Leaking fuel tank
Submitted: Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 18:19
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new boy
In the Late 60,s early 70,s the story was to stop a fuel tank leak you could mix soap with the fuel and then plug the hole and bingo leak fixed.
Questions
A. Did it work I never had the occasion to use it.
B. As most cars in those days ran on super will it work (if it Did) on todays Unleaded fuels
C. Will it work with diesel
Things you think of in the shower
Reply By: Chorba - Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 18:38
Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 18:38
Short answer, yes it certainly did.
We were coming back across the Nullabor in 75 when it was still gravel.
We were in a mates Kingswood and copped a serious split from a stone. Apart from getting a bit of a petrol shower I managed to fashion a soap plug and mould it into the hole and it certainly did the trick.
As far as I recall it was still doing the job some months later when he sold it.
I have to say I can't remember him getting it properly fixed.
Cheers
Rosco
AnswerID:
491250
Follow Up By: Member - Broodie H3 - Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 18:53
Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 18:53
The soap trick certainly does do the job, I went up the GRR,in a mk2 Cortina in 71 and put 23 holes in the fuel tank, on that one road, every one was plugged with soap, when leaving
Kununurra I manage to put a two inch split in the tank and I sealed that with soap, I replace the tank when I got to
Darwin. I have also managed to put the odd hole in a truck diesel tank, and the soap worked on that too, that was an expensive exercise getting it fixed, lost a days work and the cost if my memory serves me correct was about $450.00
Broodie H3
FollowupID:
766742
Reply By: Member - Bucky - Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 19:08
Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 19:08
New boy
Diesel tanks, are easily fixed.....most times, depending on original Damage.
This is what I did on our last trip, to
Cape York
What you will need is just a cake of any soap.
Rub it around the leaking area, it should stop, if not holed, and if it is, try a self tapping screw first, then soap it.
Scratch up the area
well around the leak, with a rasp, and or, sandpaper.
Then clean up all the area with metho, or what I had to use last year was hand sanitizer, and hand towell, to get rid of dirt, roughed up paint, and any filings.
I used Quick Steel
putty, as it sets quick, and cures in 1 hr.
And it held.
At the next community,
Lockhart River, I got some 5 minute Araldite and went over the original patch, and then some extra
Result ....
Held brilliantly
I was also told by the tank manufacturer, that 5 minute Araldite is very fuel tollerant
Interesting eh ?
Hope this helps
Cheers Bucky
AnswerID:
491253
Reply By: tony&bron - Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 19:11
Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 19:11
I can remember my dad using chewing gum to stopa leakin a petrol tank,it tended to melt in hot wheather after a few days
AnswerID:
491254
Reply By: Crackles - Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 19:45
Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 19:45
Not quite how I remember it but I have used soap rubbed into a split in a diesel tank to stop the flow then wiped the excess away with petrol, allowed to dry then fixed with silastic. Got me
home where it was welded properly.
Cheers Craig............
AnswerID:
491256
Reply By: Peter_n_Margaret - Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 20:20
Thursday, Jul 19, 2012 at 20:20
In about 1995 I used some neadable epoxy to repair a hole in my BiL's Subaru fuel tank (petrol) on the
Oodnadatta Track.
Last year he sold the vehicle, and the epoxy was still there and still doing the job. :-)
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome
AnswerID:
491257
Reply By: Member - Oldbaz. NSW. - Friday, Jul 20, 2012 at 08:05
Friday, Jul 20, 2012 at 08:05
I fixed a diesel leak on my old 504 with soap flakes mixed with the fine dust from
the tyre rim, plus a little water...still there 10 years later........oldbaz.
AnswerID:
491279