Leaking diesel tank

[coromandeljohn]

steel hull and inbuilt diesel tank, absolute pinhole in weld, VERY slight seepage. Interior inaccessible. What about emptying tank, filling with CO2, applying slight vacuum pressure, grinding pinholed weld site and then run a bead over the top? or even araldite? Opinions please.

 

[Rum Run]

how thick is the tank wall? Maybe drill and tap M3, then araldite a short machine screw into that.
Mind you, I have never found ONE pinhole.......

 

[Stemar]

Unless it's been leaking from new, there's corrosion going on, and where there's one hole, I reckon there'll be more soon.

If it's not too hard to get out, I'd bite the bullet and change the tank. A new plastic tank will see you out.

 

[Oily Rag]

It could be a single pinhole or it could be like a lace curtain.

Before splashing out on a new tank, could you drop the fuel level and then either pack the area with Milliput or apply braze/solder to block the hole?

 

[yotter]

If you can get the metal clean enough for it to stick, what about an epoxy coating?

 

[vyv_cox]

I owned a VW diesel camper van. The top of the steel fuel tank became very badly corroded. I took it out of the vehicle, drained the diesel, washed it out with water and brazed patches over the top with oxy acetylene. No problem.

 

[burgundyben]

I owned a VW diesel camper van. The top of the steel fuel tank became very badly corroded. I took it out of the vehicle, drained the diesel, washed it out with water and brazed patches over the top with oxy acetylene. No problem.

I've done it on a Triumph Spitfire petrol tank, wash out with detergent and water, leave in the sun for a bit, sniff test all good, fire up gas torch and brazed the crack.

 

[coromandeljohn]

how thick is the tank wall? Maybe drill and tap M3, then araldite a short machine screw into that.
Mind you, I have never found ONE pinhole.......

part of the hull, right angle weld, but thanks

 

[coromandeljohn]

Unless it's been leaking from new, there's corrosion going on, and where there's one hole, I reckon there'll be more soon.

If it's not too hard to get out, I'd bite the bullet and change the tank. A new plastic tank will see you out.

part of the hull, but thanks

 

[PetiteFleur]

The steel tank leaked when I bought our boat, had to cut it into 3 pieces to remove it and found a previous owner had tried to cure the leaks by epoxy all around the base corners and joints. Obviously hadn't worked - I replaced with a Plastimo plastic tank.