Cold welding for a gas tank. How to fix a breakdown of a gas tank on your own - repairs on the road. Gas tank repair by cold welding

Many modern vehicles are equipped with plastic elements in their construction. There have been attempts to produce completely plastic-based bodies, but due to globalization, automakers continue to stubbornly use metal as the basis in their production. But some automotive elements made of plastic are gradually replacing the usual metal products.

New technologies have many advantages

One of these elements is a plastic gas tank, which has undeniable advantages over its metal counterpart:

The photo shows a plastic gas tank. Let's talk about its cons

Cons of plastic compared to iron

Despite the relevance of modernizing the gas tank, the process of transition from iron to plastic was hampered due to a number of reasons. In the early 2000s, new environmental standards came out, in which plastic fuel tanks did not fit, due to the fact that, despite the tightness of the structure, the leakage of fuel into the environment was more than 20 milligrams per day. The main part of the losses fell on the fuel receiving lines from the outside. At present, the problem has been overcome by shifting the elements of the fuel delivery system into the tank, and by using a multilayer structure. This upgrade has reduced the likelihood of fuel leakage to zero, the main thing is that when refueling the car, your hands should not shake.

Today, approximately 70% of new cars are equipped with plastic gas tanks, but problems that cause inconvenience to owners remain unresolved:

• The noise from the fuel tank disturbs the sound atmosphere in the vehicle interior. Of course, if a person drives cars of the VAZ family, such as VAZ 2107 or VAZ 2110, then this nuance will not be important for him. At the same time, the owners of the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Sid are very annoyed by this discomfort;
• Regulation of internal pressure. Due to the fact that plastic is highly deformable, each change in pressure causes the container to contract and expand. These actions lead to fractures of the joints on the neck under the lock of the hatch cover or in other similar mates.

Despite the possible troubles, most drivers install plastic gas tanks on their cars. The advantages of these products outweigh the disadvantages. For Mitsubishi Pajero owners, the corrosion resistance of plastic is relevant. The owners of the VAZ 2114 are interested in the economic component, because the maintenance and repair of a plastic gas tank is cheaper than a metal one.

Leak must be fixed immediately

If a fuel leak is detected in the area of ​​​​the gas tank, the operation of the vehicle should be stopped for the sake of your own safety and those around you. Repairs should be carried out on a removed and thoroughly washed container. Thus, it is possible to carry out a complete revision of the product that has been pierced and accurately determine the location of the problem area. Most often, these are longitudinal cracks or destruction of the weld connecting the elements of the fuel system, which are the result of mechanical action from the outside.

Preparing a container for repair includes a number of operations:

• Draining fuel. A drain neck is provided at the base of the gas tank, by twisting the lock plug from it, you can drain the fuel;
• Washing capacity. At home, caustic soda is used for washing, using it in proportion - two glasses per 10 liters of warm water. The mixture is poured into the tank and infused for at least 5 minutes, after which the container is shaken and the liquid is drained. The procedure is repeated at least 3 times;
• Drying. This operation must be carried out very carefully. You can naturally, but it will take a lot of time. It is better to use an industrial hair dryer, thereby ensuring the effect of air blowing under pressure.

Common ways to repair a plastic gas tank with your own hands

During the washing of the container, other problem areas of the surface that need to be corrected can be detected. After assessing the degree of damage, we determine the method of repair:

• Cold welding. For damage that occupies a small surface, this method is optimal. You will need to clean the damaged area with sandpaper and degrease. After the preparatory operation, kneaded and heated binary glue is applied, tightly pressed against the repaired surface and evenly smoothed. Read the instructions for working with cold welding on the package. For a better effect, you can apply a fabric patch on top of the non-cured glue, to which add another layer of glue;
• Soldering. The most common and reliable method, which is used for large and significant damage. You will need a soldering iron with a power of at least 250 watts and the skills of a welder, although the product has a multilayer structure, but if precautions are not taken, it is fraught with aggravation of damage. Depending on the size and nature of the damage, a patch is cut in the form of a metal mesh, which will be soldered into the structure of the gas tank. The operation should be carried out in one step to avoid heterogeneous layers and damage to the plastic;
• Setting up the patch. It is done by soldering and patching. It is important to choose an element on a plastic patch of the same type as the tank. Material marking, usually applied by the manufacturer to the product. It can be polyamide (PA), acrylonitrile (ABS), polypropylene (PP).

Security measures

When installing the tank in place after repair, you should check all the equipment that comes with it. The integrity and suitability of the fuel pump mesh, float, cable are checked. Only after all fuel system checked, gaskets and studs are in place, no new leaks were found, you can start operating the vehicle.
In cases of serious deformations, it is better not to tempt fate and replace the gas tank with a new one. It should be remembered that the fuel system is the basis for the safety and good technical condition of the car. Therefore, trust the repair of your vehicle to specialists of official service centers.

• news
• Workshop

Aston Martin will also switch to electric traction

The electric version of the Aston Martin Rapide S sedan was shown exactly a year ago and was positioned only as a concept and product of the collaboration between Aston Martin and Williams Advanced Engineering. It was this English company that developed the electrical "stuffing" for the car. Over the past year, Aston Martin has found a partner in...

Legendary GM designer steps down

In the entire 108-year history of General Motors, the company has changed its chief designer only six times, and Ed Welburn is among the most famous. Back in the 60s, 11-year-old Ed wrote a letter to GM asking: how do I become a car designer? The kid got a response from one of the employees, and it turned him over...

Prestigious hatchbacks: the French will bring new items to Russia

The novelties, first presented in 2015 at the international motor show in Frankfurt, will enter the Russian market in June this year. This is stated in the official message of the brand DS. As the manufacturer explains, the entry of DS 4 and DS 4 Crossback into the Russian market is "a kind of response of the DS brand to the needs of customers in the class of compact premium cars." ...

Mitsubishi will make an electric compact crossover

Osamu Masuko, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors, announced this during his visit to Australia. He noted that the growing worldwide demand for electric vehicles, especially in markets such as China and the United States, is forcing all leading automakers to pay more attention to the development of electric vehicles in order not to lose in the competition. Electric crossover...

An American made a cheap Ferrari out of an expensive one

Arturo Alonso became famous for his ability to create unique car bodies that turn cars into real works of art. With the corresponding price tag, of course. Alonso himself has always emphasized that he is a passionate fan of cars from the 50s and 70s of the last century, calling this time the "golden era" of automotive design. That's why almost every...

Deputies: left the child in the car - pay 3 thousand

Recall that this spring, Vladimir Putin instructed the government to develop amendments prohibiting leaving vehicle children of preschool age without an adult. According to the current legislation, this violation falls under Article 5.35 of the Code of Administrative Offenses “Failure of parents (…) to fulfill the obligations for the maintenance and upbringing of minors), which provides for a warning or a fine ...

Video of the day: how not to take a ferry

This is most clearly demonstrated by a video filmed in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. The incident occurred while loading a URAL with a trailer loaded with heavy pipes onto a barge, which, for some unknown reason, was not moored to the shore. Looking ahead, we note that the driver was not injured in this incident. Note that this is not the first curious incident with ferries that has occurred in recent...

After updating UAZ Patriot will rust less

As the press service of the enterprise notes, in order to increase corrosion resistance and improve the technology of painting cars, the Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant switched to a new body priming technology (cataphoresis), which made it possible to significantly improve the corrosion resistance of the body due to the higher penetrating ability of the soil (the latter due to the presence of an external electrical the fields are covered by hidden...

Google will pay money to drive self-driving cars

The recruitment agency Hire Art published an announcement about the search for employees for the position of "pilotless transport operator". According to the terms, a test pilot of an autonomous car will be required to work from 6 to 8 hours, five days a week and receive $ 20 per hour. The contract is designed for a period of 12 to 24 months. The employee will be required to work...

Honda showed a new inexpensive crossover

As you can see from the official teaser, the novelty is a new crossover, the potential competitors of which could be Ford Ecosport and Renault Duster. As the automaker explains, the name of the new model stands for Winsome Runabout Vehicle, which roughly means "attractive compact car." This new product has been specially designed...

Which sedan to choose: Camry, Mazda6, Accord, Malibu or Optima

Which sedan to choose: Camry, Mazda6, Accord, Malibu or Optima

Powerful story The name "Chevrolet" is the very history of the formation of American cars. The name "Malibu" beckons with its beaches, where numerous films and television series were filmed. Nevertheless, from the first minutes in the car "Chevrolet Malibu" one can feel the prose of life. Pretty simple stuff...

What are reliability ratings for? Let's be honest with each other, almost every car enthusiast often thinks: the most reliable car is mine, and it doesn't give me much trouble with various breakdowns. However, this is just a subjective opinion of each car owner. When buying a car, we...

The cheapest car in the world - TOP-5 of 2017

Crises and the financial situation are not very conducive to buying a new car, especially in 2017. Only everyone has to drive, and not everyone is ready to buy a car in the secondary market. There are individual reasons for this - to whom the origin does not allow to travel ...

No one is immune from car breakdowns on the road. But, if you can easily fix some breakdowns on your own, for example, replace a wheel, then in other cases the driver of the car panics and does not know what to do.

So on our roads, you may well break through the tank of your car, and in this case, it is likely that you will not reach your destination. Consider what can be done in this case, how to repair the gas tank with your own hands, so as not to resort to the help of a tow truck, especially since this trouble can overtake you in a place where big problems can arise with technical assistance.

How to determine that the car's gas tank is broken?

First of all, let's figure out how to determine that your car's gas tank is damaged.

A sign of damage to the gas tank may be a sharp smell of gasoline in the car. If you smell such a smell, then pay attention to the fuel level readings. If the level drops noticeably faster than it should, then the gas tank is broken.

We get out of the car and inspect the gas tank for a breakdown. When a breakdown is found, then there are three ways to solve how to fix this problem.

Do-it-yourself gas tank repair

First way it is used when the breakdown of the gas tank is quite extensive and the design of the tank itself allows this repair to be carried out. In this case, the breakdown can be tightened with an ordinary bolt on the nut, on which a rubber pad is put on.

And this is done like this: we expand the hole to the size of the bolt, put the washer on the bolt and install the rubber gasket that we previously cut out. Through the neck of the tank we put the bolt on the prepared hole and screw it in, and only then on the outside of the bolt we install the gasket, washer and tighten the nut.

Of course, the best option is to use gas-resistant rubber, but a camera from a truck will do. No need to use raw rubber, which will quickly dissolve in gasoline and the gas tank will have to be repaired again. When you arrive home, you can bring all this into a decent form, i.e. tighten, remove excess thread and paint over the repair site.

This method of repairing a gas tank is widely used by truckers, and they know a lot about car repairs. Moreover, such a repair will allow you to operate the gas tank for many more years, since there will definitely no longer be damage to the gas tank at the place of work.

The second way. If the hole in the breakdown of the gas tank is not too large, then it can be repaired with ordinary Moment glue. The only thing to remember is that the glue must be of domestic production, Western samples will not cope with such a task. We impregnate a piece of fabric with glue, which we apply to the hole.

Since the glue dries for a long time, and we have no time to wait, after applying the fabric to the sample, we spray it with nitro paint, which should be in the repair kit of your car. This will be enough to get to the service station.

The third way. If your car has a carburetor engine, that is, a car that has a diaphragm-type fuel pump, then in the event of a gas tank breakdown, you can not perform any repairs at all, but simply take a larger plastic bottle, pour gasoline into it and then remove the flexible hose from the fuel pump, which goes to the fuel tank, and insert it into the prepared plastic bottle.

It would be nice to fix the bottle near the cooling radiator and like this, you can safely get to the car service. If there are no bottles at hand, then a washer reservoir can be used for this purpose.

A good way to urgently repair a gas tank is.

With this method, a punched hole in the gas tank is sealed with epoxy: first, we clean the repair site, stir the epoxy with a hardener, if you need to warm it up, you can put it on the engine so that the glue can heat up, stir it again, take a suitable rag, soak it well with glue and put on the tank hole.

And in this case, for some time you will save yourself from problems with the breakdown of the gas tank, and if you have done cold welding with high quality, then you can not even ask for help at a service station.

Video: what to do if the gas tank is rotten.

Conclusion . Thus, if a gas tank was broken on the road in your car, then do not despair, having shown some ingenuity, you will surely cope with this problem and continue on your way.

There is no need to talk about the importance of a gas tank. If this part has a hole or crack, then the danger is not limited to the banal loss of gasoline. Any spark can ignite and explode. The only consolation in this situation is the location of the part, which allows you to ensure the relative safety of the driver.

Reasons for the repair

In most passenger cars, the gas tank is located at the rear. The part is shifted to the right side in the lower part of the body. This arrangement is due to the formation of the correct center of gravity.

The main drawback of such an engineering solution is mechanical damage to the gas tank. Sharp stones can make a serious hole in the hull and then it will not be possible to do without repair.

Also, don't forget about corrosion. European cars undergo special treatment, so they gas tanks begin to corrode rust after 7-10 years of operation. But with Chinese cars, everything is different. Until recently, the lower part of the body was not processed at all.

The result of the lack of anti-corrosion treatment resulted in a shortened service life. Moreover, not only the gas tank lends itself to corrosion, but the entire body. As a result, after five years, most cars need serious repairs, and some simply cannot be restored.

With European and American cars, everything is much simpler. Their gas tanks undergo special treatment, so in most cases repairs are needed due to mechanical damage.

Important! In order not to damage the gas tank while driving, try to drive only on good roads. Crushed stone, which is often covered with country roads, can greatly damage the gas tank.

In the process of corrosion formation, cracks appear in the tank. Moreover, rust corrodes the part not only from the outside, but also from the inside. If this happens, then the repair will become more complicated several times.

Important! From the outside, moisture affects the gas tank, from the inside, water, which, although in small quantities, is always present in it.

Despite the fact that European and American gas tanks are much more reliable than Chinese ones, even they need repairs after many years of use. The fact is that it is impossible to completely protect the part from rust.

Luckily, finding out if you have a problem with your gas tank and needs repair is easy enough. There will always be a persistent smell of gasoline or diesel fuel in the cabin. Also, gasoline will be consumed faster. In the end, you can just look under the bottom and find a leak.

We repair the gas tank

Everything starts with preparation. Tilt the car with a jack. The body must be raised on the side opposite the gas tank. This will remove any remaining fuel fluid from the reservoir.

It is very important to clean and dry the part. This will allow not only to carry out high-quality repairs, but also to conduct scrupulous diagnostics. After the location of the damage is found, make a decision for yourself whether it is worth removing the gas tank for further repairs or you can leave it attached to the body.

Important! Automotive experts in case of serious breakdowns always recommend removing the gas tank. This is because repairs can cause damage to other parts.

There are many different methods of repairing a gas tank. You can apply welding, soldering or a simple sealant. The choice of method in most cases depends on the degree of failure and the material from which the part is made.

Repairing a plastic tank

So, plastic gasoline tanks in most cases have a multilayer structure, it consists of the following elements:

• dense polyethylene,
• adhesive composition,
• polyamide.

The latter material performs a protective role, protecting the gas tank from possible damage. Naturally, for repairs it is better to use cold welding and HI-GEAR 6505 sealant. It provides a durable and reliable seal. After it, the part can serve more than one tens of thousands of kilometers.

Attention! HI-GEAR 6505 is an epoxy putty in composition. Its undeniable advantages include a short period required for drying.

Before using the sealant, clean the damaged area with sandpaper. Degrease it and apply the product. As you can see, this repair method is not particularly difficult. But it cannot boast of high reliability either.

Soldering is required to get a really good result of repairing a plastic gas tank. Of course, to carry out such repairs - you need at least a soldering iron. Use plastic as the starting material for patches. You will also need a copper or metal mesh.

Important! Before soldering, you also need to strip.

It is desirable that the plastic used by you in the process of work is as close as possible to the gas tank in its composition. Thick polyethylene is ideal. Cut a patch out of plastic and fuse it into the material of the part. Try to solder as evenly as possible around the edges of the patch.

Repairing a metal gas tank

Soldering is also used to repair this part. But you need a more powerful soldering iron. Rated power of the soldering device should not be less than 500 watts.

Before you start repairing the gas tank with your own hands, you need to warm it up. For this purpose, a regular iron is suitable. As a patch, it is best to take a copper sheet. If the damage is small, you can limit yourself to solder. Copper or steel wire is used as a reinforcing material.

The main thing is that the material used for the patch should be fusible. The patch must be soldered around the entire perimeter. This will ensure a tight and reliable mount that will last for many years.

Important! Before soldering metal, treat the surface with a special acid.

When the patch has already been applied, it must be treated with a bitumen composition. This precaution will significantly increase the tightness of the site. Also, the composition will protect the metal from corrosion.

Alternative gas tank repair methods

When it is not possible to carry out a full repair of the gas tank, take a simple wrench. Expand the hole of the hole to the size of the bolt. Put a rubber gasket on it. Insert the resulting design into the hole through the neck.

Attention! Using a bolt with a rubber patch is a temporary measure that allows you to drive to the garage and carry out normal repairs there.

Even simple glue can come in handy when you urgently need to repair a gas tank. Take a piece of cloth and soak it in glue. Then press firmly on the damaged area. The exposure time directly depends on the brand of glue. Therefore, before making a patch, be sure to read the instructions. Treat the glued patch with nitro paint.

For many years of practice, motorists have come up with truly unique methods for repairing a gasoline tank. Take, for example, replacing a gas tank with a bottle. Sounds surreal, but in emergency situations, this method works wonders. True, it is only suitable for carburetor-type fuel tanks.

Fill a plastic bottle with gasoline and dip the hose inside, which should lead to the fuel pump. The bottle must be securely fastened so that during the ride there is no unpleasant incident with the loss of the gas tank.

Advice! In case of superficial problems, you can use simple laundry soap to repair the gas tank.

Repairing a damaged gas cap

First you need to diagnose the problem itself. To do this, listen to the sound the lid makes when opening. If you can clearly hear an incomprehensible noise effect, as if air is being sucked in, you need to repair the plastic leash of the gas tank.

To carry out repairs you will need three clamps. One is threaded into the eye and a loop is made. The second is connected to it. A hole is made in the hatch loop, a knot is attached to it. It is to him that the second end of the clamp is attached, which is on the lid.

Results

As you can see, it doesn't matter where you are. Repair of a gas tank can be carried out even in the field. To do this, enough improvised means like laundry soap or a plastic bottle. Even simple glue can be a good sealant if you find an unnecessary rag.

What methods are effective and how to seal the gas tank for the possibility of its further operation? These issues will be discussed in this section. After all, this topic is more about used cars, and even then domestic production.

Structurally, gas tanks are practically not protected from external damage, unlike foreign analogues. Often, small fractions of gravel, crushed stone, asphalt, bouncing off the rear wheels, gradually destroy the paint and primer shell, causing irreparable damage to the metal. After some time, the metal begins to rust. The driver begins to notice a fuel leak.

How to seal a car gas tank?

Today there are two options for gluing :

• Using cold welding to seal cracks and holes;
• Epoxy glue or popularly called fiberglass. It is better to buy a two-component.

Each method is good in its own way. Of course, you can find other ways to fix leaks in the gas tank, but they are less effective than the above.

Tools and related equipment

• Several sheets of sanding paper;
• Half a liter of acetone;

• Epoxy resin;

• Fiberglass.

First, we purchase all of the above materials, carefully read the terms of the instructions for use.

Troubleshooting algorithm

• We drive the car into a viewing hole or overpass;
• We outline the place of leakage with chalk;

• We dismantle the fuel tank from the car;

• Pour out the remains of gasoline or diesel fuel;

• We dry it in the open air necessarily, since the vapors of the chemical reagent are explosive;

• Using a rag and a soapy solution, we externally clean the gas tank from tar residues, dirt, and other impurities;

• For cleaning hard-to-remove chemical compounds use coarse sandpaper;

• Degrease the surface of the gas tank with acetone. This procedure must be carried out several times, since the quality of the gluing of the fuel tank material depends on how well the degreasing will be carried out;

Preparation stage and epoxy bonding

For gluing, it is necessary to use glue of a viscous consistency, otherwise the effect may not be achieved.

• We cut the patches of fiberglass so that they protrude 1-2 cm more than the perimeter of the crack or other damage. Scraps of fabric are thoroughly impregnated in epoxy;
• Carefully apply fiberglass to the surface of the gas tank so that no air bubbles remain, otherwise eliminate the shortcomings;

• Using a rag, remove excess glue and resin;

• Smoothes the glass strip with a small piece of plastic to flatten the platform;

• After that, we proceed to the imposition of the second ball, we carry out a similar procedure. Depending on the degree of damage to the gas tank, it is determined with the number of fiberglass balls. Accordingly, minimal damage will require a minimum number of fiberglass balls, deeper damage zones will require a larger number of balls.

Note to the driver, it must be remembered that the quality of the rest of the structure depends on how the first layer is laid.

Each subsequent layer should be slightly wider than the previous one and with an interval of 15-20 minutes.

In addition, we impregnate the last layer with additional aluminum powder, which can be purchased at a car dealership.

After a day, the structure will completely dry and harden. You can process it with fine sanding paper.

We proceed to painting or priming, depending on the need.

Cold welding is used similarly to the above processes. Despite advanced technology in the form of welding, many drivers prefer the old tried and true methods. So, the question of how to seal the gas tank has already been sorted out. You can carry out a similar procedure both in garage conditions and at a car service, depending on your decision.

Car breakdown can happen anywhere. If you notice that the fuel tank of your car is leaking, then the problem must be partially eliminated on the spot. So you can get to either the service station or the garage, where the problem can be completely eliminated. How? The answer is given below.

General safety rules

If your car's fuel tank is leaking and you decide to fix it yourself, then you must adhere to the following rules:

• Before starting the repair, drain all the fuel (put the car on a jack and drain the gasoline with the help of tubes);
• Dry the fuel tank thoroughly;
• If necessary, remove the tank (it all depends on the place where the hole was formed);
• Check the whole tank, suddenly there are holes somewhere else.

Plastic gas tank

Most often, longitudinal cracks appear in plastic gas tanks on the body of the tank itself or at the place where the halves of the tank are welded. There are several ways to patch up such a container.

Whether it will be possible to repair the fuel tank by cold welding depends on what plastic the tank itself is made of. If soft plastic was used, then it will be more efficient to solder the hole, since cold welding will not “lie down” due to poor adhesion of such plastic. If the plastic is hard, then you can safely buy cold welding. Use it according to the manufacturer's instructions. Car owners do not give a definite answer as to how durable such processing will be.

Remember! When sealing a hole in a fuel tank with cold welding, it is very important to dry the surface to be treated thoroughly. Before applying welding, you need to clean the surface of the tank so that it is clean, slightly uneven, so that the adhesion is more reliable.Cold welding must be indicated on the package as “petrol-resistant”, otherwise the work will go down the drain.

Adhesives (sealants)

To seal a plastic gas tank, you can use fiberglass and epoxy. Before sealing, clean the surface, then apply a layer of fiberglass, impregnate with resin. Let the surface dry, then repeat the procedure. At the very end, treat the surface with an anti-corrosion agent. The whole procedure can take you about 4 hours.

If such a nuisance happened to you on the road, then you can use Moment superglue and a piece of rag for sealing. It is necessary to alternately impregnate and apply layers to the hole. This method will help you get to the nearest service station.

Did you know? Today, the world is concerned about the problem of environmental pollution from automobile exhaust. Therefore, an Israeli companySolon has invented fairly environmentally friendly gasoline Gold-95, which produces very little harmful emissions into the atmosphere. Also, the price of this gasoline is relatively lower than other types of fuel. The use of such fuel does not affect the condition of the engine in any way.

hot soldering iron

Most effective method repair is to solder the gas tank, even if it is plastic. For this you need:

• Soldering iron (200 W power);
• a piece of plastic;
• Alcohol;
• Metal mesh (step 1 mm);
• Sandpaper;
• tassel;
• Scissors for metal;
• Electric jigsaw.

Important! When sealing a plastic gas tank, you need to use the plastic from which the gas tank itself is made. Otherwise, different types of plastic will not connect, and the flow will continue.

1. Cut out the desired piece of mesh with metal scissors;
2. Treat the surface with sandpaper;
3. Wipe the mesh and surface with alcohol;
4. Heat the soldering iron, put the mesh on the plastic, solder it (hold for 2 - 3 seconds, both materials should connect, it is not necessary to melt the mesh completely);
5. Clean the patch, degrease it, put it on the hole and start warming up (the patch must be completely fused with the mesh and the tank);
6. Hold the soldering iron for 3 - 5 s, otherwise the plastic will be pressed through, and after the patch has cooled down, there will be no more holes.

Metal gas tank

It is quite possible to repair a metal gas tank with your own hands in several ways.

Repair with "cold welding"

The principle is similar to repairing a plastic gas tank. First you need to clean the surface of dirt, after which you need to clean the surface and degrease. Do not degrease the surface of the tank with gasoline, as it forms an oil film.

You must first buy in a car shop special cold welding for metal. Before use, you need to cut off a piece of this welding, knead it well with wet hands (or with gloves), then cover the hole. Before using the car, you need to wait until the welding polymerizes.

Remember! Due to constant vibration during vehicle use, a hole that has been cold-welded to metal may open again. Be careful.

How to solder a gas tank

To solder a steel gas tank, you will need the following:

• Gas-burner;
• Soldering iron (300 W power);
• Solder;
• Flux or rosin;
• Soldering acid;
• Sandpaper;
• Copper plate (length and width are 2–3 cm larger than the crack size);
• Drill with a wire brush or grinder;
• Alcohol;
• tassel;
• Paint with anti-corrosion effect.

Note! If the hole is located on the curved part of the gas tank, then you need to give the plate such a shape that it fits as tightly as possible to the surface of the tank.

Clean the plate with sandpaper, treat the surface and the patch with alcohol. Turn on the soldering iron, let it heat up to such a temperature that the solder melts easily. Apply acid with a brush to the surface of the tank, then smear the flux or put rosin.

Dip a soldering iron in rosin and solder, then press it against the flux or rosin applied to the tank. After melting the rosin, gently work the tank with a soldering iron until the solder covers the metal. Treat the patch in the same way, but without acid. After tinning all surfaces, you need to press the patch to the place of repair, then press the soldering iron to this place for 5-15 minutes. Wait for the solder to melt on both parts. After that, press the patch, do not let it move. When the surface has cooled, treat it with paint.

Interesting fact! Auto concernToyotabegan to produce cars that run on hydrogen fuel. Such cars are positioned as additional means of transportation for those who do not want to pollute the environment. Hydrogen fuel is much cheaper than other types of fuel, environmentally friendly and much more calorific than gasoline and diesel. The designers believe that such cars will help save the planet from auto exhaust.

Alternative gas tank repair methods

To repair a gas tank, you can use not only, for example, liquid welding for metal. There are other ways that are applicable in extreme conditions.

The patch can be installed using a rubber gasket and a wrench. First, widen the hole to the size of the bolt. On its narrow part, put on a naiba with a rubber gasket. Pass the entire structure through the neck into the hole. Outside, install the cuffs and the washer, then tighten everything with a nut. Take gas-resistant rubber, but if it is not available, then you can use a piece of the inner tube from a truck. If you make such a patch in good faith, then it can last about 5 years.

The gas tank can be replaced with any bottle! This method is acceptable for carburetor cars. The plastic container must be filled with gasoline, immersed in the hose that goes to the tank from the gasoline pump, then securely fasten the container so that it does not turn over. This way you can get to the nearest service station.

Damage can be eliminated with laundry soap. This method is applicable in case of superficial problems. Attention should be paid to the method of repairing an aluminum tank. To do this, you will need aluminum solder, a gas burner, a metal brush and alcohol. As before, it is necessary to process and degrease the surface, heat the metal with a torch, and then fill in the place of damage with it. Continue to heat the hole to keep the solder from cooling down, while at the same time scrub the metal of the tank with a brush to remove the oxide layer. Otherwise, the solder will not bond well with the aluminum.

It will be useful for any driver to know how to repair a fuel tank. So you will not be taken by surprise by any breakdown of the gas tank, even if you are far from civilization.

Subscribe to our feeds