Home Forums Miscellaneous Topics Rural Living Diesel Fuel Tank Repair?

Got a small hole in my big tractor fuel tank.

Was shredding some rattle bushes, and one of the stalks squeezed through the metal plate on the bottom of the tank...

What's the easiest way to fix the leak?

I hate to take the tank off, and fix it that way until my work is done this fall. Just looking for a way to keep going until I can fix it right...

In case you are wondering, rattle bushes... http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/sesbaniadrum.htm

That blue and white strip of muck you kneed together till it is green then force into the hole, you it buy at service stations.

Sets like rock.

sheetmetal screw

second on the sheet metal screw with neoprene washer not rubber, diesel fuel esp. damn bio stuff will ruin rubber pretty quick!

Checking out the rate it's leaking now. Parked the tractor and put a coffee can under the leak to gauge that.

It still has the broken off wood in the tank, and doesn't appear to be leaking much. Probably will just wait until I get through with all my projects and fix it right this winter.

One thing is becoming more clear though... I probably need to fabricate some skid plates for under the tractor.

Is yours poly or metal??? was a common prob with poly ones on new holland that hung low on the side always something wedging in there between frame and tank, course working for state no one really gave a $hit

It's poly.

Tank has a skid plate of sorts under the bottom, and about 2 inches around the bottom on the front. But, it's not a solid unit. Stick came right in between the skid plates at the bottom.

If you want something done right, do it yourself. I'll bet my skid plates work a tad better.

I'd use a screw, a flat washer, and JB Weld or RTV sealant.
I've used RTV to stop leaks around some fuel line fittings on my diesel MF 175.

On a plastic tank you could also use fiberglass tape and resin or epoxy without a screw

Barry, rig up your shop vac so's to pull a vacuum in the tank (in other words, plug any vents) Duct tape, Saran Wrap, whatever.

THAN do your drilling and fit your sheet metal screw / plug.
You'll note that their will be little if any tendency for the plug to "weep".

Leave the vacuum on and CLEAN the repair area with acetone / MEK. Devcon Plastic Welder would be my first choice ,....BUT it doesn't always stick to every plastic,....ABS in particular.

Try the vacuum stunt next time you have to disconnect / change out a hose from a large tank or sump, and draining is just not an option.

GTC

Thanks Greg! Good info!

If it's a poly tank, even if cross linked, you can repair it with a poly welder. I inadvertently ran a saw into the fuel tank on my boat and repaired it with a poly welder.

Getting off subject a little but still about fuel tanks. I have an old rectangle diesel tank that holds 100 gal, that is in 2 compartments. I would like to weld some hooks or something to make it easy to load in and out of the truck when full, using my front end loader. What would be the safe way to accomplish this task. I have been putting chains around and under the bottom, but this is a hassle, and I would like to make things easier. miles

Drain all the diesel then fill the tank with water and weld it while full of water.

Thanks, kinda what I thought, but have little experience with this kind of stuff. Never had a welder before and still learning. miles

Use a self-tapping screw and you won't need to drill a hole first. Just coat the screw with epoxy and screw it in.

I'd also siphon out all the fuel I could and strain out any debris.

^^^^^ Bad advice.

GTC

I would never even consider taking the advice of a liberal anyway...

Without a pilot hole, it's more than likely that down line one will find stress cracks radiating outward from around the liberal's suggested FUBAR.

I think the one he wrote about scopes not needing to be level was the prime classic though. Perhaps he wrote that for his MM degree thesis.

Yep.

I think I'm dealing with a crack rather than a hole now. The stick wedged itself between the skidplate and the tank causing a very small crack. Not leaking a cup full a day.

I'll wait until winter and my busy season is over, and fix it right.

Find out what the formula is, and chase down a good plastic welding outfit that's familiar with the material.

...some conservative advice from SE Az

GTC