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Petrol Tank Leak
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 12:30 pm
by MColes
You change the axle, change the engine and then the gearbox. You take the car on a long run to the national and it runs perfect, no problems at all. You think you have finally got a reliable car....you'd be wrong.
After two days of being parked up not moving after coming back from the national my car has decided to leak petrol from around the sump plug at the bottom of the petrol tank
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:39 pm
by MColes
The leak isn't much but is constant so I have now drained the tank.
I bought some 'Petro Patch' and going to give that a try tomorrow
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 4:55 pm
by bmcecosse
Waste of time/money ! If the tank is leaking - it needs another tank - end of story.
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:01 pm
by MColes
Well I have got the stuff now and have all the time in the world now I'm off from uni for the summer so I'm going to give it a go.
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:07 pm
by d_harris
is it actually leaking at the plug, or around the plug?
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:08 pm
by MColes
Around the plug
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:32 pm
by 8009STEVE
If the tank is leaking - it needs another tank - end of story
Not so. I have welded many tanks
Waste of time/money
Not so. I have repaired tanks by using petro patch
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 5:48 pm
by charlie_morris_minor
sorry I have my saftey head on but...
welding a petrol tank even an old one that has been empty for a long time is dangerous and should only really be tackled by a proffesional ... you are a long time dead etc etc
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:36 pm
by d_harris
The most difficult thing with welding a tank is to make sure you don't get any holes!
Best thing to do is to flush the tank through numerous times with water first
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:53 pm
by LouiseM
Try plugging it with some of your mum's pasta first. That should do the trick
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 6:55 pm
by MColes
Oh please don't remind me
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 7:19 pm
by kris3801
MColes wrote:Oh please don't remind me
That pasta was NASTY!!! no wonder there was a funny smell in the tent
:lol:
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:06 pm
by bmcecosse
And I too have welded up apetrol tank in the past - to make it smaller for competition use. But welding up a rusty tank that has started to go into holes - is just not a sensible thing to do when tanks are available at reasonable cost - a lot less than the £150 I had to pay for a new TR7 tank! the ptro patch may work for a few days/weeks/months even - and then one day it leaks, catches fire - and bang goes your car ! Is it worth the risk ? I certainly don't think so! But carry on - it's your car/life at risk.
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2009 11:37 pm
by MColes
Surely they couldn't sell such things if they didn't work and had the potential to kill you?
Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 7:15 am
by bmcecosse
It will be fine - as a 'get you home' fix. Just not a repair that you can trust - or expect to last very long.
Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 9:14 am
by 8009STEVE
My safety tip for welding a petrol tank. I run a hose from the exhaust into the tank. This not only flushes out petrol vapour, but also fills the tank with an inert gas.
Petro patch can be used as a permanant repair.
Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:54 pm
by bmcecosse
I think depends on your idea of 'permananent'!
Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 3:46 pm
by katy
I've heard that if it's only a small leak, rubbing it with a bar of hand soap will stop it up - temporarily.
Never tried it myself, but some friends say it does work.
Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:38 pm
by bmcecosse
Hmm - so would chewing gum ! But for how long!!
Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2009 9:41 pm
by MColes
Well the tank has been patched and the petrol back in the tank.
Guess I'll just have to see how long the repair lasts