Gas Tank Leak repair what are my options??

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JeffreyLee

JeffreyLee

1965 Barracuda
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I was sawzall-ing my exhaust from the underside of my 65 barracuda. This is why:
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I broke through the exhaust pipe and the blade lunged forward and just pierced my gas tank. There is a nice steady little stream of gas that I am catching until it runs out. How do I repair that spot without removing my tank and without welding the hole shut....I don't weld, plus its a tank full of gas! Any kind of patch material that would work?
Thanks Guys
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In New York the gas company had something they called Dum Dum to seal gas leaks. We tried it on a gas tank leak and it worked. If it was me I would think about buying a new tank if it's the original or emptying tank and have someone professionally seal it. Gas fumes have to be eliminated before any heat is applied to it.
 
Nothing like a new tank !!!
Just be sure to keep your old lock ring,the ones with new tank are junk.
 
You probably dumped the oil before the you put the JB weld on the oil pan. Problem with gas leak won't dry up and will dissolve the epoxy before it dries.
 
oil was drained but the oil pan was still on car when i jb'd it. i had my torsion bars really low and hit a piece of dried concrete stuck to the road. the dealer wanted 700 bucks to fix it in 1988. the jb weld was 3 dollars, im sure if the gas tank is finished draining it would be worth a shot to try the jb. if it works great! if it doesnt 150.00 for a new tank. no biggie
 
Looks like you need a new tank and not just a band aid. Do it right, do it once and buy a new tank.
 
Bar of soap. Very temp but works. It can be welded. Has to come out and done professionally
 
J B Weld First empty the tank bone dry, put some JB Weld the one that comes as a liquid you mix togather. Sand the the area around the hole, brake cleaner it wipe it down, Mix the JB and patch it up.you have to wait at least a day before adding any gas. I did this 2 years ago and still no leaks. But if you want a new tank early abodies on ebay i have gotten for 65.00 bucks shipped
 
Put a screw in it with a rubber washer. It's worked for me on old small engine fuel tanks. I would only do that temporarily while waiting for a new tank to arrive.
 
Ive JB welded them and Epoxied them with mixed results. The best results was obtained with JB and some epoxy over it. It worked for several years (while I owned the car) and the hole was in about the same place, exactly the size of the end of a welding rod (don't ask). That said, while I have repaired some I would replace the tank today.

I have welded some and then epoxied or JB over that. Yes there are precautions but it isn't all that had. The bigger problem is that the tanks are thin and can be a real challenge to weld; end up making a larger hole.
 
IF you decide to go with an epoxy, JB Weld is not impervious to gasoline. You need something that is specifically formulated to withstand gasoline. There are epoxies specifically made to use repairing gas tanks. One of those would be your best bet if you decide to go that route.

That said, a new tank is probably the best idea. They are not that expensive.
 
In about 72 I patched a tank with GE brand RTV. It was still intact in about 77, last time I saw the car. All we did was scrub the crap out of the tank with gas coming out "for solvent" and jacked it up so the fuel was below the leak, and smeared it on, let it set overnight
 
If the sawzall blade punctured the tank that easily the tank is rotten anyway. If the tank was in decent condition the blade would have just bent or deflected to the side.

Time for a new tank.
 
under 200 and you got a new tank.keep lock ring and sending unit as you will need to reuse them
 
Slantsix64 said:
J B Weld First empty the tank bone dry, put some JB Weld the one that comes as a liquid you mix togather. Sand the the area around the hole, brake cleaner it wipe it down, Mix the JB and patch it up.you have to wait at least a day before adding any gas. I did this 2 years ago and still no leaks. But if you want a new tank early abodies on ebay i have gotten for 65.00 bucks shipped
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Agree with this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"don't try to weld or solder it w/o removing the fumes !!!!!!!"
 
Google spider patch.
Loctite has a gas tank repair kit also.
I have used both and they work well. Best repair is replacing tank.
I just priced one for my ‘65. $300 canadian.
 
I've used some stuff called Seal All. It works on Gasoline, which was the application I used it in. Problem is you have a open void. If it were me I'd find a self tapping screw bigger than your puncture, get a punch the correct under size for the screw, punch it to make a hole that folds the metal inward for more thread engagement and then seal all the threads and put it in then coat the head. Seal All out gasses to dry so it shrinks and is relatively clear. Or buy a new tank.

Seal-All
 
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