I screwed up

[Silver Eagle]

Friday while I was outside with nothing to do I decided to play with my pontoon boat. Last week I had cut some Diamond plating to wrap around the rear corner's of the boat. Well here's where
I Screwed up. I had four of the holes drilled into the sheet metal and I had everything level when I drilled to deep and hit the gas tank.I drilled a 3/16th inch hole into the tank. Luckly I only had a few gallons of gas in the tank and I was in a shady spot I had the garden hose handy so I just sprayed water on every thing until It stopped running.Then I drilled a hole big enough to put a sheat metal screw into the hole with some sealer on the threads.It was one of those self taping with a rubber washer and a cover to hold the washer in place. I tightened it down real good and yesterday I got some plastic steal and covered the screw all over with it. I tried to remove the tank on Saturday but it's in there so tight it wouldn't move. Any Idea's how to make sure the tank won't leak. I can cut the sheat metal around the hole because I still have the Diamond plating to cover it up any way.

 

[sdowney717]

Re: I screwed up

interesting dilema to think of for a permanent easy fix.
I have found that PL premium polyurethane construction adhesive to be gasoline proof.
It makes a hard rubbery material when dry, buy at lowes or HD. You might take some fiberglass cloth in several layers a 3 inches square, saturate it and use that over the screw and sealer you used, I would extend beyond your epoxy.
The rubber washer that you put in there might not be gas proof.

JB weld is NOT GAS PROOF regardless of what they say. Ethanol gas is very good at dissolving stuff.

 

[jdlough]

Re: I screwed up

I've had good luck with Seal-All. You can find it at most auto supply stores.

http://eclecticproducts.com/sealall.htm

I would have just put some on the screw threads. I don't know if that rubber washer is gasoline resistant.

 

[KermieB]

Re: I screwed up

I had a similar (sorta) experience. I have a 24 gallon rectangle tank and while doing a repair, broke off part of the fuel pickup rod. It is a aluminum tank and was almost empty, so I took a two inch hole saw at low speed with a little cutting oil and drilled a nice access hole. After I retrieved the piece from the bottom of the tank, I took a piece of sqare aluminum plate and placed over the hole with four self tapping screws and 3M marine sealant as a gasket. In two years, it hasn't leaked a drop.

 

[mcelella]

Re: I screwed up

Check out Marine-tex. I believe it will work also.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: I screwed up

They sell epoxy for tank repairs and I had to do a similar repair on the bottom of an automotive tank and I never had a problem.....the same type screw and a generous coating of the marine epoxy (which said fuel tanks on the label)

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: I screwed up

I'm going out today to get some Seal all And a hole saw and tomorrow I'll take some gasoline with me to see if it leaks after I Use the Seal All .I want to do it before it gets to hot again. Thanks for the info guy's

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: I screwed up

Just curious, why the hole saw? I'd just remove the screw you put in, and replace it with another and the sealant. No sense cutting a bigger hole if you don't need to. Unless I'm missing something.

 

[1969johnson55]

Re: I screwed up

most auto parts stores have stuff just for gas tanks its like $5 just clean spot mix putty aply let dry and your done

 

[Silver Eagle]

Re: I screwed up

I fould a plastic plug ,but as luck would have it it's to big. So later on I'm going to my local hardware store or West Marine to see it I can get a 3/16 th plug. If they have it I'll remove the old screw and replace it with the plug with sealer on it. I need the hole saw to make the hole big enough for me to see what I'm doing.and make it easier to work with.