How To Repair A Crack In A Plastic Gas Tank

One time upon a time, the bulk of the cars on the road were virtually indestructible behemoths of steel and iron. Over the terminal several decades, though, more 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 up as well as their steel counterparts. Plastic gas tanks are one of those parts that can crack and break down over time. But you don't necessarily have to fork over a parcel of cash to replace information technology. In this article, we'll discuss some simple ways to fix a crack in a plastic gas tank.

Safety Showtime

Before we leap into possible fixes for a cracked gas tank, it's important to take some prophylactic precautions first.

The lesser line is that y'all'll exist working with a part that is meant to store fuel. That presents a pretty serious burn hazard.

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

Some fuel tanks actually accept a small bleed plug that tin exist removed to drain fuel. If your tank has a plug, this would evidently be the easiest method for getting rid of the fuel. If your tank doesn't have a drain plug, you're going to demand to siphon the fuel out.

Despite what yous've seen in the movies, the best manner to siphon fuel does not involve sticking a hose into your tank and sucking the fuel out with your mouth. Instead, head to your local parts store and buy a inexpensive and easy to utilise pump kit.

Most kits come with a couple of hoses and two inlets on the pump itself. One hose connects to one side of the pump, and this hose is inserted into your fuel tank. The other hose commonly connects to the bottom of the pump and is inserted into a spare fuel can.

Just prime the pump a few times with the handle and when the fuel starts flowing y'all can leave it sit—gravity volition have intendance of the remainder.

Even if yous've managed to pump out the majority of fuel from your tank, you won't likely exist able to get every last drib, and you'll certainly have fumes remaining in the tank.

So, don't use any 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 Scissure In Your Plastic Fuel Tank

In almost cases, replacing the fuel tank in your vehicle will cost at least a k dollars, so existence able to fix a crack in plastic tanks is a huge money saver.

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

1. Using A Soldering Gun

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

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

Start past draining your fuel using one of the methods mentioned above. In addition to draining the fuel, pour a piffling lather and water on the inside, and thoroughly scrub the outside of the tank where you'll be doing the repair. You'll want to give your tank plenty of time to dry out completely.

The next footstep is to find a piece of plastic that you'll employ every bit a "patch" for the damaged area. You'll need to get a plastic that's made from loftier-density polyethylene and then it'southward chemically resistant. Our communication is to choice up an actual plastic fuel tin can like you'd use for fueling up your lawn mower. Cut a piece out of the can that's slightly larger than the expanse you'll be repairing on your car's tank.

You're also going to demand a soldering gun for this repair. Plug information technology in and let it warm up. When it's ready, drag the tip around the edge of the crack in your fuel tank. You evidently don't desire to melt all the fashion through the plastic, but what you're shooting for here is to create a groove all the way effectually the fissure. Side by side, run the gun dorsum and forth across this groove so that it creates a piffling river of melted plastic. While the surface is still hot and pliable, stick your patch over the area and concur it until it stays in identify.

Next, use your soldering gun to alloy the edges of your patch with the tank itself until you lot've gone all the manner around the repair area and sealed everything upwardly. When the patch is dry and completely cooled down, use a heavy-duty epoxy glue to cover the entire repair area.

If you want to take the repair a step further you can sand the expanse down and spray pigment information technology to lucifer the rest of your tank.

2. Apply Epoxy

Using just epoxy to prepare a fissure in your gas tank is definitely the easiest method. However, it should just exist used for smaller damages, like punctures. Also, this method usually isn't a permanent one, and there'south a risk that you'll find your tank leaking over again after time.

That said, it's a practiced and inexpensive method to fix a cracked fuel tank if you lot happen to be on a road trip. It will definitely go y'all habitation until you tin can perform a more permanent repair.

Start your repair by draining out all of the fuel from your tank and allow information technology dry out completely.

Next, you demand to actually locate the fissure or puncture in your tank. If information technology'southward especially minor, information technology might help to marker the area around the damage with a colored marker then y'all can hands find it again. When you've located the harm, utilize some coarse sandpaper to rough up the area around the crack or hole.

At this indicate, you desire to thoroughly clean the area y'all'll exist repairing. The best style to do this is to soak a rag with some denatured alcohol and wipe the plastic expanse with the damage.

To conduct the repair, you're going to demand some ii-part epoxy and a fiberglass patch that's large plenty to cover the expanse you'll be repairing. Y'all detect these patches at whatever car parts store.

As for the epoxy, there are endless products on the market place, only in our opinion, you really can't get wrong with the Gorilla Glue two-Part Epoxy. Information technology's very like shooting fish in a barrel to use, cheers to its double syringe, and information technology holds similar concrete. Plus, it dries clear and so it'due south ideal for repairs that you don't want to depict a lot of attention to.

Follow the directions on the ii-function epoxy and mix it upwards. Then, apply the epoxy to the area surrounding the damage on your gas tank. Printing your fiberglass patch over the damaged area and make sure it sticks to the epoxy you laid downwards. Next, add more epoxy on top of the fiberglass patch and printing downwards so that information technology'southward completely soaked with the epoxy.

Permit the epoxy to dry completely, at which point you can sand it and pigment it if you cull.

iii. Utilise A Plastic Welder

Wait, what? Welding plastic?

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

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

The 80-watt version volition however accomplish a maximum temperature of 525 degrees (more than than plenty to melt plastic gas tanks) and the kit comes with a ton of welding rods.

As usual, y'all want to drain the fuel completely from your tank. Y'all're using a welding iron here, and then it's extremely important that your fuel tank is dry earlier y'all get started.

Information technology takes a flake of do to go used to welding plastic, so while your fuel tank is drying out, we recommend you make some do runs on scrap plastic.

Plug your welding iron in and allow it to heat up. This usually takes about 5 minutes. Then, concur the atomic number 26 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'll utilize stead pressure with the rod equally you melt the tip onto your fleck plastic.

Move the fe back and along and in circular motions and so you get a feel for how the plastic melts and the size of the area you'll be able to cover. One time you're comfy, it's time to move on to repairing your gas tank.

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

Laissez passer back and along over the crack as much as needed to completely fill the gap with new plastic. It may take a while and if the crack is large, yous'll likely need to go through multiple welding rods.

When you're confident you've completely filled the harm, allow the melted plastic to absurd and harden. And so, sand the area down a bit and you should be able to tell if you left any pinholes in your repair task.

If you need to touch whatsoever areas up, merely plug your welding iron dorsum in and take hold of some other welding rod. Perform a final sanding to clean everything upwards and paint your repair area if y'all wish.

Terminal Thoughts

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

Nevertheless, if the harm isn't severe, cracks and holes can hands be repaired using one of our 3 methods above.

Just think to be cautious when working around fuel and fumes. And if the damage is too big, bite the bullet and go a replacement tank.

For more tips on keeping your vehicle on the road, check out our maintenance article.

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Tyson Hanks is a freelance writer who provides content on everything from conservation issues to digital marketing and pretty much everything in betwixt. He's an avid automobile lover and apprentice garage mechanic, and he can oft exist found in his own garage grinding, welding, and wrenching on his rat rod and the diverse motors he has strewn about. He also 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 2016. Tyson has a available's degree in marketing from Southern Illinois University. Visit Tyson's website at www.tysonhanks.com for more than information about his personal projects or to ask well-nigh hiring him for your own writing needs.