Plastic Welder? Gas tank repair..

[bgilbert]

I've got a crack in a plastic gas tank in a 70's model Dodge truck I recently bought. Anyone ever repair a plastic gas tank with a 'plastic welder'? BTW the truck has been nicknamed 'Ghost Rider'.. won't go into that one ..

[Mark Nixon]

Not something that should be done.
I understand that it doesn't heat uniformly enough for that thick of plastic.

Mark.

[ellis93]

It's nothing but a soldering iron but you'll need the plastic "rods" to do it right.

My brother in law body man uses one daily on body panel and is driving a truck with a patched tank right now. We tried to melt it together at first and used black zip tie to "fill in" the gap we made gouging it out. It looked good but cracked out while we were trying to install it. Pulled it back down,waited till we had the rods and tried it again and it held. The plastic in those rods have got to be way different cuase they melted easier and when the crack hardened back up it was really shinny where the rod was melted into it.

Bill....if in a pinch I'd do it for myself,but not for everyone else. Poor people have poor ways

FYI......this has been 1yr plus ago

[Mark Nixon]

Poor people have poor ways

But you run a REPAIR SHOP!
You have enough wealth to do crappy repairs for the freeloading public and take on the liabilty, too!!!

You wouldn't believe how many people get pissy with me when I can tell them how to fix it and I won't do it FOR them.
I don't want the liability of being the last guy to work on it when they wreck it later.

Mark.

[bgilbert]

It's nothing but a soldering iron but you'll need the plastic "rods" to do it right.

My brother in law body man uses one daily on body panel and is driving a truck with a patched tank right now. We tried to melt it together at first and used black zip tie to "fill in" the gap we made gouging it out. It looked good but cracked out while we were trying to install it. Pulled it back down,waited till we had the rods and tried it again and it held. The plastic in those rods have got to be way different cuase they melted easier and when the crack hardened back up it was really shinny where the rod was melted into it.

Bill....if in a pinch I'd do it for myself,but not for everyone else. Poor people have poor ways

FYI......this has been 1yr plus ago

I would much rather just put a good tank in, but we're dealing with a hard to find fuel tank. The 70's model tanks are incredibly hard to find. Most of these 70's trucks have long been scrapped. .

[ellis93]

Oh I understand Bill believe me everything I own is like that except the wifes 4runner. I got to have her in a mint ride while I nurse junk. Except for the dodge,I'm sure its coming, its work on it for a day.....drive it for 3 and the cycle repeats

One other thought......check your local radiator shop out,see if they use an epoxy to repair cores with. The one here does and it's some awesome stuff,sticks to anything and tough as hell.

[nyford]

I have not had any luck with the plastic weld kit. I got one from Harbor Freight. I have had luck with the radiator repair patch kits from NAPA. They are a 2 part epoxy with a fiberglass mesh that is included.

[Philip]

Bill check out at the air port. Aircraft fuel cell sealer works good. I even used it to repair older Dodge steel tanks that were prone to rusting out threw the bottom.