The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop New fuel tank repair (spectra)

I've been chasing a pesky fuel smell for a while on my 50. It was just on occasion, not always.

I thought it was the filler neck hoses, so I changed those out yesterday.

I left the seat back out and went to fill er up today as I usually do every two weeks.

Well it was not to hoses that we leaking. Its leaking at the tank where the filler pipes attach

...video....
I don't know if you can make it out but when I push down on the rag gas was coming out to bottom of the small pipe flange.
I was surprised I found that.
The tank is just a few years old, and a spectra tank.
Looks like they missed some solder in that area.


So here's my question

Will any product seal that area?
ie. jb weld/ epoxy? Anything?


I would like to try to seal it first before buying a new tank.
Even if I do get a new tank I need to drive the 16 gallons out so I will attempt something.

Thanks

The tanks looks like new Gus. No rust or corrosion of any
sort. You're gonna have to empty it and take it out if you
were to replace it, so why don't you just re-solder it while
you have it out??? Could have been bumped at some time or
maybe when you were putting the hoses on or like you said,
maybe they just missed a spot when they soldered it.
Are you sure that's a Spectra tank? The solder joint doesn't
look like a factory job, after all they are an OEM manufacturer
and make tanks by the tens of thousands and I'm sure Spectra
would pressure test them.

Great way of showing the problem by the way.
dg

Yes its Spectra Made in canada
..pic.. Purchased from rock auto .com.

Id have to look into soldering it myself. I'd be on the fence about that.

right now I'm thinking exterior seal or just getting another one.

Gus, even if you didn't feel confident in re-soldering it
yourself, I'd bet a radiator shop wouldn't hit you more than
and hours labor charge to flush it and re-solder it. Still
gotta be cheaper than replacing it. And that tank has got to
have another 50 years worth of use in it.
If you insist on a new tank, I'll drive out an pick up the
cadaver, and play some black jack while I'm out there...

Seriously though, I'd stay away from a patch like you're
thinking about doing.

Denny G

Also, empty it clear out, then fill it with water to the top before applying anything with heat. An empty tank is more dangerous to weld or solder than a full one. Your nearest radiator shop can do it, so can a local welder who may opt to braze it. Either way, that problem will never come up again that way. I agree, especially knowing how thorough you like to do things.. go the extra mile. JB weld isnt to your own standards.

I've successfully used JB Weld to seal some leaking seams on a gas tank on a 48 TE20, the tank mounted over the engine, and it held leak free for 16 yrs and is still probably holding.

In this case, a joint thats prone to moving, I wouldn't recommend JB Weld.

Radiator/tank repair shops routinely cut open tanks to clean them out then resolder them back up, I'd run the tank down (or drain it down) pull it and let a radiator shop look at it, as stated your looking at an hr or so of labor, much cheaper than a new tank.

Good luck
Dave

Soldering on such a clean tank would be a breeze. It isn't difficult to do. Lots of flux, keep the heat moving around the outer portion of the leaky area, feed the solder into the gap. It looks like you already have the ability to test it once you get done.
Carl

That could be soldered with a large iron Gus, no need for a
flame. A hundred years ago when I was serving my sheet metal
workers apprenticeship, we soldered a lot of gutter which
isn't much different in mass than that tank.

dg

Good point Denny, guys that worked for my Dad years ago always soldered with the iron. They would put it in the gas fired furnace and get it good and hot. They could solder like crazy with it, lots of flux and the solder flowed real nice. I know that they didn't want to use a flame on the galvanized sheetmetal or that is what I seem to remember.

Thanks for all the suggestions

Ill call a couple of shops tomorrow

new replacement tank is
$142.89
Shipping: $22.46

Ill have to drive the truck to work for at least one more week. I've probably had this problem for months.

Funny this is I would smell a little fuel when making turns sometimes. I thought it was coming from the engine bay. All along it was that tank and only doing it when full or near full. I never put the two together.

If I can save $165.00 Ill sure try.


I remember watching the episode on "How its made" when they were at the spectra plant. It showed them testing each tank under water.
This one I have is missing solder on both flanges.

Man, I'd like to see that episode of "How it's Made". I could
sit and watch them for days on end. I haven't seen one for
quite some time though. At least since we lost ComCast and
got stuck with Direct TV.

Think about using an iron Gus, might just save you a hundred
bucks. Bound to have a buddy that has one stashed away in
some dark corner.
DG

...click...

In that video you see them flowing sodier around the whole neck.
I have gaps
...pic...

I have a coworker who might have an iron. Ill ask
thanks

Tks, I looked but couldn't find it so I got stuck for a couple
of hours feeding my brain with all kinds of other crap. Told
you I could watch it for days.

Didn't see anything that I hadn't seen before in the metal
forming. Although I've done some shallow deep drawing when
I was called upon to make target flasks at the lab, the
very deep draws still are a bit if a mystery to me. Never
was able to keep the sides from some slight wrinkling
where they gathered.

dg

Denny, I took your suggestion and called a couple of shops yesterday....drove down to one , he looked at it and quoted 75.00 to fix it. Re-solder and clean the tank.

Ill just drive the gas out of this full tank , remove it and take it to the shop.

Removed the tank this morning
Going to drop it off at the shop later


The filler inlets are not close to being square

...pic...

...pic...

May have contributed to the failed solder, but thats just a guess.




Here is the pic of my original tank

...pic..