Plastic gas tank leaks...what can I seal it with?

[STROIL]

I'm hoping one of you smart fellers out there can help me with this...

I have a snapper push mower with a briggs and stratton engine. The engine has a plastic gas tank that has begun leaking at one spot on the seam where the two halves of it was glued or plastic-welded together at the factory.

I tried to glue closed a puncture hole in an old plastic gasoline jug a few years ago with a variety of things: epoxy, jb weld, some stuff called plumbers "goo" and silicone. None of them worked. Granted, there are lots of different types of plastic, and the gas jug and my mower's gas tank might be completely different types of plastic.

Do any of you know of any kind of glue or solvent that I can use to seal up the seam in this mower's gas tank? How about some of the gas tank liner products? I know they work on old rusty metal gas tanks on tractors and motocycles and such. Do they work on plastic gas tanks?

Thanks for any advice.

 

[sailfast]

There is a epoxy specifically for gas tanks.

You should look onto just plastic welding it. Should be the easiest and most reliable repair.

 

[art]

There is a epoxy specifically for gas tanks.

You should look onto just plastic welding it. Should be the easiest and most reliable repair.

I second that!

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have fixed my tractor HDPE fuel tank with JB Weld and it is almost 2 years now and still holding fine. You have to rough up the area a bit and clean it with acetone several times to get all the waxy/ oily residue off. It will hold if you roughen the area and clean it well.

 

[JerryHondo]

Sailfast is right.
Most gas tanks (or water tanks like on an RV) are made from Polypropylene. It is one of those plastics that don't bond. Kinda like the Teflon coated fry pans, nothing sticks. The only way to have it truly 'repaired' is to weld it. No glue, epoxy or silicone will stick. As a matter of fact, if you buy a package of epoxy, sometimes it comes with a stirring stick - made of Polypro and the epoxy just peals off after it is dry. :laughing:
The plastic guys weld it will hot air and a small piece of the same material. My brother-in-law cut a tiny piece of the mounting bracket off of his, and heated it up - very hot, almost melting, and pushed it onto the hole. You might need to heat up the gas tank also, empty would be advised. Kinda like you would do with a piece of nylon rope to keep it from unraveling.
Harbor Freight also offers a small plastic welding kit for about $17.00 that could fix this problem.
Or...buy a new tank.

 

[sam5570]

I have fixed my tractor HDPE fuel tank with JB Weld and it is almost 2 years now and still holding fine. You have to rough up the area a bit and clean it with acetone several times to get all the waxy/ oily residue off. It will hold if you roughen the area and clean it well.

same here i patched a gas tank over 5 years ago with jb weld and still good today.

 

[PILOON]

I have used a soldering iron and melt surrounding area a bit so as to blend the crack together.
I also have used hot glue sticks as that mixes in fairly well. I believe the glue sticks are the same material as the tanks.
Do a test on a mounting tab to verify that the glue stick blends and adheres B4 tackling the actual leak point.
Be sure to clean the surface of any oils as that will deter adhesion, lacquer thinner should do the trick.

 

[yomax4]

Easy to find out what it's made of. Call manufacturer or google it. In any event, Pick up a few sticks of that same material that we use for plastic welding. Use a solder iron, Heatgun with small nozzle and a screw driver or small putty knife. It is as easy as it sounds. heat and smear or fill it in like you are soldering. Or as stated above, Cut a small piece from another area of the tank and use it to fix the hole. Pretty sure it's either HDPE, ( high density polyethylene), LDPE ( Low Density ) both use the same rod. Or Poplypropylene. Harbor freight has rods or contact the Seyle co. This is a fun repair. Good Luck.