How To Repair A Crack In A Plastic Over Flow Tank

Once upon a fourth dimension, the majority of the cars on the road were near indestructible behemoths of steel and iron. Over the last several decades, though, more and more than manufacturers started to supersede 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 downwards over time. But yous don't necessarily have to fork over a bundle of cash to replace it. In this article, nosotros'll discuss some simple ways to set a crack in a plastic gas tank.

Safety Commencement

Before we jump into possible fixes for a croaky gas tank, it's important to take some safety precautions first.

The bottom line is that you'll be working with a role 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 kickoff in with the repairs.

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

Despite what you've seen in the movies, the all-time style to siphon fuel does not involve sticking a hose into your tank and sucking the fuel out with your rima oris. Instead, head to your local parts shop and purchase a cheap and easy to utilise pump kit.

Almost 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.

Simply prime the pump a few times with the handle and when the fuel starts flowing you tin can leave information technology sit—gravity will have care of the rest.

Even if yous've managed to pump out the majority of fuel from your tank, y'all won't probable be able to get every concluding drop, and yous'll certainly have fumes remaining in the tank.

And so, don't employ 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 Crack In Your Plastic Fuel Tank

In virtually cases, replacing the fuel tank in your vehicle will cost at least a thousand dollars, so being able to fix a crevice in plastic tanks is a huge money saver.

What follows are 3 methods of fixing cracks in plastic tanks. Each method is relatively easy and doesn't crave any expensive tools. Here's a closer wait at each method.

1. Using A Soldering Gun

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

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

Start by draining your fuel using one of the methods mentioned in a higher place. In add-on to draining the fuel, pour a niggling lather and water on the inside, and thoroughly scrub the exterior of the tank where you'll be doing the repair. Yous'll want to give your tank plenty of time to dry out completely.

The next step is to find a slice of plastic that you'll employ as a "patch" for the damaged expanse. You'll need to get a plastic that'south made from high-density polyethylene and then it's chemically resistant. Our advice is to pick up an actual plastic fuel can like you lot'd use for fueling up your lawn mower. Cut a piece out of the can that'south slightly larger than the area you'll be repairing on your motorcar's tank.

You're also going to need a soldering gun for this repair. Plug information technology in and let information technology warm up. When it'south ready, drag the tip effectually the border of the crack in your fuel tank. Y'all obviously don't desire to melt all the mode through the plastic, but what you lot're shooting for here is to create a groove all the way around the cleft. Next, run the gun back and forth beyond this groove so that it creates a little river of melted plastic. While the surface is notwithstanding hot and pliable, stick your patch over the area and hold it until it stays in place.

Side by side, utilize your soldering gun to alloy the edges of your patch with the tank itself until you've gone all the mode around the repair area and sealed everything up. When the patch is dry out and completely cooled down, use a heavy-duty epoxy mucilage to comprehend the entire repair expanse.

If you want to take the repair a pace farther you can sand the area down and spray paint information technology to match the rest of your tank.

ii. Use Epoxy

Using just epoxy to fix a cleft in your gas tank is definitely the easiest method. All the same, information technology should only be used for smaller damages, like punctures. Also, this method normally isn't a permanent one, and there'due south a take chances that you'll detect your tank leaking again later time.

That said, it'south a good and inexpensive method to fix a cracked fuel tank if y'all happen to exist on a road trip. It will definitely become you home until you can perform a more permanent repair.

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

Next, yous need to really locate the crack or puncture in your tank. If it's especially pocket-sized, it might help to mark the area around the damage with a colored marker so you tin hands find it over again. When yous've located the damage, use some fibroid sandpaper to rough up the area around the cleft or hole.

At this signal, you want to thoroughly clean the area you'll exist repairing. The best style to do this is to soak a rag with some denatured alcohol and wipe the plastic surface area with the damage.

To conduct the repair, y'all're going to demand some ii-part epoxy and a fiberglass patch that'south large plenty to cover the surface area you'll be repairing. You find these patches at whatsoever auto parts store.

As for the epoxy, there are countless products on the market, merely in our opinion, y'all really can't go wrong with the Gorilla Glue 2-Part Epoxy. It's very piece of cake to use, thanks to its double syringe, and it holds similar concrete. Plus, it dries articulate so it'southward platonic for repairs that you lot don't desire to draw a lot of attention to.

Follow the directions on the two-part epoxy and mix it up. Then, use the epoxy to the area surrounding the damage on your gas tank. Press your fiberglass patch over the damaged area and make sure information technology sticks to the epoxy you laid down. Next, add more epoxy on top of the fiberglass patch and press down so that information technology'southward completely soaked with the epoxy.

Allow the epoxy to dry out completely, at which point you tin sand information technology and pigment it if yous choose.

3. Apply A Plastic Welder

Await, what? Welding plastic?

You read that right. In that location'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's likewise the nearly permanent and effective method.

There are plenty of plastic welders on the marketplace and they run the gauntlet in terms of prices. However, unless y'all plan to be doing a lot of plastic welding, nosotros suggest that yous go with the cheap plastic welder from Harbor Freight.

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

As usual, you want to drain the fuel completely from your tank. You're using a welding iron here, so it's extremely important that your fuel tank is dry before you get started.

It takes a chip of exercise 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 iron in and allow it to heat up. This usually takes near 5 minutes. Then, agree the iron in one hand and one of the plastic welding rods in the other.

Press the tip of the rod onto your practise piece and use the iron to melt the plastic. You'll apply stead pressure with the rod as you melt the tip onto your scrap plastic.

Motility the iron back and forth and in round motions and so you lot go a feel for how the plastic melts and the size of the area you'll exist able to cover. In one case you lot're comfy, it's time to motility on to repairing your gas tank.

Locate the fissure or hole in your tank, and using the same method equally your exercise piece, offset working the rod and atomic number 26 over the damaged area.

Pass dorsum and forth over the crevice as much equally needed to completely fill the gap with new plastic. It may accept a while and if the crack is large, you'll likely need to go through multiple welding rods.

When you're confident you've completely filled the damage, allow the melted plastic to cool and harden. Then, sand the area downwards a bit and you should exist able to tell if you lot left whatsoever pinholes in your repair task.

If you need to touch any areas upwardly, merely plug your welding fe back in and take hold of another welding rod. Perform a terminal sanding to clean everything upward and paint your repair expanse if you wish.

Final Thoughts

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

Yet, if the harm isn't severe, cracks and holes tin easily be repaired using one of our 3 methods above.

Only recollect to be cautious when working effectually fuel and fumes. And if the damage is likewise big, bite the bullet and go a replacement tank.

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

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Tyson Hanks is a freelance author who provides content on everything from conservation bug to digital marketing and pretty much everything in betwixt. He's an avid automobile lover and apprentice garage mechanic, and he can often be constitute in his own garage grinding, welding, and wrenching on his rat rod and the various motors he has strewn well-nigh. He likewise 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 bachelor's caste in marketing from Southern Illinois University. Visit Tyson's website at www.tysonhanks.com for more data nearly his personal projects or to ask about hiring him for your own writing needs.