gas tank shop and they boiled out the rust fixed holes and lined the inside for a whole $25 . what a bargain
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  • 4 weeks later...
I wonder if there is something we can do with Electrolysis. Can you use one polarity to remove the rust and stuff, and then the reverse to plate the inside with some other metal? I remember my dad getting a gas tank patched on a 51 Buick when the mechanic slodered a penny to it. Luckily it was before 1982.
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Back in high school my small engine class teacher told me to repair gas tanks with bubble gum, I hope he wasn't being serious. He also told us stories about him driving along in his jeep, looked out the rearview mirror and saw his rear axel rolling into a guys yard.
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a temp. fix if your in the field and it starts leaking rub it with a bar of soap. the gas reaction on the soap causes it to crytalize or something. i havnt tried it but all the off roaders use to carry it with them. john
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