fuel tank leak - epoxy question

wrote in news:1154620727.720155.291670
@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com:

> I have a 98 Subie Legacy L with a leak in the seam of the tank. What
> sort of epoxy can I use to patch this seam and hold off the leak for a
> while?
>

i used a 2 part epoxy from napa a few months ago on screwdriver poke holes.
worked great!......seam leak? maybe work, maybe not?..........make sure its
perfectly dry and clean at repair area and give overnight to
cure.......goodluck, kjun

wrote:
>
> I would give one of the gas tank repair products a shot. Permatex
> makes a couple of products specifically for this. Follow the
> instructions and do all the prep work. I repaired a motorcycle tank
> once with JB Weld, the repair lasted for about a year and I had to redo
> it. Check for leaks after the repair and keep an eye on it. If these
> armchair computer mechanics were half as right as they think they are
> then they wouldnt even sell repair kits - The product liablility would
> be so great the manufacturers wouldnt get near it. Good luck with your
> repair.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. I've repaired a few gas tanks and
never had a patch fail and I know of at least one that lasted 30 years.
And they almost always develop leaks either along the seams or under the
support straps so that's not really big deal. Those are just the places
that the salty winter slush can lodge and do its thing. By filling in
these areas with a smooth coating of epoxy you may prevent that from
happening in the future. One could argue that a patched tank (if done
well) would outlast a new gas tank. A new gas tank it would appear from
what the OP says to have a life expectancy of only 8 years.

-jim

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Does anyone know if this tank is plastic or metal? I bought a kit, but
it says not to use on plastic................. thanks for all the
responses to the question I asked.

jeremiah

wrote:
> Does anyone know if this tank is plastic or metal? I bought a kit, but
> it says not to use on plastic................. thanks for all the
> responses to the question I asked.
>
> jeremiah
>

crawl under the car and tap on it, that will tell you what you need to
know. If you still have a question, try to scratch it with your
pocketknife.

I *imagine* it's plastic, as most new tanks are, but better to examine
it yourself.

nate

--
replace "fly" with "com" to reply.
http://home.comcast.net/~njnagel

I tried one of the epoxy products specifically for this on an metal
tank, it would hold for a while (several months usually), then start to
leak again. After about the 3rd time, I replaced the tank as I was
tired of messing with it.


wrote:
> I have a 98 Subie Legacy L with a leak in the seam of the tank. What
> sort of epoxy can I use to patch this seam and hold off the leak for a
> while?

sdlomi2 > wrote in article
>...
>
> Hey onesandzeroes, Al surely knows what he is talking about here.
I've
> converted GM diesel cars to gas engines--nearly 60 of them--and most of
them
> we drilled a hole in the lowest point to get ALL the diesel out of the
tank.
> And we used this 2-part stuff, consistency like modeling clay, from
> AutoZone, kneaded it together, and pasted it in and around the
> carefully-sanded hole, as per the instructions.

Now, THERE's a piece of craftsmanship and workmanship that I would
certainly want to brag about to my customers.

Patch-to-permanent.........

Sand the leak area carefully with emery paper.Cut several pieces of
fiberglass cloth and use fiberglass epoxy resin.I patched several small
leaks on the bottom of a 1978 Dodge van gas tank using this method.Ten
years later,no leaks.
cuhulin

> wrote in message
ups.com...
>> All your "patch" would require would be a minor collision to tear the
>> patch
>> loose, split the tank open at its weak seam, spill gasoline, and cause a
>> fire where none should have happened.
>>
>> I don't give a schidt about YOU. I'm concerned with the women and her
>> kids
>> in the car you hit, then turned into a firebomb with a weakened, patched
>> gas tank.
>>
>> If you cannot afford to maintain and repair the car properly, you cannot
>> afford the car!!!!
>
> Such an intriguing reply.......thanks for not caring about me being
> turned into napalm - that's really good of you. And I'm a much more
> productive member of socity than a child, so therefore, would you not
> want me to live instead? More children can be made, and if they're
> young, how can they have been around long enough for anyone to be
> attached to them?


Have any of you met a more selfish little cocksucker than this? I'll admit
that I have not.

Thanks for all the help.....I tried a patch made by Permatex, and will
report back on the results.......

wrote:
> With an AWD Subaru, the rear differential has to be removed (which
> means most of the axle) for removal of the fuel tank. There is a small
> but proficient leak at the seam, and being that I don't have a
> hydraulic lift, removing the fuel tank would take a very long time and
> leave very little room to work.....Perhaps the individual posting knows
> little about the fuel tanks on AWD Subarus, and the labor and cost
> involved...............What I asked (and believe I did ask) is what
> sort of epoxy will withstand the corrosive properties of gasoline, not
> suggestions on what to do with the tank. I know what needs to
> ultimately be done. This is not a difficult question, unless your sole
> purpose is to seem like a jack-ass. I am painfully aware that the only
> real fix is to replace the whole tank, but THIS IS NOT THE QUESTION I
> AM ASKING!! If you have no useful/pertinent information on EPOXIES that
> can withstand gasoline, please DO NOT POST in this thread. Start your
> own thread for people who are unable to answer simple questions. Thank
> you very much for your useless information/****ing me
> off................