help me please!

[facio57]

hi everyone, i have a serious problem! i came out of class and noticed that my gas tank was leaking fuel! i drove home as fast as i could and wiped it with a towel only to now see a small stream shooting out of my tank.  it is a very small hole and at the bottom so of course i have to basically wait for all my gas to drain before i can do anything, is that right?  any suggestions on what to do to make it stop and then to patch it up? i currently just have a bucket under there catching all that gas ...  thanks guys!

~facio

[mike_mike]

JB weld for a short term (or long term?) fix maybe.

[NightRyder]

Unless the hole should be there ( I dont think so.. ) Then it's either a leak around the gas outlet, or an actual hole. If it's the last one, then fix it up temporarily (unless you are ok with a long term temp fix) and get another tank.

[gsmetal]

Oh yea..and don't smoke.

[facio57]

hey what do u guys think if i cover the hole with some 5 minute epoxy?  will the gas eat through the epoxy u think?

~facio

[Phaedrus]

JB weld for a short term (or long term?) fix maybe.

+1 for JB Weld. JB Weld is great stuff and works on almost anything you can imagine, including fuel tanks. It is also cheap and easy, you can find it at walmart for less than $4.

[john]

JB weld for a short term (or long term?) fix maybe.

+1 for JB Weld. JB Weld is great stuff and works on almost anything you can imagine, including fuel tanks. It is also cheap and easy, you can find it at walmart for less than $4.

Yea but that's a very temporary solution.  Getting a new tank or a bone yard tank is the best.

[GeeP]

I'd either repair it properly (welding), or replace it.

If it springs a leak while you're going down the road there is a very good chance it will envelop you in a fireball.  Not a pretty thought.

[facio57]

wait i won't relaly go up in flames will i?  where can i get it welded? will any auto shop do it, or do i have to go somewhere specific? thanks guys!

~facio

[Bluebellylint]

I had a hole in my tank and just patched it with some epoxy that was gas resistant. It has worked so far

[Phaedrus]

Gasoline + Sparks = Combustion. Without the combustion, your engine wouldn't work. But it is controlled. Without it being controlled, it could be extremely dangerous of course.   John and GeeP are right, get it repaired properly or replace the tank. That is the long term solution. But if you just need to plug it temporarily, JB Weld is still a good bet. It is better than leaving a trail of gasoline everywhere you go, and it keeps the flammable liquid where it belongs - inside the tank, not all over the place where it could be a hazzard.

[GeeP]

wait i won't relaly go up in flames will i?  where can i get it welded? will any auto shop do it, or do i have to go somewhere specific? thanks guys!

You bet your butt you can go up in flames!

Take it to a welding shop.  Not all welding shops will weld on fuel tanks, so if they won't do it ask who will.  Expect to pay a premium for the service.  Special precautions must be taken.

[pandy]

Get those tanks welded or replaced. This is a serious problem! You KNOW it's serious when Suzuki recalls almost all of its SV's and SVS's from Cali from '03 - '06 due to the possibility of fumes/leaks catching on fire. In fact, the dealers recommended that we PARK our bikes 'til they were fixed.

We don't want crispy-critter Twinnerz!!!! 

[perfdrug]

i would imagine any auto-body place would do it too. you can mess up so much on a car that they've had to have welded gas tanks before. I'd take the tank off the car, throw it in your trunk and take it to the auto-shop. make sure you know where the leak is, and make sure the tank is totally empty.

i've "run out" of gas while riding before, only to find there still be gas in the tank - and i know other people have too. Shake that Buddha Loves You out.

[Ed89]

It happened to me.  Here's what I did, which is not the same as what is the best approach.

(1) Removed the tank and drained.
(2) Cleaned around the hole or all rust with sand paper and Dremel.  It made the hole bigger, of course.  Removed a small area of paint as well for adhesion.
(3) Applied JB Weld.  Let dry and mount tank.
(4) Rode around for a few weeks to make sure the JB Weld would hold.
(5) Por-15ed the tank inside.
(6) On the outside, sanded the JB weld to almost flush (the sanding revealed what looked to be a decent bond), then applied a patch of POR-15 over it as well to prevent rust.
(7) While at it, also sanded some external spots that was showing signs of rust and Por-15ed that as well.

Been two years or more and the fix still works.  I plan to paint the tank (OK, have been planing for over a year now ) but don't plan to redo the JB weld.

Just my $0.02.


Cheers,
e.