Fuel Leak after Factory Repair

[radios1]

here's another one, made of metal, which possibly may be a better fit. 4.5 Gallon Red Fuel Tank w/Fuel Shutoff Valve | Featured Items | www.surpluscenter.com I think the tractor tank must be at least 10 gallons, though, no?.. btw, poly tanks can be fixed with an ultrasonic plastic welder.. you'd have to find a place that does that, though..

also, here's something you can try. WaterWeld Epoxy Putty


| J-B Weld

 

[MossRoad]

here's another one, made of metal, which possibly may be a better fit. 4.5 Gallon Red Fuel Tank w/Fuel Shutoff Valve | Featured Items | www.surpluscenter.com I think the tractor tank must be at least 10 gallons, though, no?.. btw, poly tanks can be fixed with an ultrasonic plastic welder.. you'd have to find a place that does that, though..

The tank is 5 gallons. From memory, it's about 20" wide X 8" deep on the bottom. And it's about 20" wide and 5" deep at the top. The back is perpendicular to the ground. The front is sloped back. It's so it fits under the hood.

Here's a picture of it. Not the best angle, but you get the point...

 

[MossRoad]

Here's another one...

 

[agjones]

I get pt missing that it happened... Maybe trying to sling some benefits of doubt their way. They're pretty solid guys. Not meeting you somewhere in the middle... Weak

Take down the dimensions and any markings on the tank as yet could indicate formulation density etc. Get in touch with us plastics... They've solved stuff like this in the past for me.

You probably don't want to stuff a metal tank under the cover due to heat transfer...

Did to a repower, my plastic tank is now v on the top of the cover... That's been fine.

Those red surpluscenter.com tanks are OK, from generators... I do not trust them with the dynamic motion the PT can generate... Just my. 02

 

[Clumber]

also, here's something you can try. WaterWeld Epoxy Putty


| J-B Weld

The Waterweld epoxy seems like a first alternative to try, since the crack is very small. I will report back. Thanks for the replies.

Question: I unscrewed the elbow fitting from the bottom of the tank. It seems to be undamaged. However, I noticed that there was not even a hint of sealant on the threads. Is this normal? Do I need some sort of thread lock on it when I replace it?

 

[radios1]

The Waterweld epoxy seems like a first alternative to try, since the crack is very small. I will report back. Thanks for the replies.

Question: I unscrewed the elbow fitting from the bottom of the tank. It seems to be undamaged. However, I noticed that there was not even a hint of sealant on the threads. Is this normal? Do I need some sort of thread lock on it when I replace it?

use pipe joint compound found in most stores in the plumbing section. Teflon tape might seem good, but it can be affected by chemicals. not good..

 

[Lnk]

use pipe joint compound found in most stores in the plumbing section. Teflon tape might seem good, but it can be affected by chemicals. not good..

Gasoila makes a pipe dope used in the fuel industry. Might be able to find online.

 

[ponytug]

I would not use an epoxy on a fuel tank. Epoxy will not adhere to polyethylene well, and only then if the surface has been activated. (Plasma treated, and not easy to do.)

Is the crack in the tank or the elbow?

Yes, you can use PTFE tape on the elbow threads, though in practice, polyethylene usually deforms enough to make a reasonable seal. You don’t want to use plumbers putty because it does dissolve in gasoline.

+1 on US plastics. They have a huge selection.

I have a plastic welder like this. I have used it on plastic tanks and surfaces. It works OK. I do not know that I would trust my plastic welding skills for a fuel tank ever. If you have someone locally who does tank repair, maybe I would trust it to them.

Can you drill out the whole nipple area (hole saw?) and put in a gasketed bulkhead fittting?

I worry that at some point your polyethylene is old and brittle, and no repair is going to last. A gas fuel tank is what would call mission critical, and I知 not sure that I would want to risk catastrophic failure.

I am sorry that PT didn稚 catch it at their end and do right by you. Then again, I知 not sure that QA has ever been huge with them, much as I love my PT.

All the best, Peter

 

[woodlandfarms]

As far as I know, outside of the tub, the only thing custom on the PT is the cylinders. I would think this fuel tank could be found. I tend to shy away from any plastic repair, it never works out in the end.

Wondering what EBAY or Jegs might have for you?

 

[MossRoad]

Yeah you think it could be found. I spent about an hour looking for one last night with no success.

So much so, that I contemplated getting some sheet metal, making 6 bends, welding 6 edges, put in a filler, and two fuel out lines, one in the bottom, and the 2nd one an inch from the bottom, so I'd have a fuel reserve valve to get me back to the barn when I run it out of gas.