Plastic gas tank repair

[AlexR 627]

Here is a repair I did to my plastic gas tank on my B100 so this is mainly for the gas tanks in the 73-77 B and C series I believe those are the ones with the gas tank over the battery and the bushing and shutoff on the bottom of the tank.

 

(Edit to add) BEFORE working on the tank throughly wash out the tank, I used soap and water and filled the tank to overflowing several times to make sure any and all fumes are pushed out of the tank. 

 

 You can kinda of see the crack right on the edge of the hole where the light is.

 

The first thing I did was use a utility knife and cut a V on the bottom of the tank where the crack is. 

Then you will need a black ziptie and what I used was a soldering iron. If you have a plastic welding iron that might work too if it has a fine enough tip. 

What I did first before even adding plastic was get the tip of the iron in the bottom of the V to melt together the crack

Then you can start adding plastic using the black ziptie keep the iron in the crack being careful but keeping all the plastic melted so it can properly meld together. 

 

Eventually you will get something like this what I did have to do is roll the round part of the iron in the hole to smooth it out. Be very careful doing this not to enlarge the hole. 

 

I used some petroleum jelly reinstalling the bushing and have had no leaks after several days.

You will need to check it for several days to make sure it's not leaking as well. 

Edited July 3 by AlexR

[Ed Kennell 38,128]

          Excellent how to.     

[ebinmaine 67,413]

5 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

          Excellent how to.     

 

 

 

 

Nice work!

 

 

On the year span. There were late 60s or early 70s models with plastic tanks. Some (maybe all??)  Were red. 

 

 

Thanks for posting this! 

[AlexR 627]

41 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

On the year span. There were late 60s or early 70s models with plastic tanks. Some (maybe all??)  Were red. 

I could be wrong but I believe the only ones with the bushings and the tanks above the battery were the 73-77.

The 72 Raider I just got has the red tank and it appears to just have a nipple on the bottom I have not pulled the fuel hose off to confirm that. 

[ebinmaine 67,413]

2 minutes ago, AlexR said:

I could be wrong but I believe the only ones with the bushings and the tanks above the battery were the 73-77.

The 72 Raider I just got has the red tank and it appears to just have a nipple on the bottom I have not pulled the fuel hose off to confirm that. 

 

 

I believe you are correct 

 

[AlexR 627]

Just now, ebinmaine said:

I believe you are correct 

That said a similar repair method might be able to be used on most of the plastic tanks. 

This just seemed to be a common failure point on this particular tank.

[ebinmaine 67,413]

2 minutes ago, AlexR said:

That said a similar repair method might be able to be used on most of the plastic tanks. 

This just seemed to be a common failure point on this particular tank.

 

 

I've seen pics of a plastic tank with the nipple broken off being repaired a lot like the way you did. 

Obviously wouldn't be as strong given the thickness of the tank bottom there. 

 

[AlexR 627]

2 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

I've seen pics of a plastic tank with the nipple broken off being repaired a lot like the way you did. 

Obviously wouldn't be as strong given the thickness of the tank bottom there. 

 

That seems like it would be much tougher to try to plastic weld a broken nipple back on. 

 

Now that will probably happen to me when I pull that fuel hose off the Raider 

[ranger 1,748]

17 hours ago, AlexR said:

That seems like it would be much tougher to try to plastic weld a broken nipple back on. 

 

Now that will probably happen to me when I pull that fuel hose off the Raider 

If the nipple broke off, you could maybe fit a metal nipple that is held with a nut and sealing washers, or perhaps one of the high pressure tubeless tire valves that fit the same way? Then attach an inline fuel tap?

[mflowers 85]

Nice work! Where did you find that bushing?

[AlexR 627]

6 hours ago, mflowers said:

Nice work! Where did you find that bushing?

You can find them a lot of places I believe I have seen someone say napa has them if you want it locally, you can find them online and Amazon has them as well (which is where I got mine) 

[ebinmaine 67,413]

6 hours ago, mflowers said:

Nice work! Where did you find that bushing?

 

3 minutes ago, AlexR said:

You can find them a lot of places I believe I have seen someone say napa has them if you want it locally, you can find them online and Amazon has them as well (which is where I got mine) 

 

 

After having several of the cheap imported valves and bushings fail I've started ordering from a company called Aircraft Spruce.

Just yesterday evening I discovered another failure. I put a new twist type valve and new bushing in a project tractor two years ago or less and it's completely frozen in place now. Valve won't move one way or the other.

 

The bushings are softer and far much a lot a bunch easier to use. The valves they sell are a 90° lever instead of the old style twist knob.

[AlexR 627]

57 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

 

 

 

After having several of the cheap imported valves and bushings fail I've started ordering from a company called Aircraft Spruce.

Just yesterday evening I discovered another failure. I put a new twist type valve and new bushing in a project tractor two years ago or less and it's completely frozen in place now. Valve won't move one way or the other.

 

The bushings are softer and far much a lot a bunch easier to use. The valves they sell are a 90° lever instead of the old style twist knob.

Yeah I ended up just using the bushing and just reusing the old valve switching out some of the seals from the newer valve. So definitely agree the quality is not as good. The bushing seems to be good so far. 

[Racinbob 11,049]

Those bushings (bungs) are readily available. Usually purchased with a new valve. They do tend to seep after a while and I always replace the valve when I put a new one in. Some of the valves have the screen attached and I don't use those. I just replaced them on the 314 and the 2005 due to minor seeping. In a pinch if you don't have a bung and valve handy you can wiggle and slightly twist them to get it to stop until you get a replacement.

 

1 hour ago, ebinmaine said:

After having several of the cheap imported valves and bushings fail I've started ordering from a company called Aircraft Spruce.

Just yesterday evening I discovered another failure. I put a new twist type valve and new bushing in a project tractor two years ago or less and it's completely frozen in place now. Valve won't move one way or the other.

The bushings are softer and far much a lot a bunch easier to use. The valves they sell are a 90° lever instead of the old style twist knob.

 

 I just looked at those Eric. I like a lot and they are reasonably priced. I'm going to order a couple.

 

As far as the tank over the battery models most all of them, with a few exceptions, had that until they moved the tank under the seat in 78. There were variations such as the nipple molded as part of the tank which I think were older models and, of course, metal tanks. As far as red or black there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason. I'm thinking it was simply what the supplier gave them in that batch. 

[peter lena 8,608]

@AlexR  an inherent crack in a fixed , position is difficult at best to repair . specific / plastic  chemical sealant , also ben using dielectric grease on any rubber / vinyl connection area , the ease of fit , verifies mounting , also makes the valve insersition , smooth / easy . nothing  sarcastic implied , having  replaced all 3 of my  tank valves , was also looking for  a better way to vertical . lift / push  valve in place . did a lot of disimular , O  ring  installations on  production lines , food grade . surprisingly  dielectric grease is rated , FOOD GRADE . have a small hole cutting  kit ? like 6 " long / scale ? cut a gasket to size  .  pete

 

 

 

@ 

[TJN 18]

On 7/3/2024 at 5:19 PM, AlexR said:

I could be wrong but I believe the only ones with the bushings and the tanks above the battery were the 73-77.

The 72 Raider I just got has the red tank and it appears to just have a nipple on the bottom I have not pulled the fuel hose off to confirm that. 

Alex, I have a "no name" '74 with a red plastic tank over the battery, with th nopple as you described.  The shutoff is mounted in the sheet metel on the side near the dash.  Tom

[ebinmaine 67,413]

9 hours ago, TJN said:

Alex, I have a "no name" '74 with a red plastic tank over the battery, with th nopple as you described.  The shutoff is mounted in the sheet metel on the side near the dash.  Tom

 

The No-name series was one year only. 1973. 

From '74 up it would be a Letter series like B, C, etc. 

 

Do you have the model tag from yours? 

 

 

[TJN 18]

13 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

The No-name series was one year only. 1973. 

From '74 up it would be a Letter series like B, C, etc. 

 

Do you have the model tag from yours? 

 

 

Ebinmarine, damn I hate it when you're right!  Seriously, I made a mistake on Alex's entry.  My "no name" is actually a '73, I purchased it 5/19/1973. Model# 1-0460-8, serial# 902592. I guess you gotta be right every now and then! LOL, TOM

[TJN 18]

13 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

The No-name series was one year only. 1973. 

From '74 up it would be a Letter series like B, C, etc. 

 

Do you have the model tag from yours? 

 

 

Ebinmarine, see my note following this one.  TOM

[ebinmaine 67,413]

8 minutes ago, TJN said:

Ebinmarine, damn I hate it when you're right!  Seriously, I made a mistake on Alex's entry.  My "no name" is actually a '73, I purchased it 5/19/1973. Model# 1-0460-8, serial# 902592. I guess you gotta be right every now and then! LOL, TOM

 

 

No worries! 

 

You're the original owner??

NIIIIICE! 

[Handy Don 12,210]

1 hour ago, TJN said:

Ebinmarine, damn I hate it when you're right! 

Interestingly, I don’t much mind other people being right. I don’t like being wrong!

[AlexR 627]

18 hours ago, TJN said:

Ebinmarine, damn I hate it when you're right!  Seriously, I made a mistake on Alex's entry.  My "no name" is actually a '73, I purchased it 5/19/1973. Model# 1-0460-8, serial# 902592. I guess you gotta be right every now and then! LOL, TOM

That is interesting because my '73 no name has the bushing and shutoff valve. But there could be a couple of reasons for that. One could be the gas tank on mine was replaced at some point because I am not a original owner haha. 

Another possibility is they used both tanks in '73

What does seem consistent is red tanks have the nipple, black tanks have the bushing. 

Edited July 21 by AlexR

[sqrlgtr 552]

2 hours ago, AlexR said:

That is interesting because my '73 no name has the bushing and shutoff valve. But there could be a couple of reasons for that. One could be the gas tank on mine was replaced at some point because I am not a original owner haha. 

Another possibility is they used both tanks in '73

What does seem consistent is red tanks have the nipple, black tanks have the bushing. 

My 73 12hp is like this also.

[sqrlgtr 552]

My mistake on 73 12hp I was looking at wrong machine (C-160), and the no name has shut off in the side of dash tower.