DIY gas tank repair. How to repair a fuel tank

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:41

Many motorists have experienced gas tank leaks due to wear and tear. This effect is especially familiar to those people who own old vehicles. In order to save money on buying a new part, which is usually too expensive, various methods of self-repair have been devised.

Causes of a leak

Most cars and trucks have a fuel tank located outside the body. In addition, for cars, this element is located at the back. This is primarily for the safety of passengers. Therefore, the part is exposed to the environment, which greatly reduces its strength.

The most common cause of a leak is corrosion, as water often gets on the tank, and in winter, all sorts of chemicals that are sprinkled on the roads. It should be understood that rust corrodes the tank not only from the outside, but also from the inside. Another reason is the possibility of the tank hitting an obstacle, which can cause cracks, ruptures or deformations.

Because the cost of a new tank is often too high, motorists are trying to implementdo-it-yourself gas tank repair. This method is quite common on both new vehicles and older cars.

Soldering

Soldering is the most common way to repair a gas tank. It is used for small cracks or corrosion. The process itself is short, but requires care:

• First, you need to dismantle the part from the car and do a flush.
• The soldering area is then cleaned.
• Find a special thin reinforced mesh and completely close the entire defect.

• The following operations will require a soldering iron and solder. Usually, with the help of flux solder, the entire reinforced mesh is closed and the fuel tank body is glued. As a result, a solid solder layer is obtained, under which a reinforced mesh is located.
• For control, it is worth smearing the entire surface of the fuel tank with special mastic.

The part has now been repaired and can be mounted back on the vehicle.

Cold welding

Cold welding - gas tank repair for those who are not friends with a soldering iron. There is nothing complicated in using this type of gluing:

1. For a good connection, we clean the place of future repair, and then apply welding. How to prepare the adhesive material, you can read on the label.
2. Full hardening of cold welding occurs after 24 hours, and therefore the tank can be installed on the car only after a day.

Mastic or glue

Some motorists forrepair use mastic for the body or Moment glue. Of course, this method is also effective, but not long-term. It can be used for temporary gluing, but it is recommended to repair the tank in a more reliable way when you arrive at the garage.

The gluing procedure is simple - we clean the surface of the crack and apply the material. It usually dries up to an hour, and therefore you can quickly repair the tank and move on. But there is a high chance that the adhesive will fall off on the road.

Special Ribbon

Special tape is also a temporary method of restoration. This gas tank repair is done in a day or two, since there is a high probability that the tape will peel off. But motorists have come up with a way to improve and strengthen:

• When the tape sticks to the crack, the motorist needs to apply a thin layer of putty to hold it in place.
• After that, it will be necessary to close all the putty with anti-corrosion mastic, which is used in the treatment of the body.

Thus, the repair of the gas tank will be completed, but there is a high probability of a leak at the repair site after a month, since exposure to gasoline and water can destroy the putty.

Restoration

Welding is the most efficient way to repair a gas tank. This process should be entrusted to professionals, as it will require some knowledge that not all motorists have.

To repair the tank, you will need:

• Bulgarian;
• welding machine (preferably with flux wire);
• piece of iron.

Now you can proceed directly to the repair:

1. First cut out the area of damage or corrosion.
2. Then clean the edges.
3. Cut out a piece of iron of the required shape and size.
4. Weld it in place of the cut out part of the fuel tank.
5. And finally, we clean the welds and grind the metal.
6. Now you can prime the surface and paint the part as a whole.
7. When the paint is dry, rinse the tank and install it on the vehicle.

Repair of other tank elements

In addition to the gas tank itself, the hatch and lock of the fuel supply tank may be damaged. They fail for various reasons: when the hatch is deformed or broken, as well as when the lock is jammed. Their repair is carried out separately from the tank and has different principles.

If the gas station fails to open the tank lock, it means that there is a problem with the lock or the opening mechanism. In this case, do not panic, because you can always break the lock.

Repair of the gas tank lock is often carried out on those cars in which the refueling hatch opens from the passenger compartment. The most common cause of a malfunction is a jammed tongue or a broken fuel tank opening cable. In this case, the repair will require the removal of the entire assembly, since all fasteners are covered with a filler tube.

If the castle is located onscrew cap, it will be cheaper to replace the cap itself. It is not advisable to repair the gas tank cap. This part costs a penny, and soldering a crack will cost a lot more.

It is recommended to entrust the repair of the gas tank flap to professionals, since this is part of the body parts. The main cause of failure can be a break in the fastening loops. In this case, professionals recommend replacing the part completely, since it is quite difficult to repair it.

Conclusion

You can repair a gas tank with your own hands in several ways and using different materials. But the most effective are soldering and welding. This repair allows you to permanently restore the integrity of the part. As for the mastic, glue and tape, these are temporary measures for several days, after which it is recommended to carry out a full repair or replace the damaged element with a new one.