Oil & Fuel B2630 Fuel tank collapsed/imploded

davatk · Jun 24, 2014

Greetings all.

Been a while since I posted - so I guess thats a good thing, at least from a mechanical standpoint...anyhow...

I had a very strang problem today. The tractor stopped running, and acted like it was out of fuel. However the guage showed about a quarter tank. I noticed the sight glass was only half full, so I figured guage was just screwed up. I added gas and it started right up. Went to add the rest of the 5 gallons and it began running out the top ! Upon inspection I found the tank was collapsed/imploded. I'm guessing it was pulling a vaccum while hot ?

Anyhow now I have a collapsed tank that I'd need to re-expand somehow. Any ideas ?

Also, looking for ideas on how to prevent if from happening again !

Thanks all !

tommygun · Jun 24, 2014

try closing fuel shut off and add low pressure air through the fill spout,you may have to make a disc to hold over the fill spout with a small hole to pressureize the tank with your air gun.be carefull not to use too high air pressure for fear of rupturing tank if you have a heat gun that may help to warm tank some.check to make sure tank is venting.

MHarryE · Jun 24, 2014

Make sure the venting system is working whatever type of vent your system has. Last year I noticed my new tractor was doing an exceptionally long time while the gauge hardly moved from the full. After about 5 hours of hard work I got curious, removed the cap and was met with a whoosh. The gauge dropped from near full to about 1/2. Looking at the tank I noticed it was still quite bulged in.mine has a separate venting system with hose leading high into a cab post where I assume they felt it would get clean air. I think what happened is somebody at the factory did a bit of as stogie and plugged the line because it was packed with debris with no way gorge the debris to get in the hose the way it ended in the cab post. I replaced the line because I couldn't be sure I could clean all the debris from the original. The hot return fuel plus filling the tank every morning took care of the bulge. In a week or so my tank was back to normal without trying anything special.

Deano · Jun 25, 2014

As said earlier, SLIGHT pressure added SLOWLY. Then, sounds like vented cap needs replaced or cleaned.

davatk · Jun 28, 2014

Thanks for the response.

Does the B2630 have a fuel shutoff valve ?

davatk · Jun 28, 2014

Thanks for the feedback. Still wondering how to get this thing back to normal. I've let it sit in the sun for a while didn't seem to help.

MHarryE · Jun 29, 2014

You really need pressure with heat. In my case the pressure created by a full tank combined with relatively hot fuel popped my tank back to original size. Yours, being a smaller tank. Is not going to be as easy. At our manufacturing facility we had some deformed tanks from our supplier that we needed to correct to make machine shipment promises, and a crew devised a means to use air to pressurize the tank to a few psi, then heated with a heat shrink heater to pop out the deformed tank. They wouldn't go with just heat or just pressure. When you put your tank in the sun was it sealed? My lawn tractor gas can will sure bulge like a balloon if I leave it in the sun, sealed with a partial fill of gasoline where the vapor pressurized the tank.

CHDinCT · Jun 29, 2014

Since you need a new tank cap to fix the vent issue, take your old cap and drill a hole in it so you can fit a tire valve stem into it, which you can pick up for a buck or two. Maybe use saran wrap or the like around the threads to seal it good, then screw it back on and use a compressor set a low PSI to fill the tank with pressurized air - go slowly and up the pressure a little at a time. When it's back in shape, replace the cap with a new one. Good luck.

oldballs · Jun 29, 2014

Are we talking about gasoline in a B2630 or a different tractor?

C4Ranch · Jun 29, 2014

When I bought my old used B7500 it previously overheated and the PO had to replace the head.

Well, when I got it, the headlight wires were all melted and the fuel gage didn't work. I replaced all the wiring and found out the tank had collapsed leaving the float stuck down so it always looked empty and only holding 2 gal.

Did yours overheat? Personally, I think it's a lost cause trying to fix it. That is pretty thick plastic. I replaced mine at around $450 IIRC. My new one came ready to go, new sending unit, cap, overflow tube, etc.

I had to remove the cowl to slide it in.