# gas tank leak and por 15



## sirtokesalot (May 15, 2008)

i have a leak around the seam on my tank due to rust. could i simply clean the tank from the outside and brush the por15 over the rust and pinholes or do i really have to drop the tank and coat it from the inside? i could reach the problem area with the tank on the car and really dont want to have to drop the tank. ive been doing a temporary repair for the last few years now once a year using a jb weld product but every year the issue seems to be a little worst than the last.


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

Nothing is going to stick long as it continues to rust, that is why JB weld is not lasting.

Suggest that you buy a product made to seal leaky gas tanks. They will be available at you local car parts stores.

BG


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

Personally, I would get a new tank if possible.


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## sirtokesalot (May 15, 2008)

por 15 is for fixing gas tanks its designed to be put on over rust and it seals rust permanently. the reason im asking about this method is because when people use por 15 to seal a gas tank usually the tank is removed from the car then treated with a metal ready cleaner and after cleaning you pour the por15 inside the tank and coat the inside of the tank with por 15. i really dont want to drop the tank and i can access my rust/leak spot without dropping the tank so i was wondering if it would work if coated from the outside of the tank. POR-15 Fuel Tank Sealer a new tank is close to 600 dollars for my car and im not willing to drop a 600 dollar tank into a car that might onyl last another 2 or 3 years before it falls apart. the car has close to 300,000 miles on it.

also the jb weld product i was using says for fixing gas tanks on the package and it does seal the tank for about a year. however after about a year gas starts seeping from around the repair and requires me to scrape it off and re-apply the jb weld product. each year the pin holes are a little larger than they were last year.


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## joeten (Dec 4, 2008)

There must be a logical reason for doing it in the prescribed manner, you could suck it and see but I would follow the correct procedure.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Sealants designed for eth tank may or may not work, I have never personally used them I have always just replaced tthe tank


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## sirtokesalot (May 15, 2008)

well i just scraped the old patch off and put another gas tank patch on it like last time. it should be fine for another half a year to a year.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Might or migh not be, never knwo , my advice is keep a CLOSE eye on it, watch or ANY seepagem, if you see any DO NOT operate the car at all, until you reapair or replace the tank


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## sirtokesalot (May 15, 2008)

i cant promise anything. ive been driving it with the leak for almost 5 years. to be honest now its still leaking theres a new leak now higher up on the tank i did not know about before because i could never fill it this full before so tomorrow im going to try to see if i can lower the tank enough without unhooking anything to reach and patch that spot.


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## kendallt (Feb 21, 2007)

Sealall gas and oil, yellow tube with red lettering. Best thing for a gas tank. The label says 'apply to clean dry surface', but I have never had a problem with gas or diesel still leaking while repair was made. 
get rid of the loose rust, apply the sealall, and 90% of the time you're done. With big holes, it should be considered temporary, but I have had it last for years on holes that needed a sheet metal patch over them. 
It works for water and other things as well, but it's a hard glue, so doesn't last long on flexible surfaces. (water bed repairs only last a couple weeks for example, but works)


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## sirtokesalot (May 15, 2008)

i saw that stuff at autozone but i got the permatrex fuel tank repair stuff.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Once I completely filled a gas tank and welded it I do NOT recomend doin that unless you know EXACTLY what your doing cauise it CAN lead to a VERY bad day.

Lets just say I'll NEVER do that again EVER


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## sirtokesalot (May 15, 2008)

well ive been spending the morning at attempiting to patch the top half now. i found a bunch more pin holes i could reach and got the patch over them then found a spot on the tank that was turning darker so i had to syphon some gas out and put some patch over that spot now too. hopefully tonite ill be able to put the gas back in.


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## sirtokesalot (May 15, 2008)

well i put the gas back in the tank and found another hole i missed while i was patching before and of coarse it was right there next to where the patch i made before ended i just dident patch it far enough. put some more patch on it and as of now it looks like the leak has stopped. by the time im done with it it will be more patch than tank. i have 10 gallons in it right now and tomarrow im going to drive it around and find out if its sloshing out anywhere while driving. i might get brave and try to fill it up its only another 3 gallons before its full worst case scenario ill have to siphon it back out.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

sirtokesalot: Ever hear, "Full tanks don't blow, empty tanks blow." Yes, if it's not too cold out you can throw a lit match into a full tank and it will go out (WARNING- Don't try this at home). What you're dealing with is fumes which are highly ignitable. Fuel tank fixes are fine for minor pin holes. Your tank sounds like it's beyond that stage and needs replacement.


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## sirtokesalot (May 15, 2008)

the tank is very far gone yes but its currently not leaking so its fine. im not throwing out 630 dollars to get a new tank to run a car another year or 2 at most. im expecting the winter to finish the car off if it makes it throgh this winter next winter will definitely do it ive got nearly 300,000 miles on the car and 20+ years of new england salty roads rusting it away. the pinch welds are gone there's holes in the floors rear bumper is actually tied on with rope it just looks to be in good shape because the rust is all on the bottom of the car.


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

What kind of car is it? Don't see many with 300K on them.

Have you checked on a used tank?

BG


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

sirtokesalot said:


> the tank is very far gone yes but its currently not leaking so its fine. im not throwing out 630 dollars to get a new tank to run a car another year or 2 at most. im expecting the winter to finish the car off if it makes it throgh this winter next winter will definitely do it ive got nearly 300,000 miles on the car and 20+ years of new england salty roads rusting it away. the pinch welds are gone there's holes in the floors rear bumper is actually tied on with rope it just looks to be in good shape because the rust is all on the bottom of the car.


If the tank needs that many patches, I highly recomend replaceing no matter what the cost, either the tank or tha car
And a tank shouldnt; cost $630
Give me the year make and model and let me see if I can find one for you


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## kendallt (Feb 21, 2007)

Sounds like a car that has spent time sitting in tall grass. Driving on salty/slushy roads does less damage than parking in tall grass. I have an 84 f150 that's the same way, On a walk-around it looks like a new truck, from underneath it's rusted out, frame included, all from being parked in tall grass for a couple years.


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## sirtokesalot (May 15, 2008)

its a 1987 bmw 528e


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

You know that BMW stands for Big Money Wasted :>)

BG


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

I thought it was bring Me wrenchs


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

sirtokesalot....
Look at this, they are used, but I bet they are intact
BMW 528e Gas Tank | Used Auto Parts


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## sirtokesalot (May 15, 2008)

Basementgeek said:


> You know that BMW stands for Big Money Wasted :>)
> 
> BG



you can say that all you want but this 27 year old car has given me over 150,000 miles of reliable driving with just basic care" oil change trans fluid change tires and brakes its never once left me stranded always started when i needed it id say that means it was money well spent. you cant tell me a gm car is going to do the same for me. id never own a new bmw but the old ones are not all that expensive to maintain some items are expensive but most of the things that fail commonly are stupid parts that can ither be bypassed or replaced for cheap and i do all the work myself. id never own an American car there all cheap garbage recycled plastic junk just itching to break down before they can reach 100,000 let alone 300,000. these old bmw's were built to last and are rather simple/easy to work on. to be honest if the body wasent rotting away like it is id be willing to bet this car could go another 200,000 miles without engine work many people on the mye28 forum have old bmw's like min with over half a million miles on the original engine.


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

US cars are a lot better than they used to be. My 86 Toyota ran good, but the frame rusted out at about 150K. My old 82 GMC van had close to 250-260K and we got rid of it
solely because we no longer drove it.

BG


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

As BG said, American cars have gotten better. A lot of models in the BMW line are no longer "The Ultimate Driving Machine" because to cater to American tastes, they've taken away performance for a more luxury oriented clientèle. Most of the owners would never know the difference as they've never gone beyond 6/10ths.


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## sirtokesalot (May 15, 2008)

id never own a new bmw there's too many electronics in them to fail that are necessary to the vehicles running right. i got mine for 550 bucks and its given me over 150,000 miles so far does not burn or leak oil still has original a/c stuff that works. the only stuff on the car not original is the front control arms and tie rods. tires and brakes have obviously been changed when needed as well. every sensor on the car is original except the o2 sensor and they all work. the cars biggest issue is leaking gas tank and rust.


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

All cars any more will have tons of electronics, naturally some more than others. Got to admit newer cars run so much better than old cars.

BG


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Basementgeek said:


> All cars any more will have tons of electronics, naturally some more than others. Got to admit newer cars run so much better than old cars.
> 
> BG


Really? My 01 wrangler has a 1943 153 CID under eth hood and I'll put it against any modern car for running smooth 
( but then I know a few things too so.....)


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

I'd be checking local salvage yards on the tank.......the $600 price for a new one is real....yikes!! 

My old beastie has 253K and still sounds and runs good......but, I'm at a point where anything major will be the end of it. I'll keep it as a 'hauler' as long as the repairs are cheap and I can do the work myself......a 1 ton Club Wagon comes in handy at times.


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## Corday (Mar 3, 2010)

wolfen1086 said:


> Really? My 01 wrangler has a 1943 153 CID under eth hood and I'll put it against any modern car for running smooth
> ( but then I know a few things too so.....)


I had a '66 CJ5 with that engine (Hurricane 4). Everyone envied at how I got through snowstorms. What they didn't know was it took two cans of Drygas per tank to get the fuel all the way to the carb.

EDIT: Almost forgot how an "L" head needed valve adjustment every 15K or so.


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

wolfen1086 said:


> Really? My 01 wrangler has a 1943 153 CID under eth hood and I'll put it against any modern car for running smooth
> ( but then I know a few things too so.....)


Who/why in the world would you put a WWII engine in 2001? Running smooth is not hard to accomplish, I doubt you know any secrets. To get a small engine to perform well, it needs electronic. Who even made engines in 1943 except for the military?

I bet a tank from a salvage yard will be cheaper and better shape. If the tank where in poor condition they would have sold for it scrap.

BG


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