Punctured Gas Tank

Early this AM (read 7:00am), I'm heading down the highway after picking up a friend. I ran over something fairly flat in the road. Get home about 10-15 minutes later, I figureout what I hit - someones catalitic converter guard - ripped a 1/16th by 2 -3 inch long gash in my gas tank (Plastic tank on a Mazda B2300 - aka a Ford Ranger)

After much excitement dealing with the fact that there was gas POURING out of the tank, I tried to patch it with gas tank patch. Tried putting a gallon or so of the gas back in (I caught a lot of it in pails) - still weeping

Grumble, Grumble - Looks like I'm going to need a new tank. Last time I had the tank pulled, it cost me a couple of bills. Of course, I have NO time to do it tomorrow, and besides, the junk yards are probably closed on Sundays

Charlie

Bummer Charlie. That sucks!

As much as I try, there is just NO way for me to avoid pointing out that you may just be better off with a car that doesn't use liquid, volatile fuel.

OK, that's off my chest....

My experience has been that a patched gas tank can never really be trusted. Might as well bite the bullet now and get it done right. And THEN start shopping for an electric car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Yeah, patching a plastic tank is one of those things that probably just won't work.

I ran one of my 4X4s (with a steel tank) for a number of years with a tank hole from a chunk of re-bar that had been patched with JB Weld. Amazingly, it held and showed no signs of ever leaking until I sold the rig about 4 years after first getting the damage - I told the new owner about it and his response was "OK, If it ever leaks I'll know why and add some more JB."

So far as I know it's STILL using the same tank ('81 Toyota Land Cruiser).

[ QUOTE ]
Darell said:
...snip... And THEN start shopping for an electric car. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

With Con Ed having something like the 2nd highest Mainland US electric rate, and the fact that my TRUCK cost me $1000, gets 25 MPG, and gets driven about 3k miles/year it would take me a REAL long time to amortize the cost of ANY electric vehicle. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif I actually priced a hybrid the other month. No thanks

Of course, if I had the "Gas guzzling" 4wd version of my truck, this could not have happened, as they have skid plates over the fuel tank /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mecry.gif

[ QUOTE ]
Tomas said:
Yeah, patching a plastic tank is one of those things that probably just won't work.
...snip...

[/ QUOTE ]

Didn't THINK it would. I wonder how many days I'll be without the truck /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif The good thing is it slowed it to a weep, so I can DRIVE the truck to the repair place I'm REAL tempted to call in sick Monday, hit the Junk yard, get a new tank, and put it in

One of the BIG problems is that I really don't have a shop I TRUST /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Your ranger is about the same as my S-10. I swapped my tank and made it to work at lunchtime one morning. I picked up a brand new tank from an autobody place for $99. Mine was metal and had the skid plate as it was the 4x4 model, but that doesn't mean it was gas guzzeling, it hit 27mpg and my new 2wd hasn't made it over 22. Dirt and rocks had become trapped on top of the skidplate and over the years had acted like bon sandpaper and finally wore a hole in the bottom of the tank. It was real easy to replace though, I jacked the side up as high as I could on jack stands and then balanced the tank on top of my jack to lower it down, then tilted the front to the ground and then slid it off the jack.

Hey yours is a plastic tank, just use a torch and melt the plastic back together /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

[ QUOTE ]
KC2IXE said:
With Con Ed having something like the 2nd highest Mainland US electric rate, and the fact that my TRUCK cost me $1000, gets 25 MPG, and gets driven about 3k miles/year it would take me a REAL long time to amortize the cost of ANY electric vehicle. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif I actually priced a hybrid the other month. No thanks

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3k miles/year? What you really need is a good bicycle and rain suit! Ok, ok. I'll stop.

How'd it go? Get any satisfaction over the weekend?

Maybe a Segway...

3k a year, I had a job where I drove 3k miles per month

[ QUOTE ]
Darell said:
...snip..
How'd it go? Get any satisfaction over the weekend?



[/ QUOTE ]

Nope - no chance to even try - rain

The bicycle and rain suit would work except that I use the truck as a "response vehicle" - it's got about 500 lbs of emergency gear in there

[ QUOTE ]
Eugene said:
3k a year, I had a job where I drove 3k miles per month

[/ QUOTE ]

Oh, I used to drive a LOT more, and my car gets a lot more miles. The truck is used for a few real reasons:
1)Commuter Car - takes me to the train and back every day
2)My "around Town" car
3)Response Vehicle
4)Car to drive when the wife has the car

The joke is it's a VERY high mileage truck - 329K miles. The previous owner is a friend. I bought the truck with 324K miles on it. It's living a graceful retirement

Charlie

I only have 170k on mine, changed jobs and doubled in pay and nought a newer one, only 60k on it. I think I might actually change the fliuds in this one /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Charlie,

In case you need to fill the tank above the damage to get the truck to the repair shop, try rubbing a bar of Ivory soap over the damage as the gasoline causes the soap to solidify (won't work with deodorant soap). You may need to do this multiple times to leave a thick layer. We used to use this on steel tanks (with admittedly smaller punctures) to temporarily seal the leaks. If you need to, I hope this helps.

Dan

[ QUOTE ]
PercaDan said:
Charlie,

In case you need to fill the tank above the damage to get the truck to the repair shop, ...snip...

[/ QUOTE ]

Already used epoxy patch. It drips, but it'll get me to the shop. BTW the hole is in the VERY bottom of the tank - yep, the BIG E

Charlie

If it is in the very bottom then reaplce the in tank filter (sometimes called a sock) chances are it will pick up dirt. I didn't when I replaced my tank so I got to drop it two weeks later to replace the fuel pump which had picked up all the crap from the very botom of the tank. It was real easy the second time, this time I had driven my wife to work, went to the parts store and bought a new pump and filter, returned home and dropped the tank and replaced the pump, went inside and drove to work just after lunch.

The tank was flushed clean about 3k miles ago, when I had to replace the fuel pump - NICE clean tank

Charlie

the same thing happened to me, a few years ago, I bought a Honda Civic, had the springs, drilled so it dropped the car. had wire wheels, limo tint, the whole works, so I had decided to pick up some friends, (5 of them), bad mistake, every little bumb you go over and the car starts bouncin, anyway, we were driving down the road, and I felt a thump underneath, we kept on going, didnt think it was anything bad, but I pulled over anyway, and gas was just pouring out, I was pissed, so I pulled it off into a church parking lot, and had a towtruck take it to my house. Last time I will ever get a lowrider /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Got a price! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif

$615 with Labor - $465 for the tank, $150 for labor /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/broke.gif

OUCH! And people think batteries are expensive!

My guess is that might be more than the truck is worth at this point. You've got some mighty impressive miles on there!

Have a look at JB Weld. This is their Waterweld product.
Quote from this product description off their website....."because you can use it to plug holes and make permanent repairs under water and in gas tanks -- while they're still leaking."

and

"What does it bond to?
Virtually any combination of iron, steel, copper, aluminum, brass, bronze, pewter, porcelain, ceramic, marble, glass, plastic, concrete, fiberglass, wood, fabric, paper -- just about any porous and non-porous material."

I have used JB Weld products...and they do work pretty well.

Mike