Hi,

I wonder if anyone can help. I have a hole in my petrol tank and
wonder if i could bung it up with something so I don't have to either
have to have it replace it or get a large bill from my mechanic.

Is there any sealant I could use?

Thanks for any help.

Regards,

Sean

Besides being a bl**dy stupid thing to do it will invalidate your 
insurance, I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here that you have 
insurance!

Changing a fuel tank is not difficult in terms of nuts and bolts that 
need undoing. The clever bit is care when draining the fuel and oh yes 
disconnect the battery before starting work.

seanlock@NOSPAMblueyonder.co.uk wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I wonder if anyone can help. I have a hole in my petrol tank and
> wonder if i could bung it up with something so I don't have to either
> have to have it replace it or get a large bill from my mechanic.
> 
> Is there any sealant I could use?
> 
> Thanks for any help.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Sean

wrote in message
news:ogo0h1tc3sco5l4nrmj0bn1s5faf9j1rvi@4ax.com...

> Hi,
>
> I wonder if anyone can help. I have a hole in my petrol tank and
> wonder if i could bung it up with something so I don't have to either
> have to have it replace it or get a large bill from my mechanic.
>
> Is there any sealant I could use?


Plastic Padding 'Leak Fix'.
Designed for the job. I've never used it, so can't offer any opinion as to
it's effectiveness.
In any case I think I would only regard it as a temporary measure.
Depending on the car, it might be relatively easy to replace with a good
tank from a breakers.
Mike.

> Is there any sealant I could use?


If its only small, I once managed to temporarily stem the flow with 
blue-tak, which gave me enough time to use araldite :-}

In article ,  says...

> Hi,
> 
> I wonder if anyone can help. I have a hole in my petrol tank and
> wonder if i could bung it up with something so I don't have to either
> have to have it replace it or get a large bill from my mechanic.
> 
> Is there any sealant I could use?
> 
> Thanks for any help.
> 

Stupid cunt. You want to bodge something that holds over 50kg of highly 
flammable liquid?

Hope it sets on fire.


-- 
Conor

The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb. - Pink Floyd

wrote in message
news:ogo0h1tc3sco5l4nrmj0bn1s5faf9j1rvi@4ax.com...

> Hi,
>
> I wonder if anyone can help. I have a hole in my petrol tank and
> wonder if i could bung it up with something so I don't have to either
> have to have it replace it or get a large bill from my mechanic.
>
> Is there any sealant I could use?
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
> Regards,
>
> Sean


================
'Petropatch' from most car accessory shops will make a reasonable repair but
regard it as a temporary measure only. Replace the tank with new or good
second hand or replace the car!

Cic.

wrote in message 
news:ogo0h1tc3sco5l4nrmj0bn1s5faf9j1rvi@4ax.com...

> Hi,
>
> I wonder if anyone can help. I have a hole in my petrol tank and
> wonder if i could bung it up with something so I don't have to either
> have to have it replace it or get a large bill from my mechanic.
>
> Is there any sealant I could use?
>
> Thanks for any help.
>
> Regards,
>
> Sean


There is a product to do this, think its called "Petropatch".
I used it a few years back, worked well with no problems.

The Chewer..

On Sat, 27 Aug 2005 14:41:24 +0100, Conor wrote:


> In article ,  says...
>> Hi,
>> 
>> I wonder if anyone can help. I have a hole in my petrol tank and
>> wonder if i could bung it up with something so I don't have to either
>> have to have it replace it or get a large bill from my mechanic.
>> 
>> Is there any sealant I could use?
>> 
>> Thanks for any help.
>> 
> Stupid cunt. You want to bodge something that holds over 50kg of highly 
> flammable liquid?


I don't see him asking to bodge it Conor - it was quite a reasonable
question.


> 
> Hope it sets on fire.


Is it your mission in life to drive people away for asking geniune
questions?

To the OP - it's generally a poor idea to fix a tank permanantly - you are
better off swapping the tank for a new one since if the hole is a corrosion
hole then it's likely to spring others before too long.

If it's a metal tank and has been holde by impact, it is possible to weld
it, if you know what you are doing, if you stop it from exploding during
welding etc etc. It's invariably easier to replace than fix it though.

Use the Petropatch as others have suggested and get it swapped. Tanks
generally are not too tricky unless there is an exhaust in the way.

Chris Street (ngfb@chris-street.demon.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding
much like they were saying : 


>>> I wonder if anyone can help. I have a hole in my petrol tank and
>>> wonder if i could bung it up with something so I don't have to
>>> either have to have it replace it or get a large bill from my
>>> mechanic. 
>>> 
>>> Is there any sealant I could use?

>> Stupid cunt. You want to bodge something that holds over 50kg of
>> highly flammable liquid?

> I don't see him asking to bodge it Conor - it was quite a reasonable
> question.


And you don't think that using "sealant" to "bung up" a hole in a petrol 
tank is a bodge?


> To the OP - it's generally a poor idea to fix a tank permanantly


Ah, yes, you do.

On 27 Aug 2005 17:01:27 GMT, Adrian wrote:


> Chris Street (ngfb@chris-street.demon.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding
> much like they were saying : 
> 
>>>> I wonder if anyone can help. I have a hole in my petrol tank and
>>>> wonder if i could bung it up with something so I don't have to
>>>> either have to have it replace it or get a large bill from my
>>>> mechanic. 
>>>> 
>>>> Is there any sealant I could use?
> 
>>> Stupid cunt. You want to bodge something that holds over 50kg of
>>> highly flammable liquid?
> 
>> I don't see him asking to bodge it Conor - it was quite a reasonable
>> question.
> 
> And you don't think that using "sealant" to "bung up" a hole in a petrol 
> tank is a bodge?


I do as is abundantly clear. To someone who has not worked on cars before
it may seem quite reasonable and indeed even possible. It's certainly no
reason to call the OP a stupid cunt but that's generally par for the course
for Conor.

Chris Street (ngfb@chris-street.demon.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding
much like they were saying : 


>>>> Stupid cunt. You want to bodge something that holds over 50kg of
>>>> highly flammable liquid?

>>> I don't see him asking to bodge it Conor - it was quite a reasonable
>>> question.

>> And you don't think that using "sealant" to "bung up" a hole in a
>> petrol tank is a bodge?

> I do as is abundantly clear.


OK - so there's no problem in calling a bodge a bodge.


> To someone who has not worked on cars before it may seem quite reasonable 
> and indeed even possible.


To somebody daft, perhaps. To anybody who's capable of basic thought, I'd 
imagine it's pretty bloody obvious.


> It's certainly no reason to call the OP a stupid cunt but that's 
> generally par for the course for Conor.


But you didn't object to Conor calling the OP a stupid cunt - you objected 
to Conor calling bodging a petrol tank a bodge - even though you cheerfully 
accept that it IS a bodge. Make your mind up.

Somebody better warn the OP not to try welding it. :-)

On 27 Aug 2005 17:55:38 GMT, Adrian wrote:


> Chris Street (ngfb@chris-street.demon.co.uk) gurgled happily, sounding
> much like they were saying : 
> 
>>>>> Stupid cunt. You want to bodge something that holds over 50kg of
>>>>> highly flammable liquid?
> 
>>>> I don't see him asking to bodge it Conor - it was quite a reasonable
>>>> question.
> 
>>> And you don't think that using "sealant" to "bung up" a hole in a
>>> petrol tank is a bodge?
> 
>> I do as is abundantly clear.
> 
> OK - so there's no problem in calling a bodge a bodge.
> 
>> To someone who has not worked on cars before it may seem quite reasonable 
>> and indeed even possible.
> 
> To somebody daft, perhaps. To anybody who's capable of basic thought, I'd 
> imagine it's pretty bloody obvious.
> 
>> It's certainly no reason to call the OP a stupid cunt but that's 
>> generally par for the course for Conor.
> 
> But you didn't object to Conor calling the OP a stupid cunt - you objected 
> to Conor calling bodging a petrol tank a bodge - even though you cheerfully 
> accept that it IS a bodge. Make your mind up.


I've not had to change *my* mind. Conor was being an arse to the OP like he
always does when someone seemingly asks a stupid question. The OP may or
may not have known if his proposed course of action was stupid, reasonable
or whatever, and there is no easy way we can tell. Hence there is no reason
to go off abusing someone for making a geniune query. By abusing them in
this manner it just makes people look like a little tight clique and no-one
gets anywhere.

Now if the OP had come on and asked how to bodge the tank, rather than ask
if it is possible to put a bung in and repair it it would have been a
different matter.

"Stuart Gray" <me@home> wrote in message
news:meidndYqMqoeX43eRVnygw@pipex.net...

> Somebody better warn the OP not to try welding it. :-)
>
>

================
Petrol tanks can be welded but it's rarely worthwhile because a replacement
tank would probably cost less than a good repair.

As far as patching with 'Petropatch' is concerned - it certainly is a bodge
by present day standards. But 'Petropatch' has been in use for many years
(more than 40 years as far as I can remember) and I think that car fires
directly attributable to its use are very rare. It was marketed as a
reliable repair in the days when spares were less readily available than
they are today, so it's still useful as a temporary repair.  Better a
patched tank than a leaking tank!

Cic.

In article <a2sb0ofqfaga$.f3gv4ozq461v$.dlg@40tude.net>, Chris Street 
says...


> I do as is abundantly clear. To someone who has not worked on cars before
> it may seem quite reasonable and indeed even possible.



You are kidding aren't you?

-- 
Conor

The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb. - Pink Floyd

In article <1nd95tc2yw8ub$.1xcalhviuig0a.dlg@40tude.net>, Chris Street 
says...


> Now if the OP had come on and asked how to bodge the tank, rather than ask
> if it is possible to put a bung in and repair it it would have been a
> different matter.
> 

Err..they're the same thing.

-- 
Conor

The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb. - Pink Floyd

I had this problem a few years back on my old Orion and wanted to do a
quick repair till I could get a replacement tank, but when I started to
clean the area I discovered the hole thing was perforated and it was
onlly the muck and rust that was stopping it leak more, so you may find
that you have to repair the hole bottom of your tank.

Conor  wrote in message
:


>In article <a2sb0ofqfaga$.f3gv4ozq461v$.dlg@40tude.net>, Chris Street 
>says...
>
>> I do as is abundantly clear. To someone who has not worked on cars before
>> it may seem quite reasonable and indeed even possible.
>
>
>You are kidding aren't you?


Strange as it may seem to you he probably isn't.  Why should he be?

deadmail@burnt.org.uk wrote:

> Conor  wrote in message
> :
>
>> In article <a2sb0ofqfaga$.f3gv4ozq461v$.dlg@40tude.net>, Chris Street
>> says...
>>
>>> I do as is abundantly clear. To someone who has not worked on cars
>>> before it may seem quite reasonable and indeed even possible.
>>
>>
>> You are kidding aren't you?
>
> Strange as it may seem to you he probably isn't.  Why should he be?


And doesn't the fact that several specialised commerxcial products exist to 
patch tanks indicate that it *isn't* a totally harebrained idea?

Yes there are good reasons to prefer a new tank but you don't get 'brake 
pipe patching kits', for example.

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 04:14:41 +0100, Conor wrote:


> In article <a2sb0ofqfaga$.f3gv4ozq461v$.dlg@40tude.net>, Chris Street 
> says...
> 
>> I do as is abundantly clear. To someone who has not worked on cars before
>> it may seem quite reasonable and indeed even possible.
> 
> 
> You are kidding aren't you?


Oddly enough I'm not. If you no nothing about a fuel tank and just assume
it's got to hold fuel then patching it would seem to be quite reasonable.
The fact that it needs some crash worthyness as well and a petropatch will
fail to give that is probably lost on most people, including a reasonable
number of competent mechanics.

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 04:15:31 +0100, Conor wrote:


> In article <1nd95tc2yw8ub$.1xcalhviuig0a.dlg@40tude.net>, Chris Street 
> says...
> 
>> Now if the OP had come on and asked how to bodge the tank, rather than ask
>> if it is possible to put a bung in and repair it it would have been a
>> different matter.
>> 
> Err..they're the same thing.


Not to the poster which is what you seem to be failing to grasp.

PC Paul (me@home.com) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were
saying : 


> And doesn't the fact that several specialised commerxcial products
> exist to patch tanks indicate that it *isn't* a totally harebrained
> idea? 


Not really.

There's quite a lot of specialised commercial products to clamp magnets 
round your fuel line, or put a kiddies windmill in the intake tract, or put 
non-stick goop in the oil, too.

Does that mean they're not "totally harebrained ideas"

In article <HohQe.54127$Il.37840@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, PC Paul 
says...


> And doesn't the fact that several specialised commerxcial products exist to 
> patch tanks indicate that it *isn't* a totally harebrained idea?
> 

<snigger>

OK....

And there are several specialised commercial products that claim to 
give a 20BHP power increase or to reduce your MPG by fitting this 
inline filter.

I think we've also had some other shining examples of snake oil posted 
recently too.


> Yes there are good reasons to prefer a new tank but you don't get 'brake 
> pipe patching kits', for example.
> 

Actually you can patch brakepipes with short lengths of new.

-- 
Conor

The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb. - Pink Floyd

On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 13:49:40 +0100, Conor  wrote:


> In article <HohQe.54127$Il.37840@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, PC Paul
> says...
>
>> And doesn't the fact that several specialised commerxcial products  
>> exist to
>> patch tanks indicate that it *isn't* a totally harebrained idea?
>>
> <snigger>
>
> OK....
>
> And there are several specialised commercial products that claim to
> give a 20BHP power increase or to reduce your MPG by fitting this
> inline filter.
>
> I think we've also had some other shining examples of snake oil posted
> recently too.
>
>> Yes there are good reasons to prefer a new tank but you don't get 'brake
>> pipe patching kits', for example.
>>
> Actually you can patch brakepipes with short lengths of new.
>




You can also patch the hole where some thieving bastards punched a  
screwdriver through the bottom of your tank with a petro patch, they're  
both sensible solutions, if not perfect.

Conor wrote:

> In article <HohQe.54127$Il.37840@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, PC Paul
> says...
>
>> And doesn't the fact that several specialised commerxcial products
>> exist to patch tanks indicate that it *isn't* a totally harebrained
>> idea?
>>
> <snigger>
>
> OK....
>
>
>> Yes there are good reasons to prefer a new tank but you don't get
>> 'brake pipe patching kits', for example.
>>
> Actually you can patch brakepipes with short lengths of new.


That's 'replace'.


OK, so I wasn't thinking snake oiol, I was thinking safety. If these 
products are commercially widely available for the purpose solely of 
patching petrol tanks there obviously isn't a large anticipated safety 
problem, or the PowersThatBe would have banned them.

So how is it more hairbrained than, say, a can of spray gunk for bodging 
punctures?

Equally safety critical, equally widely available, equally 
may-not-be-perfect-but-can-be-a-workable-solution.

"Duncanwood"  wrote in message 
news:op.sv7z8mi44wom51@amy...

> On Sun, 28 Aug 2005 13:49:40 +0100, Conor  wrote:
>
>> In article <HohQe.54127$Il.37840@fe2.news.blueyonder.co.uk>, PC Paul
>> says...
>>
>>> And doesn't the fact that several specialised commerxcial products 
>>> exist to
>>> patch tanks indicate that it *isn't* a totally harebrained idea?
>>>
>> <snigger>
>>
>> OK....
>>
>> And there are several specialised commercial products that claim to
>> give a 20BHP power increase or to reduce your MPG by fitting this
>> inline filter.
>>
>> I think we've also had some other shining examples of snake oil posted
>> recently too.
>>
>>> Yes there are good reasons to prefer a new tank but you don't get 'brake
>>> pipe patching kits', for example.
>>>
>> Actually you can patch brakepipes with short lengths of new.
>>
>
>
>
> You can also patch the hole where some thieving bastards punched a 
> screwdriver through the bottom of your tank with a petro patch, they're 
> both sensible solutions, if not perfect.



I've done this with a metal cavity wall fixing, a penny washer and some 
plastic padding.  This repair was going strong many years afterwards.

If the leak is due to a perforated tank then I'd certainly err on the side 
of caution an replace it.

On 28 Aug 2005 03:16:48 -0700, "Trevor Smith"  wrote:


>I had this problem a few years back on my old Orion and wanted to do a
>quick repair till I could get a replacement tank, but when I started to
>clean the area I discovered the hole thing was perforated and it was
>onlly the muck and rust that was stopping it leak more, so you may find
>that you have to repair the hole bottom of your tank.


Ok here's my experience of fixing a petrol tank! I'm NOT suggesting anyone do
this btw! I had a oldish bmw and removing the tank is a helluva job as it
straddles the transmisssion tunnel and entails all sorts of things like removing
the exhaust etc. Anyway I could clearly see where the SMALL holes was and it was
due to corrosion. I disconnected the battery, and thoroughly cleaned the area
with a fine-BRASS-wire brush. NB NOT a steel wired one or any ferrous wires of
any wire than will may cause a spark. This list of nono's may well include emery
papers (I don't know) - I wasn't sure so didn't try it. Needless so say the tank
was drained to below the level of the hole! After that, I used a well-mixed coat
of araldite. After 24 hrs setting two other layers. NO PAINT on top. This
allowed anyone in the future to clearly see the "bodge". 

This was an emergency repair only and 1 month later I go hold of a new tank and
fitted it (sigh).

A couple of things...
First of all DO NOT weld the tank. This needs to be done by someone who knows
that he is doing. The tank will probably have to be removed from the vehicle
anyway - and filled with water to remove the vapour. It's the petrol vapour that
is particularly dangerous ie It can explode! The vapour will remain there - EVEN
IN AN EMPTY TANK. That's not to say a full tank is safe of course - it may well
catch fire - then explode. So don't weld it!

Second (as someone has already said), the bodge fix while probably perfectly
adequate (if done well) from preventing a leak (as the petrol tank pressure is
not that high and if the hole is near the top, is not under great pressure from
the weight of fuel), is NOT safe from an impact point of view. This is probably
where the real danger lays. A slight bang/buckle and that patch could (probably
will) fracture or come off completley - and then it's highly dangerous. The only
real safe solution is get a new tank.

I hope this description will not put-off people posting what may well be "dumb"
questions". We can all learn from things like this. Hopfully the OP will have in
this case.

HTH