Fuel Tank Advice Needed Please

[Scotty]

Hmmm I have a dilemma, and could use some help please. I went to install my refurbished fuel tank today and found that one of the front brackets had pulled loose from the tank.

I also hate the paint the shop put on it. I could sand it all down and make it more to my liking, and then either bond or solider the bracket back in place, or should I take it back to the shop?

Thoughts please..

[scott]

The crappy finish wouldn't bother me. It would look like factory but that support bracket I think should have been caught and addressed by a shop doing a tank refurbish

[72Rover]

The tank has two parts: the actual fuel tank and a "saddle" or skid plate that forms the support bracket front and rear. They were not welded, ratheri It was sandwiched together at the factory by some kind of dum-dum or proprietary goo. The two can be separated - at considerable effort, but I wouldn't worry too much about the separation. Fill it with you own mucilage of choice.What you don't want is moisture getting between the two layers of steel so the rust worm can hide out and do its nefarious business. That is the demise of most tanks. When the shop 'hot tanked' the unit, some of the original adhesive came out.

[leafsprung]

the originals are soldered together - the cradle is soldered to the tank etc. to fix it properly would require removing the coating - sandblasting and resoldering. This is why we make new tanks - very time consuming/frustrating process to repair originals. Occasionally we do it on very accurate restorations.

[Yorker]

My old one was completely separated the solder had failed who knows when? I put it back in like that and it lasted another 20 years before I replaced it with a new one due to perpetual rust inside it.

[72Rover]

Still have my original tank - which makes it 50 years old. It has been 'rebuilt' twice. First time was by a local radiator shop. Now it is possible that they used an adhesive between the bottom and the tank proper, or the factory used some sort of asphalt-like substance back in '72. The second time, the shop installed an additional drain port in one corner so that the interior coating could drain out properly. At least to me, it seems that some semi-pliable substance is preferable to something quick and hard-setting like solder. In that regard, nothing is better than 3M's 5200 sealant - the stuff to use if you never, ever want to take it apart ever again.

[Scotty]

I really appreciate everyone's comments, I think I'll refinish the tank to my liking and go with the 3M 5200. One step forward and 2 steps backward, YAY..

Thx Guys

Scotty

[72Rover]

If using 5200, wear gloves. That stuff is nasty and hangs on like grim death....

[Scotty]

Will do thanks!

[64osby]

I used 5200 with tek screws to repair a rusted out wheel well on my son's Escape. Installed stainless panels from scrap laying around. About a year later the vehicle was totaled, hit in the same back corner. Everything was bent up and the glass and hatch were destroyed None of the repairs seams failed.

5200 is awesome if you want it permanent. 4200 is potentially removable.

[Scotty]

I ordered the 5200, If I need to work on the tank down the road I'll replace it with the Pangolin 4X4.

Thank you

Scott

[64osby]

If you don't use the whole tube in one application it will go hard once opened even if it is sealed up. Many have had success with sealing up the tip and freezing the tube. This is a trick from aluminum boat rebuilders that works.

[Scotty]

I'm sure I'm only going to use about a tea spoon worth, so thank you for the advice.

Scott