Oil & Fuel Fuel Tank Crack

   / Fuel Tank Crack #11  
My point was .. just about anything can hurt you.. if you -try- to get hurt.

welding on a closed container holding or recently holding petro products and fumes is -trying- to get hurt, at least in my book.

soundguy
 
   / Fuel Tank Crack #12  
it is very dangerous to braze, solder, or weld on a closed container much less one that has had petroleum products in it. i know you have the cap off and line off, but for all practical purposes it is a closed container. i also know many are going to say " i have done or seen it done many times". it just wasnt your unlucky day. a man was killed about 4 yrs ago near here torch cutting a 55 gallon drum that had been a used motor oil storage drum, exploded and killed him. diesel fuel thats hot enough is nearly as explosive as gas. the safe way to do it would be to fill and keep it filled with inert gas while the repair is being made.

Fortunately for me I did blow a drum up back in 85 it took my right knee and abdomen were cut.
Most of the accidents like mine was because we got inattentive and forgot to remove the bungs.

luckily I'm still here to tell about it.

Yes brazing will work too and so will PC7 if you get it clean.

tom
 
   / Fuel Tank Crack #13  
clean it well and soder it with a big sotering iron dont no what they are called they have a bigger head, not one of the wire ones , also sottering irons have no flame much safer, i did it on a jeep tank and it held for me .
 
   / Fuel Tank Crack #14  
hey tom, you are a very lucky man, sorry to hear about your misfortune. one really important thing to note is that, it is not enough to remove the bungs, that does give somewhat of a release but in an actual explosion the air expands so rapidly in most cases the result is still the same. i will be the first to admit, it is not a common thing to have one blow up, but it only takes one time. i am really glad you lived to tell about and are doing well. best regards
 
Last edited:
   / Fuel Tank Crack #15  
Run an airline to it and weld it! Just did a diesel tank like that. Different on a gasoline tank though be careful. On my old Shovel (Harley) I cracked a tank before a run and was eager to ride. A friend of mine said to pipe the exhaust from his bike into the tank and weld it. No oxygen no explosion. Dam if it didn't work, Rode all weekend.
 
   / Fuel Tank Crack #16  
clean it well and soder it with a big sotering iron dont no what they are called they have a bigger head, not one of the wire ones , also sottering irons have no flame much safer, i did it on a jeep tank and it held for me .

we used to call them soldering coppers.. big copper heat with a wood handle you heated in a fire or with a torch...

soudnguy
 
   / Fuel Tank Crack #17  
Any one ever get a crack in their fuel tank?

What you will need to do once you repair or replace it is to put a rubber strip under the lips of the tank where it sits on the cradle . This will protect the tank from the torsional twisting of the mounting frame which has caused it to crack .
 
   / Fuel Tank Crack #18  
Solder will -certaintly- hold it... how many sumps have you soldered?

soundguy

How many tanks have you soldered and not had re crack?

E/S
 
   / Fuel Tank Crack #19  
As far as I know, -none- of the tanks I've soldered have re-cracked.

Just takes a lil care.. stop the crack, clean it up, flux the heck out of it and lay some lead on it.

soundguy
 
   / Fuel Tank Crack #20  
[QUOTEsaid to pipe the exhaust from his bike into the tank and weld it. No oxygen no explosion. Dam if it didn't work, Rode all weekend.][/QUOTE]

At the proper air/carbon monoxide mixture it is explosive! It would not be considered a proprietary procedure for welding on a closed vessel.:D
 
 
Top