[Shop-talk] fuel tank leak

[David Scheidt]

On Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 6:35 PM, Dan and Jenny Fest (Coles Nurseries
Inc) <coles at colesnurseries.com> wrote:
> I am rinsing my antique fuel tank with MEK to clean it out and prepare it for
> sealing.  Two questions: First, the tank has a leak in one of the seams about
> 2/3 of the way up.  It's not too bad but still needs to be fixed.  I can't get
> to the spot on the inside.  Is there a putty or caulk that I can use on the
> outside.

Maybe.  Maybe not.  You can use epoxies to seal gas tanks, but
depending on how it's leaking, and why, you may or may not be able to
get it to stop.  "Antique tank" probably means brazed steel tank.
Brazed seams can leak on the outside far from where they're leaking on
the inside, with fuel being wicked along by capillary action.  There
are companies that specialize in restoring tanks like that.  The usual
method is bake the tank (to remove all traces of gasoline), cut a
hole, sandblast the in and out sides of the tank, coat the tank with
an epoxy, bake it again, weld the hole up, coat the outside.  With a
coat of paint, it lloks stock.

-- 
David Scheidt
dmscheidt at gmail.com