help! punctured gas tank

I hit a rock with my 2003 Explorer today and now my gas tank is
leaking. ARGGGH, I wasn't paying close attention because it was a grassy
road I've driven many times but a new rock showed up hidden in the tall
grass. I'm not sure what the hole looks like ie: crack/hole etc because
I'm waiting for the fuel to drain out so I can see. I couldn't siphon it
so I have my oil recycling container (a new one) underneath collecting
the dripping fuel. I feel like I have a bomb sitting in my yard. Is
there any way to patch something like this or am I stuck with buying a
whole new tank. Yes I'm ordering the skid plate for the fuel tank ASAP.
I should have done it sooner, but I've only had it 6 weeks. I saw that
that huge tank looked vulnerable under there, but I hoped it would have
been a little tougher. I'm a bit disappointed with the off road
abilities of this model compared to my 1991. I wish I'd kept the old one
now.

TIA, Janet

Janet wrote:
> I hit a rock with my 2003 Explorer today and now my gas tank is
> leaking. ARGGGH, I wasn't paying close attention because it was a
grassy
> road I've driven many times but a new rock showed up hidden in the
tall
> grass.

I hate it when a new rock shows up out of nowhere.
Anyway, If leak is not so bad, they have repair kits. Otherwise you
might have to get a new tank.

Never mind...*S* After much research I've decided to just replace the
tank. Car is too new to muck around with the epoxy route, I'd just feel
like a explosion waiting to happen. The tank is $286 and they actually
had one in stock (a miracle here in the Aloha state), not bad as my
neighbor just did the same to his Jeep and OEM was $800 just for the
tank! Better yet, my friendly neighborhood repair shop has agreed to
replace it for me if I bring them the tank, so that saves me a 60 mile
tow job to the closest dealer.

Janet

$286 seem like good news to me! That just about buys one solitary genuine
Ford front brake rotor here in the UK! That's supply only, not fitted!
Good luck!

Simon H

"Janet" > wrote in message
...
> Never mind...*S* After much research I've decided to just replace the
> tank. Car is too new to muck around with the epoxy route, I'd just feel
> like a explosion waiting to happen. The tank is $286 and they actually
> had one in stock (a miracle here in the Aloha state), not bad as my
> neighbor just did the same to his Jeep and OEM was $800 just for the
> tank! Better yet, my friendly neighborhood repair shop has agreed to
> replace it for me if I bring them the tank, so that saves me a 60 mile
> tow job to the closest dealer.
>
> Janet

I had a similar problem 30 years ago. A radiator shop brazed the leak shut.
I still have the car, a 1970 BMW 2002, and the repair is still holding. And
it cost a lot less than $285.

In article >,
"Bob Kegel" <seventy 2002 at hotmail dot com> wrote:

> I had a similar problem 30 years ago. A radiator shop brazed the leak shut.
> I still have the car, a 1970 BMW 2002, and the repair is still holding. And
> it cost a lot less than $285.

The tank is plastic, I know HDPE can be welded. But where I live I don't
think I'd find a plastic welder.

Janet wrote:
> In article >,
> "Bob Kegel" <seventy 2002 at hotmail dot com> wrote:
>
>
>>I had a similar problem 30 years ago. A radiator shop brazed the leak shut.
>>I still have the car, a 1970 BMW 2002, and the repair is still holding. And
>>it cost a lot less than $285.
>
>
> The tank is plastic, I know HDPE can be welded. But where I live I don't
> think I'd find a plastic welder.

It's also why the tank is only going to cost you $285. A steel gas tank
would have been twice that.

Don't you have any wrecking yards there ? There should be no shortage of
tanks that will fit for under $100.00.

Hell, even if you bought one from a yard in the mainland and shipped it
you'd do much better.


"Mikepier" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Janet wrote:
> > I hit a rock with my 2003 Explorer today and now my gas tank is
> > leaking. ARGGGH, I wasn't paying close attention because it was a
> grassy
> > road I've driven many times but a new rock showed up hidden in the
> tall
> > grass.
>
> I hate it when a new rock shows up out of nowhere.
> Anyway, If leak is not so bad, they have repair kits. Otherwise you
> might have to get a new tank.
>

My observation is that a lot of the yards discard the tanks, or punch
holes in them to keep them drained.. It reduces the fire hazard.


"Chief_Wiggum" > wrote in message
news:J2Fwd.3$DC.2@fed1read03...
| Don't you have any wrecking yards there ? There should be no shortage of
| tanks that will fit for under $100.00.
|
| Hell, even if you bought one from a yard in the mainland and shipped it
| you'd do much better.
|
|
| "Mikepier" > wrote in message
| oups.com...
| >
| > Janet wrote:
| > > I hit a rock with my 2003 Explorer today and now my gas tank is
| > > leaking. ARGGGH, I wasn't paying close attention because it was a
| > grassy
| > > road I've driven many times but a new rock showed up hidden in the
| > tall
| > > grass.
| >
| > I hate it when a new rock shows up out of nowhere.
| > Anyway, If leak is not so bad, they have repair kits. Otherwise you
| > might have to get a new tank.
| >
|
|

In article >,
Fred W > wrote:

> Janet wrote:
> > In article >,
> > "Bob Kegel" <seventy 2002 at hotmail dot com> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>I had a similar problem 30 years ago. A radiator shop brazed the leak shut.
> >>I still have the car, a 1970 BMW 2002, and the repair is still holding. And
> >>it cost a lot less than $285.
> >
> >
> > The tank is plastic, I know HDPE can be welded. But where I live I don't
> > think I'd find a plastic welder.
>
> It's also why the tank is only going to cost you $285. A steel gas tank
> would have been twice that.

Yup, plusses and minuses, if it was steel this particular hole would
have been easy to fix. The tank ended up being $225, they gave my friend
a discount when he picked it up. Now I just have to wait a week to get
it installed, he's busy :-( Now that I can actually see the damage it
caught the rock in the outer groove of that molded spiral and poked a
tiny hole on the corner, if it had been completely flat like my old Ex
it probably would have just flexed over it. That tank was covered in
scratches and gouges, but never a leak.