Anyone welded up a fuel tank?

[steve_earwig]

Hi there, I just wondered if any of you guys had experience with this. My mate Goran's Opel Kadette's tank is leaking like a sieve and I said I'd look into it, seeing as I'm the one with the mig welder... BTW it's a diesel. Looks like I need to fill it with water and weld at the highest point, so as to minimize possible combustion volume. The problem is what if all the water's busy running out of one of the other holes? Block it up with plasticine? I've seen a few ideas on the 'net (plumb exhaust gasses into it Fill it with powder from a fire extinguisher ) but I thought it'd be worth asking on here. Damn it, I still didn't write a new will...

[Pob]

Is the tank off the car? I'd just rinse the tank out and weld it up, the chance of it going up are very slim if you rinse it out well. After you've welded it up and it's not leaking, I'd put some tank sealer in there. It'll help reduce the chances of it rusting again

Dan

[steve_earwig]

That simple? I was reading that the diesel leeches into the metal of the tank and it could still go bang even after loads of rinsing. Maybe I shouldn't have Googled it because I've only managed to scare myself (some more). It'll be off the car as it' was running down from on top somewhere when I spotted it, he reckons there's holes all over now tho. The tank sealer's a good idea, I suppose painting the outside would be another.

[DaiRees]

I've heared the one about filling it with water or sand but TBH when the tank went on my Suzuki I decided to get a new one, just not worth the risk.

Having said that I'd be much less nervous about welding up a diesel tank rather than a petrol tank....

[puggy]

Rinse tank thoroughly with petrol . pour out said petrol (block leaking hole straight away to stop fumes escaping )
weld away and get back to me .



would have thought a well ventilated tank is less likely to explode .

[steve_earwig]

Teamy: A new tank is 300 quid! Car's only worth 500 but there's damn all else wrong with it.

Puggy: Did I say something to offend you? Nothing like mixing air with fuel vapour to stop it igniting when it's exposed to a heat source...

[Doggy]

I fixed a few petrol tanks years ago - bought some magical stuff called Petra Patch or summat like that, which consisted of a fibreglass bandage and some gunge to mix, spread on it & wait till it sets. Followed instructions dilligently - complete failure.
Tried a few more times - same result.
In the end dolloped some P38 on it, forcing some through the perforated tank wall & hey presto - Perfick!
Worked just as well the next couple of times too

Can't see any reason it wouldn't work on a diesel tank.

[swiss]

... bought some magical stuff called Petra Patch or summat like that, which consisted of a fibreglass bandage and some gunge to mix, spread on it & wait till it sets. Followed instructions dilligently - complete failure.

Sounds like Thistlebond, a product which holds the MOD fleet together. Seriously, the ships are basically a series of holes patched together with this stuff

Steve, could you perhaps perform some kind of controlled ignition? I mean, if there was a combustible mix in the tank - and after 24 hours airing it should be OK - could you rig enough of a heat source to ignite it while you stand at a safe distance?

I suspect chucking it on a bonfire may not be a good idea if you need it to work afterwards, but maybe a bit of burning newspaper or something? Or is that likely to distort it too much?

Don't suppose you could get hold of an atmospheric monitor?

[Welly]

My very first thought was a fibreglass/filler combo although diligent degreasing would be required cos diesel fuel is horrible.

What about a patch of aluminum sheet 'gobbed' on with silicone-a-plenty?

In my last job we had to remove old metal/cast fuel oil tanks (heating fuel) and these were always cut away in sections with oxy-acetyene torches - the tanks were just drained and then 'washed' first, there were no explosions

[steve_earwig]

What about a patch of aluminum sheet 'gobbed' on with silicone-a-plenty?

Next you'll be suggesting gaffer tape

'washed'

Details please

[highlander]

Opel Kadette

OLIVER!!!








Sorry, someone had to

[Welly]

Have you considered Gaffa Tape?

Tbh we used to get a subbie specialist in a leave them with it (or was that stand well clear?) as far as I remember a detergent was used.

I think in general you are more likely to get the odd whiff/puff but diesel's pretty dosile really.

I tell you what - why not frigg up a vacuum cleaner hose to the tank to allow air-exchange to take place whilst you work rather than anything build up in there?

[steve_earwig]

OLIVER!!!

Sorry, someone had to

Now someone has to explain what that's about

I tell you what - why not frigg up a vacuum cleaner hose to the tank to allow air-exchange to take place whilst you work rather than anything build up in there?

I remember my dad once using a vacuum cleaner to clear up loose rust around a fuel gauge sender, the vacuum cleaner exploded, fortunately the tank didn't (or I wouldn't be here now )

[Welly]

the vacuum cleaner exploded

*wipes Tea spats off monitor*

[highlander]

OLIVER!!!

Sorry, someone had to

Now someone has to explain what that's about

Top Gear did a special where they had to fly to Botswana, buy a car there for peanuts, and then drive it from one side of Botswana to the other, across blistering deserts, grassy savannas, and marshy grounds.

Clarkson bought a Merc, May bought a Lancia, and Hammond bought a 47-year-old Opel Kadette, which he instantly fell in love with, and named it "Oliver".

The Merc and the Lancia were barely making the journey, and ended up being stripped down to make them lighter so they could cross some salt plains without sinking, but Oliver survived the whole journey without modification.

Until they had to ford a river - the Merc and the Lancia made it, but Oliver was so light and small, and Hammond was such an inexperienced off-roader that when Oliver went into the river, it basically drifted away, started taking on water, and partially sunk (in the picture above). Hammond bailed out and ended up screaming in anguish - "OLIVER!!!"

The car was pulled out of the river and survived its watery experience! They even shipped it back to the UK and is still owned by Richard Hammond to this day.