fuel tank repair

[JonE]

With slight weeps from the front of my chummy tank, what are the options and the longevity of each option? It feels like the job wants doing only once.
POR15 tank sealant has been mentioned - is that fine with ethanol in others' experience?
Has anyone gone for one of the alloy tanks that were advertised in Association mag a few years back? Or are there other suppliers steel or otherwise?
thanks in anticipation... jon

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I had mine properly repaired 12 years ago, soldered - not a weep since...

[Biddlecombe]

After my very first run in my RN I called into the garage to put in a couple of gallons, back home I found a pinhole halfway up a soldered seam. Rather than risk an explosion and doing the soldering, I took it to a classic car repair garage, they still have it and want a £130 + VAT to just solder. I have been advised to use the POR15 at an additional cost of £70 ish. After I rinsed the tank with a load of nuts and washers, it washed out a lot of sandy debris, but no large lumps. Do I need to add the POR or not please?

[Hedd Jones]

Ive just done my third tank with slosh.

The first one I did nearly 20years ago is still leak free.

Solder repairs are excellent. However the slosh has the benefit of sealing the steel from the water in the ethanol in modern fuel. So you stop internal rusting.

I wash the tank with a drain snake in the pressure washer with biological washing powder first. Then let dry in the sun.

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I do agree - I have also sealed a number of tanks using the Por stuff (motorbike kit is sufficient). Kieth Marriner repaired the Chummy tank and did an excellent job but he has now retired.

[JonE]

ok, good advices, all.thankyou.

So the POR15 is the "whole kit" with degreaser, or just as Hedd prepares above... and just the main sealant?

[Colin Reed]

ok, good advices, all.thankyou.

So the POR15 is the "whole kit" with degreaser, or  just as Hedd prepares above... and just the main sealant?

Hi Jon, the motorbike kit should contain 1 litre marine clean
                                                         1 litre metal ready
                                                         250ml tank sealer
                Which is enough for 20 litre tank which is all that is needed

[Steve Bryant]

Any good reputable radiator repair shop can clean, de-rust  and repair a fuel tank with solder. Here in Calgary the average cost to do this runs about $100 Canadian dollars. Labor is not cheap any more.
Stephen

---

As an amendment to my previous post, we've had problems with fuel tanks that have been sloshed with tank sealant. The rad shops generally can't repair any tanks that have been sloshed which in many cases means we have to fit a new fuel tank (MGBs, Midgets Triumphs etc).  If cleaned thoroughly pin holes can usually be soldered up.
Stephen

[Erich]

To add to Steve's post, POR 15 or other tank sealants do seal, for some time. However, it will eventually start to break down. When it does, you would have to remove all of it, which is nigh impossible. My Ulster Rep tank developed a leak recently. I consulted the previous owner who built the car and found out he had leaks around the spot welds for the baffles when he built the car, so used a tank sealer. Once I learned that an experienced welder friend said he couldn't repair it. Solder is the best way to repair tanks. In an earlier post, I had read that original tanks were made and then sealed with solder. This may be accurate, or, possibly like other period cars(Morris) Austin may have used terne plate.
In summary, synthetic tank sealers work, but only once. If there is an issue later on, the tank is junk.

Erich in Seattle

[Ian Williams]

Jon, it is common for D type tanks to leak particularly when they have been stressed around the fuel tap union. Personally I would steal well clear of tank sealants for all the reasons stated above, you have been offered very good advice about taking it to a radiator shop.