Patching a cracked fuel tank

[oregonmud]

I have had a some bad luck with tanks lately and so I thought since I was broke I would try to repair them instead of replacing them. I tried a 2 part epoxy patch but the fuel just ate into that in no time flat. So than I tried some Shoo Goo as a patch, it works for everything else. And sure enough it patched the cracks in my tanks too. I have run the one tank for 2 race days and the other for a good bash session and there is no sign of seepage of fuel between the glue and the outside of the tank.
All I did was scuff up the surface of the tank around the crack and apply a heavy layer of Goo and let it dry overnight. It worked like a charm.
I recommend you try this the next time you get a crack in your tank. I haven't tried it on a hole yet but I would think it would work for that too. Here are the tanks I patched......

The top of my 250cc tank

The bottom of my stock Savage tank

 

[Potter24]

I did this today. i'll have a run later and see how it all holds up. i cracked 2 tanks in as many day's

 

[oregonmud]

Great! Glad to see somebody is trying this trick out. Let me know how it works out for you.

Did you scuff up the tank around the crack?

 

[Potter24]

Yeah sanded the area around the crack. i just filled the tank up with Nitro. no signs of a leak yet.

 

[Jeremy]

Sweet . no fix for quarter size holes tho

 

[scrogathon]

Say you have a bunch of broken tanks hangin around, take one thats broken cut a piece from the broken tank, and glue that to the one your repairing, that would work good for larger holes.

 

[rc ch]

i tried it and it works! but i covered it whit some electric tape too so it got extra STtong.

 

[orcusomega]

One thing that i keep in my toolbox is JB Quick epoxy. i had a crack in my tank - sanded it down, wiped clean with acetone and applied it to the Side of the tank.lOminutes later--I was back in business!

A lot easier than_I thought it would be. Seems to be holding up pretty well too . I got another tank from Pope, so I did not have much chance to beat on it too much but I Just added two more savages to my Stable_ and one needs a tank -so we'll see how it goes!

Bob

 

[wildchild27]

i did this a while back and ran into a problem the fuel softing the epoxy when the tank flexes and causes the epoxy to go threw the mill and more or less do the same thing as a piece of sand would. even with lettin it cure over night the fuel will still eat at the epoxy so i would stil but a new tank cuz this trick killed one of my mills. not say this will happen to every one that tries it but just a heads up on it cuz its a chemical reaction and it could damage the engine.


eric....

 

[orcusomega]

Thanks for the heads up! In my case itwas a hairline crack that just sorta weeped do there was no significant contact between the epoxy and nitro so there really us no way for that to happen in my particular case, but definately a good thing for us all to keep in mind!

Bob

 

[fluxinator]

I made my own moded fuel tank to put things together I used hot glue I have ran atleast a gallon thrugh it still holding up to the fuel. You can try that. The good part about slicone hot glue is that it is flexable so in a crash it doesn't just re brake.

 

[Purenitro]

Try threebond 1211, it sticks like crazy and is fuel proof as well, I use it for crank plugs where it comes in direct contact with fuel and have never had any issues with it at all.

 

[whipnet]

I've cracked a few tanks for sure before I did my shock mod.

I had a quick, cheap fix for it that caused no danger to the motor or anything. I would get in my car and drive to the LHS and buy a new one. Worked like a charm!!

*

 

[adb140275]

i just seal my cracks with hot glue

 

[adb140275]

i use brake clean to de grease and then i hot glue it. works good for me, just my preference though.