Quick Question: what will bond to plastic fuel tank?

[bamabikeguy]

Headed to town in a moment, weekly grocery run.....two years ago a Zenoah plastic tank got a hairline crack at a mounting bolt, but this was before GEBE got covered up, and a replacement was sent that day.

But I hit a pothole yesterday, and a miniscule drip is happening at the upper rear mount bolt.

What would be the best temporary repair to seal that crack, until things calm down in a month up in Michigan for a replacement?

Thanks !!!!

Paul

 

[bamabikeguy]

Well, guess I posted at a slow time, reckon I'll hunt an epoxy or a JBWeld type substance.

Ride on !

 

[Tj Bunch]

Bama look for Fuel tank epoxy 2part playdough looking stuff similar to JB weld but for gas tanks should stick. Any good Auto Parts house army navy should have it $2-6 for a crd.

Greg

 

[Venice Motor Bikes]

How about model glue, or crazy glue???

 

[Tj Bunch]

First the fuel will eat both of those up, and they probably will not adhere to the plastic on the tank. That plastic is not normal it's fuel resistant and even some epoxy's won't stick just use B-12 Carb cleanr to clean and put tank epoxy it will fix.

 

[Jakylpops]

Make sure you rough up the surface of the plastic before you apply anything.

I would try "welding" the crack with a hot soldering iron first, I had a crack in my carb float and couldn't get anything to stick to it for more than a week before it would fall off and start filling up with gas again. Just let the iron get really hot and keep it moving back and forth across the crack.

 

[bamabikeguy]

My bike shop guy is also a Snapper Dealer, his mechanic said there was an epoxy used on plastic radiators at the Auto Parts places, so I hope this PRO SEAL Fast Set Epoxy was the ticket. (mislabeled on the price, should have been $5, put I paid $3, handy double syringe dealio)

I roughed it up with the drimel, slathered it on about 3 minutes after blending.

It will be about 24 hours before I ride to the county seat tomorrow, so I'll report back the results after it cures.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

There is an easy fix but you got to work for it. Take the tank off (drained of fuel) Make a trip to a motorcycle place and get some items. I bottle Kream tank cote. Get a bottle of rubbing al k hol, the stronger the better. Don't drink any to test it Pour the alcl. in the tank. Put the cap in it and play bartender for about two minutes. Shake the stuff out of it. I like to empty the stuff into a CLEAN 5 gal bucket so I can see what condition the fuel is in.
You have to take off the petcock valve! Pay close attention for the next part.
A tree branch works well to block off the fuel hole in the tank. Electric, duct ect, Won't Work. Plug it good. take the Kream and pour it into the tank, and
SLOWLY start to coat the tank by sloshing it around. Turn it upside down. ect, let it set for ONE minute, no more and do it again. Pour the contents out
and let the tank set 24 hours after you take the gas cap off and unplug the fuel cock. Just let it set. Leave it alone. The tank is now just as good as or better than it was new.

 

[bamabikeguy]

My bike shop guy is also a Snapper Dealer, his mechanic said there was an epoxy used on plastic radiators at the Auto Parts places, so I hope this PRO SEAL Fast Set Epoxy was the ticket. (mislabeled on the price, should have been $5, put I paid $3, handy double syringe dealio)

I roughed it up with the drimel, slathered it on about 3 minutes after blending.

It will be about 24 hours before I ride to the county seat tomorrow, so I'll report back the results after it cures.

It Works !!

It comes in a double syringe, says 4-6 minutes....the first mix I went to the house to change to some beat up clothes and when I got back it had already hardened. Second batch I waited a bit too long as well...third mix was the charm, and like I said, slathered it (most of the patch is unseen, between the tank and the engine).

Long story short, Pro Seal Fast Set Epoxy works on plastic, as advertised.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Man I'm happy for you. All I ever get is a mess. I've tryed 3M TO Zelda's sheep poop W/extra string I hope it works. The stuff I have used works for a while, But the vibration always wins. Never seen it hold more than a week. Your luck maybe better. Let's hope so. Later Tramp

 

[Easy Rider]

I would try a hot glue gun and see if that works or empty the tank and re-melt the crack shut. I've tried JB weld and it peeled or broke off under the vibration.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Won't work. Gasoline loves glue.

 

[Easy Rider]

I thought the glue for a hot glue gun was plastic?

 

[Saddletramp1200]

It is plastic. A very mild plastic. Petrolium compounds like gasoline will desolve plastic like they use in glue guns very quickly. Heres something you might do if your bored. Put a little of the glue on a scrap of cardboard and let it dry, cool, completly. Then use your thumb nail and press into the glue. Although it appears hard it's really not. Not hard enough to contain gas. Believe it or not from the moment gas is put into a metal gas tank it is actualy eating the metal the tank is made of. It takes years to do but given enough time it eats holes in tanks. The reason rust forms in gas tanks is not water per say but the corosion caused by gas eating away at the metal. Ask Mr. Larkin, he may be able to explain it better than I. Later Tramp

 

[Easy Rider]

Very interesting Tramp. You've taught me something new.
I know when we first started using methanol on our karts, the methanol ate every gas line on our kart. So you do make a valid point about how gas can eat away at plastic. I for one have never had any sucess repairing a plastic tank. I always just bought a new.

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Not many people understand just how powerful gas is. We use it everyday but few people know much about it. Take a plastic cup from a store fountain and add a little gas let it sit about 30 min and feel the cup. Do this outside!
No kids,pets ect. The cup will almost be so weak it ruptures. Pyros like milk jugs because it eats through the plastic in about an hour. If your using exotic fuels your no amature. It will eat through fibergalss patches too. Don't know why. It won't eat fiberglass from the factory though

 

[bamabikeguy]

Stop the verdict- 48 hours, and I'm a wondering....noticed up at the top (where I didn't grind, granted) a bit of a peel away. I'll snip that excess and watch.

Don't rush out and invest in Pro Seal common stock until I can get a one week insider scoop.

 

[Steve Crutchfield]

I tried the two part epoxy (paste type stuff). Worked like a charm. It even says for gas tanks on the package. I got mine a Mary Carter in Cullman.

 

[Jemma Hawtrey]

Make sure you rough up the surface of the plastic before you apply anything.

I would try "welding" the crack with a hot soldering iron first, I had a crack in my carb float and couldn't get anything to stick to it for more than a week before it would fall off and start filling up with gas again. Just let the iron get really hot and keep it moving back and forth across the crack.

NEVER NEVER do this in the presence of fuel - especially fuel fumes!

I know its obvious and I probably dont need to say it but obvious is what people forget and forgetting stuff like that can get you badly hurt or worse..

Jemma xx

 

[Jemma Hawtrey]

Not many people understand just how powerful gas is. We use it everyday but few people know much about it. Take a plastic cup from a store fountain and add a little gas let it sit about 30 min and feel the cup. Do this outside!
No kids,pets ect. The cup will almost be so weak it ruptures. Pyros like milk jugs because it eats through the plastic in about an hour. If your using exotic fuels your no amature. It will eat through fibergalss patches too. Don't know why. It won't eat fiberglass from the factory though

Its likely in the case of factory fibreglass parts that they use an industrial binder - and that sort of stuff can be NASTY. From memory factory parts are vacuum/heat molded as well, which adds to the resistance to fuels because the resulting fibreglass aggregate is denser and therefore stronger..

In point of fact - fibreglass from any source will degrade from petrol and even from road film and the oil in it given time. If you have a look at an old sixties car such as a Marcos - you'll see crazing around the fuel filler - granted it takes a time, but it happens...

Jemma xx