I picked up a Hilltopper a few months back and it had a few things wrong with it, but everything was easily fixed. It's not pretty, but it ran well and the fuel tank didn't leak --
That is, until my brother-in-law laid it down at Windber. The fuel tank started leaking later that night. I doubt that it was REALLY his fault.
When I pulled the tank off, there was a small spot worn through just behind the first bolt hole. Someone had placed studs in this tank years ago and it looked like they had attempted to fix it then and it appears to have worked to some extent. But now it looks like that repair job had failed and it was time to do it again.
The problem is that you can't seal these tanks. For one, there is a screen filter inside that would get clogged. The other problem is that polyethylene doesn't bond very well with other materials. Any liner you put inside it would likely peel off over time anyway. The only real option was to plastic weld or solder it.
Here's the spot where the gas was weaping from
I used to Kayak and remembered some videos online about patching cracks and holes in the plastic. After watching a few videos, I felt confident enough that I could make it work. You can pick up a rod of Polyethylene for a few bucks. I ordered this stick from Amazon for about $5 shipped.
The first thing I needed to do was see where the leak was coming from inside. Obviously, patching the wrong spot wouldn't help. I peered inside and it looks like there is a crack on the inside of the mounting stud here.
I removed the studs from the bottom of the tank and started out by getting the bottom of the tank good and hot, so the new plastic would stick to the old plastic.
Next, I cut a few thin slices from the plastic rod and started laying it in place where I wanted to place the patches. I also filled the hole with thin strips as well.
Then I started working that new plastic into the old. My old electrical soldering iron probably wasn't the best tool for this, but it did the job. It just took longer than it would have normally taken. You can pick up a proper plastic soldering iron for about $20 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Elec...=1467416630&sr=8-1&keywords=plastic+soldering).
After
It wasn't the prettiest, but you can trim the excess off with a razor blade.
I also worked on the small strips I cut and stuff in the bolt hole. I used the tip of the iron to go in a circular motion and make sure it was evenly coated inside. After I was certain I had hit all the problem spots, I placed a new stud in it. I know it used lags originally, but I feel like the taller thread would be problematic for my new patch job. Besides, once it's on the bike, no one will be able to tell.
I then filled it with gas and it checks out fine! No more leaks! If you still have a leak afterwards, just pour the gas out and give it a few hours to air out before trying again.
I admit, it's not the prettiest job, but it worked. I'll take it!
That is, until my brother-in-law laid it down at Windber. The fuel tank started leaking later that night. I doubt that it was REALLY his fault.
When I pulled the tank off, there was a small spot worn through just behind the first bolt hole. Someone had placed studs in this tank years ago and it looked like they had attempted to fix it then and it appears to have worked to some extent. But now it looks like that repair job had failed and it was time to do it again.
The problem is that you can't seal these tanks. For one, there is a screen filter inside that would get clogged. The other problem is that polyethylene doesn't bond very well with other materials. Any liner you put inside it would likely peel off over time anyway. The only real option was to plastic weld or solder it.
Here's the spot where the gas was weaping from
I used to Kayak and remembered some videos online about patching cracks and holes in the plastic. After watching a few videos, I felt confident enough that I could make it work. You can pick up a rod of Polyethylene for a few bucks. I ordered this stick from Amazon for about $5 shipped.
The first thing I needed to do was see where the leak was coming from inside. Obviously, patching the wrong spot wouldn't help. I peered inside and it looks like there is a crack on the inside of the mounting stud here.
I removed the studs from the bottom of the tank and started out by getting the bottom of the tank good and hot, so the new plastic would stick to the old plastic.
Next, I cut a few thin slices from the plastic rod and started laying it in place where I wanted to place the patches. I also filled the hole with thin strips as well.
Then I started working that new plastic into the old. My old electrical soldering iron probably wasn't the best tool for this, but it did the job. It just took longer than it would have normally taken. You can pick up a proper plastic soldering iron for about $20 on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Elec...=1467416630&sr=8-1&keywords=plastic+soldering).
After
It wasn't the prettiest, but you can trim the excess off with a razor blade.
I also worked on the small strips I cut and stuff in the bolt hole. I used the tip of the iron to go in a circular motion and make sure it was evenly coated inside. After I was certain I had hit all the problem spots, I placed a new stud in it. I know it used lags originally, but I feel like the taller thread would be problematic for my new patch job. Besides, once it's on the bike, no one will be able to tell.
I then filled it with gas and it checks out fine! No more leaks! If you still have a leak afterwards, just pour the gas out and give it a few hours to air out before trying again.
I admit, it's not the prettiest job, but it worked. I'll take it!
