Plastic boat gas tank leak. Fixing a portable marine fuel tank
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- Опубліковано 3 сер 2024
- My 6 gallon plastic marine fuel tank in my boat was leaking gas at the fuel gauge. I try to see if it can be fixed easily and cheaply. If you have a skiff, jon boat, small boat or inflatable boat with a portable gas tank I show you step-by-step what I did to address this dangerous leaking fuel tank and if it worked to fix my portable gas tank so it can go back in service on my boat!
Link to buy the JB Weld I used: amzn.to/32qmi5A
Link to buy a new 6 gallon tank with gauge: amzn.to/35AYQog
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:31 Where my plastic portable marine fuel tank is leaking
00:39 How newer portable fuel tanks work
01:46 Overview of the proposed repair to my boat fuel tank
03:21 Why I chose JB Weld to fix my marine fuel tank
03:46 Cleaning the area to be repaired
06:18 Getting everything ready for the repair
07:28 Mixing up the JB Weld
08:24 Applying the JB weld to the crack in my fuel tank
09:50 Setting time and curing time
10:06 Checking on the repair 24 hours later
11:25 Did the repair work?
13:08 Testing the repair
#plasticfueltankleak #portablefueltankleak #6gallonmarinefueltank
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I have a 10 gallon tank that's leaking around brass fitting where gas line connector screws into the tank. My motor is not running rite. I'm guessing it's sucking air. Or tank loosing pressure??
@@scottcozart8950 Might try some teflon tape on the threads...
Just a note: I live in the tropics where the UV attacks all plastics, so I paint the top and sides with white paint to reflect the heat and save the plastic. 9 years on and still got the same tank
We use to cover the tanks with wet burlap bags
Now that sounds like a good idea.
Thanks for the video. Seeing you use JB Weld made me know I was on the right thought process.
I had a car where the gas tank leaked and I used the same stuff and it worked so it's a good product without a doubt. Enjoying your videos can't wait for your next video ciao ciao.
Wipe down area with acetone, to remove grease , scuff up are to get proper adhesion, tape stuff off you don’t want sealant , use 5200 marine seal , small tube $ 20 bucks at ace hardware. 👍🏼
Great idea. I'll try it. I'm going to use a small cheap art brush to apply the JB weld. Cleaner and more precise and easy to dispose. 😉👍
Well done
I have similar tank.. Mfg name on it is bluskies,..
Same tank, just the fill and connection are in different places. My gauge is also leaking, I can tell by looking at the gauge it's not level,.. Or seated correctly, as if one side has partially popped out. No luck in just pushing it back inwards towards the tank.
Thanks for the great info here.
I will try same repair,.
Each year or maybe more often I drain my tanks like that to clean out any rubbish and water that het in there. I use a priming pump and plastic hose to symphon it out. Set the syphon going and watch it do the work. Also handy for emergency transfer of fuel to the guys that run out of gas out on the water.
I have used jb weld on tanks and run them for years.
Good to know. This has been working like a champ!
Thanks for watching
The “right thing” to do is NOT to dump more plastic in the landfill because a large corporation does a piss poor job designing a product sold to a very large market, and continue rewarding poor engineering with repeat $80 purchase every two years. My personal opinion as an engineer is that “melting the plastic” is not a bad idea at all (since HDPE is thermoplastic and formed by rolling melted liquid plastic around in a mold until it cools). But thermally weld it, not chemically (since HDPE is designed to resist solvents)I think I want to try using HDPE plastic welding rods to melt the cracked fuel gauge ring to the tank. I don’t think the fuel gauge is hdpe, I suspect they used cheap ass ABS because it’s easy to injection mold, but the compatibility with fuel is worse, which is why they have this problem. So plastic welding/melting dissimilar plastics is not ideal from a structural standpoint, but I think it should definitely seal (I have to fix mine tonight!). What I like about plastic welding versus an epoxy is that a plastic welded repair will remain flexible like the original material, versus an epoxy which can crack (or lose bond line with base material). Jb weld is very good, but it’s like comparing two pieces of metal joined with permanent/ construction adhesive versus welding them together
Great points!! The idea of thermally welding it sounds really good! I imagine over time if a plastic becomes brittle or severely damaged by UV etc. that might not be such a great option, but otherwise it sounds awesome!
@@WayneTheBoatGuy It's not a bad option at all, because you are adding brand new plastic and melting/mixing it in with the old brittle/damaged plastic. I already did it on mine and was able to successfully plastic weld the entire cracked (ABS?) plastic ring/gauge to the red HDPE tank surface using HDPE filer plastic rods. By adding plastic, I was able to build it up very nicely (similar to what you did by adding resin). I was standing on the tank while it was full to pressure test it, and no leaks. I'm thoroughly convinced that either solution is better than the job the factory did with these. I was also interested to see they now offer a version of this tank without the gauge (it appears to be the same roto-mold, but the hole in the HDPE is not punched out). (See attwood 8806LP2 ASIN: B07MG89FGX), and it is much less expensive as well.
Up until this boat, the tanks were always either 3 gallon or 6 gallon and lifting wasn't a problem so I always put them on the ground and then just lifted them onto the boat. I just found out that all plastic tanks have to be placed on the ground (or grounded dock) while being filled and I happened to be doing it right. This is a problem now that I have a 12 gallon tank in an old Whaler because of the weight of the 12 gallons ( and my age). What is the safe way to be able to fill an on deck plastic gas tank (for an outboard) while it is on the boat? Thanks.
I found gasket maker in a roll. Just cut to size. I added a dab of fuel and pressed to imprint the shape. Cut out and permatex gasket maker to help seal. Good as new.
Going to add J.B.weld to my boat gear. Dangerous or not in an emergency this video may get someone safely back to shore some day.
@@paulmoore3006 "Dangerous . . . safely . . ."
@@nunliski how is this not safe?
@@paulmoore3006 You tell me. You are the one who called it both dangerous and safe lol
I have a question, I always use external gas tank for my 6hp outboard tohatsu motor when I fish in lakes or in ocean. When I fish in ocean, there's big risk for water to get into the air vent- and into my external tank and cause my outboard to shut down, is there any way to prevent it? Tried to find some info online but can't find any legitimate information.
Put on a second layer of jb weld.
Hi! I hope that you and your family are good....my question is how can I make the acrylic of the fuel level be clear again?
That's a good question. If it's plastic, it might be discolored from the fuel and not able to be restored. But there might be something that can make it better - but I'm not sure what to recommend.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy thanks a lot and God bless you!
bug spray. it cleared mine up.
Do u think that stuff would work on the connector to the fuel line ? Mine was leaking today the old sealent melted on the threading to the connector
It might - if it's a hard plastic or metal.
They boat shops think your buying gold !!! It cost me 80.00 for a 3 gal tank! I had a 6 we ith no top now I have a top and fittens.😂
Did this work? I have the exact same situation and Water got in my gas over the summer not sure if it made it through the crack, but gas did come out of it when it slashes around.
When I sold this boat over a year later, it was still holding up.
I was thinking about using JB Weld along the horizontal seams of the plastic tank. Overkill?
I would only use it for repairs if they are leaking. If there is a seam that leaks, that could also be the plastic itself is near the end of it's usefulness or might need to be "plastic welded"
Well it's been awhile, is the JB weld still holding true with 0 leaks
I sold the boat in September, but visited it in October and it was still good!
How has it held up? Thank you.
It held up great! I have since sold that boat(and the tanks), but got to visit it several months later, and it was still fine.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy thanks for getting back. Good to know. I just purchased a new tank for what I call cheap, from Bass Pro for $40 but used points for no cost. The clear lens on the cap of my 1996 Quicksilver tank, was coming off. I suspect the adhesive that held it to the body of the cap, was disolved over time as a result of the spot welded float guage coming off the bottom of the cap around 1997 which allowed fumes to be able to get through to he top of the cap. I contemplated mixing some JB Weld around the top edge of the cap to secure the lens back and then finding a replacement cap. It was too much change getting a cap that actually was a replacement bc I had no part numbers or anything. Plus the old original gray fuel line (which was fine on the inside) was no longer flexible and needed to be replaced; so I ordered the tank then got some 3/8" fuel hose and clamps from NAPA. Nice thing about the new tank is the cap is a different design and will not have to be concerned with the same thing happening again.
did you replace the black filler cap sir?
trackrunner11 - I did not. Do they tend to leak there as well?
@@WayneTheBoatGuy - I asked this because i was concerned that the cap is not breathing. No ,I'm not being sarcastic but I was under the impression that the tank should be allowed to release its pressure through the cap just like a radiator cap for example..I'm asking this information because of a similar situation;please advise.
@@trackrunner11 I think (not positive) but the older-style caps allowed airflow, but newer style caps and tanks are designed to expand so as not to release as much fuel vapors in the air. If there is a problem with it not getting air coming in, the tank would stop pumping fuel to the engine or get sucked in. Mine, after the repair worked as intended.
Did yoy replace the cap sir?
the cap seemed to be fine - my leak was very prominent around the gauge
In my opinion, the venting on the older tanks ( pre- EPA ) was not a problem . I understand with millions of automobiles on the highways venting could be a problem BUT recreational boating is no big deal for anyone except the EPA ....... Total BS !!!!
I know environmental regulations can be a big hassle, and I remember the 1970s when people were buying lead additives for their cars, and cutting off their catalytic converters. And even though there are far less boats than cars, in an area like where I live, there are probably 1,000 boats around my short little river and every little bit of pollution reduction does help.
@@WayneTheBoatGuy except they new tanks leak worse, same with ventless carry jugs. They spill gas everywhere.
Cars tanks leaks and the owners must the time don't know, and the worse thing about cars on fire is no water around. Must negative comments come from people who never build or fix anything.
Put it in the sun for a while then test it again.