Diesel fuel tank crack repair

[ces]

Hello was thinking of removing fuel and taking a soldering flat tip to melt a 1 in poly crack back together... but before I do has anyone done this??... with the fuel drained was thinking it would be safe enough. Thanks

 

[Gary Fowler]

I wouldn't worry about fire with a soldering gun, but you do have to clean it good. I fixed my cracked LS tractor tank with JB Weld. I cleaned the 4 areas with acetone, made a groove (the rougher the better) with a wire brush, cleaned again with acetone and then applied the JB Weld. That was over 2 years ago and it is still holding. The new tank that LS gave me under the warranty is still in the box awaiting JB Weld failure. It may still be there when I die. You do have to have it flat when putting on the JB Weld to keep it in place. I used the slow setting type that takes a couple of hours to set. It is 1000 PSI stronger than the quick set type.

 

[ces]

Hello was thinking of removing fuel and taking a soldering flat tip to melt a 1 in poly crack back together... but before I do has anyone done this??... with the fuel drained was thinking it would be safe enough. Thanks

Well I just found how unsafe it would be. So now Im thinking of glueing or Jb weld it.

 

[jimmysisson]

Say more! What did you melt?
Jim

 

[bruceatlam]

Ditto on the JB Weld. Worked for me too ---

 

[ces]

Say more! What did you melt?
Jim

Hi didnt melt anything yet just read in here its bad to heat up a tank thats had fuel in it even diesel ty

 

[banjodunn]

G'day ces you won't have a prob using a soldering iron to melt the crack we get our fuel tanks repaired by a guy who uses a big elec unit and he tells me he has even done splits in storage tanks even when they have fuel in them, he has been doing them for about 20 years now and still with us so I think it is fairly safe, NOW if you where to try with a naked flame then that is a different story......


Jon

 

[Raised on a Deere]

Did JB weld on a metal tank on a 240D Mercedes where I backed into end of a large I-beam laying at edge of parking lot. gouged a slit about 1/4" wide by 3" long. Sanded it and JB welded it. Held for another hundred thousand or so. Stayed bone dry.

I have done lots of things with heat around stuff with diesel on it. Its ignition temp is way above the melting point of plastic.

 

[ces]

Update ..I use a soldering iron with flat sides to heat up and fill crack in tank . Then I took some plastic from an oil container after cleaning it to fill and build up thickness ..Used tractor over 4 hrs now and holding fine. Thanks . btw there was utube videos showing how to do this.