It's all gone horribly wrong!

After much sniffing of petrol fumes the source of the wafting high has been discovered. The bend radius of the fuel tank is obviously on the limits and this one has fractured. Fuel is weeping from the offside rear of the tank approximately 25-45mm in from the corner. The reason it has taken time to find the problem is because the neoprene, that the tank is mounted on, has been happily getting stoned on the leaking fuel. Finally the glue has dissolved and the neoprene anti-vibe mat can now be rung out like a wet sponge. With this stuff out of the way the weeping area is much easier to discovered. It's a gentle weep from what must be a hair line fracture in the aluminium. Some one didn't check the alloy thickness / bend radius charts or the wrong grade of alloy has been used and its all gone very very wrong.

This is going to create weeks (if not months) of work as the whole body has to be lifted off the car to remove the fuel tank.

So the run to Le Mans 2011 has been CANCELLED. Maybe 2012

Suddenly no one here is holding there breath for 2012 either.

Saturday morning: spent checking torques, trims, tracking and rakes ready for a first drive around the Priory Lodge private roads

Sunday morning: spent working out how to strip the whole damn car back to it's chassis to remove the fuel tank just to start the work all over again

Anyone got any ideas on how to permaently seal up an alloy fuel tank without removal?

Bad news...

POR-15 make a tank sealant, but you will need to turn the tank over this way and that to get the liquid into all the corners...

Bummer!

Access may still be the issue for you, but I had to patch my alloy tank after changing the fuel gauge sender. I cut a plate of ally and made a suitable gasket, then rivetted it over the hole with a bit of fuel resistant sealant for good measure. Admittedly this was on a flat surface and not an edge, but it should still work if you can make/bend a suitable ally plate. It did leave some swarf in the tank which was a PITA to remove and I suspect I didn't get it all out, but then the fuel filters are there for a reason. It did however save removing the tank and avoided having to weld a tank with fuel/fuel vapour in it.

How/where is the tank located?

if it sits on a pair of steel rails that are non structural cant you chop them off from underneath, and drop the tank out of the bottom. Then make up some new brackets so that the chopped out rails can be bolted back in once you lift the tank back up into place?

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Originally posted by Davey D
How/where is the tank located?

if it sits on a pair of steel rails that are non structural cant you chop them off from underneath, and drop the tank out of the bottom. Then make up some new brackets so that the chopped out rails can be bolted back in once you lift the tank back up into place?

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If you can see where the crack is, you could apply a coat of resin to patch it, and do a proper repair over the winter.

PETROL FUEL TANK CRACKED LEAKING REPAIR KIT FOR ALFA | eBay UK

Any help?

[Edited on 11/4/11 by scudderfish]

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Originally posted by scudderfish
PETROL FUEL TANK CRACKED LEAKING REPAIR KIT FOR ALFA | eBay UK

Any help?

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cut the tank up into chunks to remove it from below, and get another made that can be fitted from below. Not a cheap option but mean you have a non bodged repair, and easier access next time it needs to come out

Neat idea Austen. Think that will be the ultimate answer for next winter when I'm planning further project upgrades anyway. Patch now trash later.... vengence is mine

Yep this was my thoughts too.

Bryn at Alifab will make you a tank to your precise dimensions and top quality.

http://allyfab.co.uk/

No connection other than a very satisfied customer.

- Jim

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Originally posted by MK9R
cut the tank up into chunks to remove it from below, and get another made that can be fitted from below. Not a cheap option but mean you have a non bodged repair, and easier access next time it needs to come out

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Thinking further, how big is the filler neck and/or sender hole - can you get your hands inside to run some sealant along the inside? Or maybe bond a bit of ally angle inside and out for good measure?

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Originally posted by nick205
Thinking further, how big is the filler neck and/or sender hole - can you get your hands inside to run some sealant along the inside? Or maybe bond a bit of ally angle inside and out for good measure?

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