is it possible to repair this gas tank?

[Smeag]

while ripping out the floor in my boat i decided to use the handy dandy chainsaw. i guess this is what happens when you don't really know what your doing...

has anyone ever repaired one of these gas tanks? it appears to be made out of some heavy duty plastic material. i looked around for a replacement tank... around 370$ for something similar. any suggestions would be great. i would love to put this bad boy back in. not sure on the size but it appears to be a 30 gallon tank or larger.

 

[Smeag]

Re: is it possible to repair this gank tank?

Re: is it possible to repair this gank tank?

a little better picture of the entire tank

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: is it possible to repair this gank tank?

Re: is it possible to repair this gank tank?

There are epoxy formulas that work on plastic. There is a two part epoxy that is called plastic welder or maybe you can ask body shops if they weld plastic. Go to a shop that works on Saturns (since the panels are plastic)...... beyond that it might be replacemnt time.

If it was me I would try to repair it or have it done.

 

[Smeag]

Re: is it possible to repair this gank tank?

Re: is it possible to repair this gank tank?

thanx bob. yeah i'm pretty sure i'm going to get it repaired some way or another. the deck had a new section which i had thought was a crappy repair of a rotten deck. i now know the real reason for that new section. it was a gas tank upgrade i think. and it's in excellent condition other than that nasty chainsaw gash.

 

[Mark42]

Re: is it possible to repair this gank tank?

Re: is it possible to repair this gank tank?

Look in the yellow pages for a plastics fabricator. The roto molded tanks can be repaired by "welding" the plastic, but it takes special equipment. From the photo, it looks like about 8 inches or so were damaged, right? The problem I see with trying to apply a patch over the damaged area is the complex shape of the tank there. Its not just a flat patch.

Put down the chain saw and step away from the tank....

 

[Smeag]

Re: is it possible to repair this gas tank?

yeah it's about a 4 inch gash and then a seperate 2 inch gash. thanx for the tip mark. according to the yellow pages it looks like the only ones even listed are more than a 1.5 hour drive away. i'll have to do some calling around tomorrow. i'll keep ya posted on how it works out.

 

[lowkee]

Re: is it possible to repair this gas tank?

Harbor freight sells a "plastic welding kit". No idea how well it works or if it works on fuel tanks, but worth some research. Life always give you an excuse to buy a new tool in the name of 'saving money'!

 

[The_Kid]

Re: is it possible to repair this gas tank?

If all else fails pick up some Amazing Goop Plumbing sealant. I have a 6 gallon plastic tank that split where the hose connector screws in. I cleaned the area with acetone and smeared the stuff on. It hasn't leaked in 4 years.

 

[Smeag]

Re: is it possible to repair this gas tank?

i went to the permatex site and they have fixes for plastic tanks (not for use with plastic fuel tanks) and fixes for metal fuel tanks but nothing for plastic fuel tanks... guess i'll keep searching

 

[jonesg]

Re: is it possible to repair this gas tank?

If all else fails pick up some Amazing Goop Plumbing sealant. I have a 6 gallon plastic tank that split where the hose connector screws in. I cleaned the area with acetone and smeared the stuff on. It hasn't leaked in 4 years.

true, its tough stuff, I also use it with fiberglass tape, sticks like stink.

 

[Smeag]

Re: is it possible to repair this gas tank?

If all else fails pick up some Amazing Goop Plumbing sealant. I have a 6 gallon plastic tank that split where the hose connector screws in. I cleaned the area with acetone and smeared the stuff on. It hasn't leaked in 4 years.

wow musta missed this one. yeah i did some research on the stuff and it doesn't say anywhere not to use with fuel and even says fuel resistant. every other product i've seen specifically states not to be used with fuel tanks. i'm gonna check and see if lowes carries some of this stuff.

 

[AZSenza]

Re: is it possible to repair this gas tank?

What ever "Glue" you decide on, I'd recommend trying it out on a nice flat place on the tank. That way you can test how good it will stick to the plastic without creating more work on the damaged area if the stuff doesn't look like it will hold up.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: is it possible to repair this gas tank?

If you know the brand of boat ...contact the manufacturer and try to find out who made the tank and then try to contact them, and find out what plastic they used.
That should point at possible repair material options.

 

[Smeag]

Re: is it possible to repair this gas tank?

If you know the brand of boat ...contact the manufacturer and try to find out who made the tank and then try to contact them, and find out what plastic they used.
That should point at possible repair material options.

unfortunately it's an aftermarket gas tank that one of the POs installed. to top it off i'm pretty sure baretta doesn't make boats anymore? correct me if i'm wrong.