Cut in my fuel tank .. how to fix.

[Cameron_Def]

Brains Trust.

I cut the hole for the fuel pump around 12 months ago and finally found it knick in it that is causing a small leak.

Whats the best way to seal it .. I tried melting it back but there is not enough plastic to melt into it .. and it still leaks.

Does anyone know what kind of plastic it is, and whats the best glue / 2 part to seal it ?

The cut is only 1-2 mm and the width of a angle grinder blade ;)

No doubt it will need scruffing .. but what will stick and be resistant to diesel fuel

Thanks!

[miky]

I think the best way would be to get it welded. And yes, I know it is plastic but people do "weld" plastic.


.

[Cameron_Def]

Yeah was hoping there was a home made job ;) not taking it to a plastic welder :(

as they may make me remove the tank or fuel .. grr

[Blknight.aus]

you need to go and get a black plastic oil container. the Black jerry cans sold specifically for diesel are the same material use a soldering iron and cut the donor material into bits about 1/16th wide and as long as you can,

the action is more of a brazing motion than a normal soldering motion.

I plugged a hole the size of 2 golf balls in Redbacks D2 up at the top of the cape so its easy enough to do.


from the second post (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/1042281-post2.html) of bazz's trip report. (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/queensland-reports/85628-our-cape-adventure.html)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/bazzar/CapeYork381.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v293/bazzar/CapeYork384.jpg

the trick is...

1st use the solding iron to melt the original plastic back together like a skin it will be very thin at this point but thats all you need.

2nd melt the replacement plastic over the top of the skin being carefull not to break the skin (in the final pick you can see blue bits in the black where I had to use a blue oil container as opposed to the black stuff)

3rd (semi optional but I reccomend it) paint the repair with 2 part epoxy resin, this stuff is normally diesel safe so will sort any minor leaks you may have as well as lending some structural integrity to the repair while smoothing out the finished product.

best of luck with it.

I suggest getting hold of a jerry can and practicing on that first. especially if your going to get one to use as the donor matieral, the thickness is about on par with the LR plastic tank. Slice off a large section from one side then make some nicks in the other the same shape and size as the ones you have ,orientat it the same way and have at it on the jerry can.

[Cameron_Def]

Great Idea

I will just cut out a sliver of the black tub push it into the hole then melt it over .. done and dusted .. great idea.

[Lucus]

LOL @ the safety squint and safety thongs with the flame tool...


TOP JOB on the repair tho, very impressed :) Nice write up too

[Blknight.aus]

Great Idea

I will just cut out a sliver of the black tub push it into the hole then melt it over .. done and dusted .. great idea.


Nooooo..

rejoin the existing material first so then back it up from the outside with supporting matieral.. Trust me on this.


If you do it that way you wind up with no penetration of the plastic an it will fail... because you wont get full penetration and will have only a tiny thickness holding it together. Get the plastic to the temp where it can be worked together and it goes liquid and melts away (sort of like trying to mig a rusty exhaust) leaving you with a bigger hole to fill.

Heat the plastic up till it starts to deform then work it down into the gap. once you have the inside skin built up then add more material over the top of it.

IT'll make more sense when you have a go at it.

[Blknight.aus]

Im an idiot... you cut a hole in it with a grinder cutting the access panel...

ergo its from a defender.

I just happen to have a deefer td5 tank sitting in the back yard if you want it..

yours for the asking (pm for the details if you want it)

[Reads90]

Go to supercheap or the like and get the petrol tank repair putty

You just mix the two parts together and it becomes a putty which you then cover the hole with

Great stuff I have a tube of this in the car at all times as I have used it for all sorts of things over the years ) from tank repair to rad repair to repairing a hole in the diff casing made by a rock

For the cost of it, it is worth a try

Ali

[Cameron_Def]

Go to supercheap or the like and get the petrol tank repair putty

You just mix the two parts together and it becomes a putty which you then cover the hole with

Great stuff I have a tube of this in the car at all times as I have used it for all sorts of things over the years ) from tank repair to rad repair to repairing a hole in the diff casing made by a rock

For the cost of it, it is worth a try

Ali

Isnt this just designed for metal tanks, not plastic ?

[Cameron_Def]

Im an idiot... you cut a hole in it with a grinder cutting the access panel...

ergo its from a defender.

I just happen to have a deefer td5 tank sitting in the back yard if you want it..

yours for the asking (pm for the details if you want it)

Getting it from QLD to NSW would be a pain ...

Thanks for the offer Blknight

[Reads90]

Isnt this just designed for metal tanks, not plastic ?

Yeah but sticks to anything
The idea of the stuff is it is not effected by oil or petrol like other adhesives


Sent from my iPhone

[Blknight.aus]

Getting it from QLD to NSW would be a pain ...

Thanks for the offer Blknight

Thats what the AULRO courier service is all about, Just so happens I know someone going south.

[Cameron_Def]

Guys just to give you an update

Found some poly for some tank grafting, and took my time with my gas soldering iron, and made a nice clean patch on one side (had a good angle) and the other side, is all filled in but it looks like an indian doctor stitched a shark wound up ... but alas it will not leak any more

Thanks really the cuts were 1-2mm long, and 1mm wide .. so just had to make sure it would get all covered, using the grafting method (melt and spread and mix with origional material) seemed to work wonders ..

Doing it on a hole as big as 2 golf balls is a huge effort well done.

One thing, I am glad I do not have a petrol engine, doing work like this over 75ltrs of pulp would have made me a little more weary ;)

Thanks for all your help as usual, and the offers of tanks etc !


PS anyone else stupid enough to do this (and I doubt there will be), there is NOTHING from bunnings or the like that will bond with poly .. melt and join seems the best method ....

[Blknight.aus]

Congrats...