How To Repair A Leaking Plastic Gas Tank

In one case upon a time, the majority of the cars on the road were virtually indestructible behemoths of steel and iron. Over the last several decades, though, more than and more manufacturers started to replace vehicle parts with plastic alternatives. While this reduces weight and eliminates corrosion, those plastic parts don't tend to hold upwards as well as their steel counterparts. Plastic gas tanks are one of those parts that tin can crack and intermission down over fourth dimension. Merely you don't necessarily have to fork over a bundle of cash to replace information technology. In this commodity, we'll discuss some simple ways to fix a crack in a plastic gas tank.

Safe First

Before we jump into possible fixes for a cracked gas tank, it's of import to take some safety precautions commencement.

The bottom line is that y'all'll be working with a function that is meant to store fuel. That presents a pretty serious fire hazard.

First and foremost, take steps to remove all the fuel from your tank before you start in with the repairs.

Some fuel tanks really take a small drain plug that can be removed to bleed fuel. If your tank has a plug, this would plain be the easiest method for getting rid of the fuel. If your tank doesn't have a drain plug, you're going to need to siphon the fuel out.

Despite what yous've seen in the movies, the all-time way to siphon fuel does not involve sticking a hose into your tank and sucking the fuel out with your oral fissure. Instead, caput to your local parts store and purchase a cheap and easy to use pump kit.

Nearly kits come up with a couple of hoses and ii inlets on the pump itself. Ane hose connects to one side of the pump, and this hose is inserted into your fuel tank. The other hose usually connects to the bottom of the pump and is inserted into a spare fuel tin.

Simply prime the pump a few times with the handle and when the fuel starts flowing you lot can leave it sit down—gravity will take intendance of the residuum.

Fifty-fifty if you've managed to pump out the bulk of fuel from your tank, you won't likely exist able to get every terminal driblet, and you'll certainly have fumes remaining in the tank.

And then, don't use whatever tools or methods that will create a spark while you're working on your repair. Luckily, none of our suggested methods involve flames or sparks.

3 Methods For Fixing A Cleft In Your Plastic Fuel Tank

In most cases, replacing the fuel tank in your vehicle volition cost at least a thousand dollars, then existence able to ready a cleft in plastic tanks is a huge money saver.

What follows are iii methods of fixing cracks in plastic tanks. Each method is relatively easy and doesn't require any expensive tools. Here's a closer look at each method.

one. Using A Soldering Gun

When most people think about using a soldering gun, they likely picture working with electronic components like wires and circuit boards.

Still, a soldering gun can also be used to repair a crack in a plastic fuel tank.

Offset past draining your fuel using one of the methods mentioned above. In addition to draining the fuel, pour a picayune soap and water on the inside, and thoroughly scrub the outside of the tank where y'all'll exist doing the repair. You'll want to give your tank plenty of time to dry out out completely.

The adjacent step is to find a piece of plastic that y'all'll use as a "patch" for the damaged area. You'll need to get a plastic that's made from high-density polyethylene and then it'due south chemically resistant. Our communication is to pick up an actual plastic fuel can like you'd use for fueling up your backyard mower. Cut a piece out of the can that's slightly larger than the surface area yous'll exist repairing on your car'southward tank.

You lot're also going to need a soldering gun for this repair. Plug it in and let it warm up. When information technology's gear up, drag the tip effectually the border of the scissure in your fuel tank. You obviously don't want to cook all the way through the plastic, but what you lot're shooting for here is to create a groove all the fashion around the crack. Next, run the gun dorsum and forth across this groove and then that information technology creates a piffling river of melted plastic. While the surface is nonetheless hot and pliable, stick your patch over the area and hold it until it stays in place.

Next, use your soldering gun to blend the edges of your patch with the tank itself until you've gone all the fashion around the repair area and sealed everything up. When the patch is dry out and completely cooled downwardly, employ a heavy-duty epoxy mucilage to cover the entire repair area.

If yous desire to accept the repair a pace further y'all can sand the area down and spray pigment it to lucifer the remainder of your tank.

2. Apply Epoxy

Using merely epoxy to gear up a scissure in your gas tank is definitely the easiest method. However, it should simply be used for smaller amercement, similar punctures. Likewise, this method unremarkably isn't a permanent ane, and there'south a take chances that you lot'll find your tank leaking once again later on time.

That said, information technology's a adept and inexpensive method to set up a cracked fuel tank if you happen to be on a road trip. It volition definitely get you home until you can perform a more permanent repair.

Start your repair by draining out all of the fuel from your tank and let it dry out completely.

Next, you lot need to really locate the crevice or puncture in your tank. If it's especially small, it might help to mark the surface area around the damage with a colored marker and then you can easily detect it again. When you've located the impairment, use some coarse sandpaper to rough up the area around the crack or hole.

At this point, y'all want to thoroughly clean the area you lot'll be repairing. The best fashion to do this is to soak a rag with some denatured alcohol and wipe the plastic area with the harm.

To behave the repair, you're going to demand some two-role epoxy and a fiberglass patch that's large enough to comprehend the surface area you'll be repairing. You find these patches at any machine parts store.

Every bit for the epoxy, there are endless products on the market, but in our stance, you really can't go incorrect with the Gorilla Glue 2-Function Epoxy. Information technology'south very easy to use, thanks to its double syringe, and information technology holds like physical. Plus, it dries clear so it'due south ideal for repairs that you don't want to draw a lot of attention to.

Follow the directions on the 2-part epoxy and mix it upwardly. And then, apply the epoxy to the surface area surrounding the harm on your gas tank. Press your fiberglass patch over the damaged surface area and make sure information technology sticks to the epoxy y'all laid downward. Adjacent, add more epoxy on elevation of the fiberglass patch and press downwardly and so that it's completely soaked with the epoxy.

Permit the epoxy to dry completely, at which indicate you can sand it and paint information technology if yous choose.

3. Utilise A Plastic Welder

Await, what? Welding plastic?

Y'all read that right. There'south a special tool that actually allows you to "weld" plastic. Fixing a cracked plastic gas tank with a welder is the most complicated method, but it'south also the nigh permanent and effective method.

There are enough of plastic welders on the market and they run the gauntlet in terms of prices. Nevertheless, unless yous plan to be doing a lot of plastic welding, nosotros suggest that you lot get with the cheap plastic welder from Harbor Freight.

The 80-watt version will still reach a maximum temperature of 525 degrees (more than than enough to melt plastic gas tanks) and the kit comes with a ton of welding rods.

As usual, you desire to bleed the fuel completely from your tank. You're using a welding iron here, so it's extremely important that your fuel tank is dry earlier you become started.

Information technology takes a fleck of practise to get used to welding plastic, and so while your fuel tank is drying out, we recommend you make some practice runs on scrap plastic.

Plug your welding fe in and allow it to heat up. This usually takes most 5 minutes. Then, concord the iron in one hand and one of the plastic welding rods in the other.

Press the tip of the rod onto your practice piece and use the iron to melt the plastic. You lot'll use stead force per unit area with the rod as yous melt the tip onto your scrap plastic.

Motility the iron back and along and in circular motions then you get a experience for how the plastic melts and the size of the surface area you'll be able to cover. Once you're comfortable, it's time to movement on to repairing your gas tank.

Locate the scissure or pigsty in your tank, and using the same method as your do piece, start working the rod and iron over the damaged area.

Pass back and forth over the scissure every bit much as needed to completely fill the gap with new plastic. It may have a while and if the crack is large, you'll likely need to go through multiple welding rods.

When you're confident you lot've completely filled the damage, permit the melted plastic to cool and harden. Then, sand the area down a bit and you should be able to tell if you left any pinholes in your repair job.

If you demand to bear upon whatever areas up, but plug your welding fe back in and catch another welding rod. Perform a concluding sanding to make clean everything up and paint your repair area if you lot wish.

Final Thoughts

A damaged fuel tank can exist an extremely plush repair if the part needs to exist completely replaced.

Still, if the damage isn't severe, cracks and holes can easily be repaired using one of our iii methods above.

Simply remember to be cautious when working around fuel and fumes. And if the damage is besides large, bite the bullet and go a replacement tank.

For more tips on keeping your vehicle on the route, cheque out our maintenance article.

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Tyson Hanks is a freelance author who provides content on everything from conservation issues to digital marketing and pretty much everything in between. He's an avid auto lover and apprentice garage mechanic, and he can often exist found in his own garage grinding, welding, and wrenching on his rat rod and the various motors he has strewn about. He too writes horror fiction and has been published in many anthologies and magazines over the years. His debut novel, Greetings from Barker Marsh was published in 2022. Tyson has a available's degree in marketing from Southern Illinois University. Visit Tyson'southward website at world wide web.tysonhanks.com for more information near his personal projects or to inquire virtually hiring him for your own writing needs.