Well the reason I brought this one up was the fact a local boy was burned very badly when his father gave him this advice. His father still remained convinced that his boy did not fill the tank the whole way with water and that was the reason it blew up. He ended up in intensive care with 3rd degree burns covering 70% of his body. SO PLEASE everyone use EXTREME caution when dealing with. BAD advice can end you up in the hospital..so take all repair ideas with a grain of salt before you attempt them.
----- Original Message -----
From: Neil Thorpe
Sent: Wednesday, December 18, 2002 6:29 AM
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: IML: Myths..Gas tank repair
The correct way to weld a fuel tank is to have it chemically cleaned and certificated,
this can usually be done by a radiator repairer, it is not expensive and guarantees
a clean safe tank.
Neil. 82 Imp London.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2002 8:14 PM
Subject: Re: IML: Myths..auto that is.
7. You can weld a gas tank..just fill it with water. NOT!
Water does not work too well because you can still have a few droplets of gasoline inside, and in any case the inner tank surface will have a gasoline film that persists.
I have flame welded or brazed gas tanks lots of times. I use the official US Army procedure to do it safely.
After draining the tank and blowing it dry, connect the inlet of the tank to the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle. The vehicle must be running at normal temperature - do not connect anything until the exhaust is hot. A diesel is best but a gasoline engine is OK, too, if the engine is running properly. Let the hot exhaust gases waft thru the tank for a suitable period of time. The warm, oxygen depleted gases help evaporate any gasoline left inside.
After a good purge, you are good to go.
Don't try this at home if you are in any way unsure about your skills or this technique.
John
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