Gasoline proof epoxy

My aluminum aux tank has a loose baffle plate, it broke the tack weld and rattles around. No way can a welding head access the interior location, so I'm thinking about using some form of epoxy. A quick web search yields all kinds of choices-

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/prosealant.php

https://www.caswellplating.com/aids/epoxygas.htm

https://www.highsidechem.com/redepxy.html

This stuff looks really good but I don't need 3 gallons and it's expensive at $544... https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/jeffcotank.php

of course JB Weld is in the hunt too - didn't know they made a waterproof epoxy https://jbweld.net/products/water.php

A phone call to JB Weld - they say use the 'standard' JB Weld https://jbweld.net/products/jbweld.php

A question to the peeps - has anyone used any of these or something else? Good results?

TIA -

d

Even though POR 15 is called a paint, it works like an epoxy. If you don't use the whole can and there is a trace of the paint left in the lid groove the only way you will get more POR out is to drill a hole in the cover. This shit stuff is often used as a gas tank liner for rusted tanks and works perfectly. Regular old POR 15 works as good as the tank repair kit.

Pour a little POR onto the bottom of the tank, position the baffle so it sits in the POR and let it cure.

Eastwood, Summit Racing and a number of other places sell POR 15. All the pictures are clickable links.

If you need to clean the inside of the aux tank consider this kit:



Tank repair kit:



These are the standard pint/quart/gallon cans:

ionbeam said:

Even though POR 15 is called a paint, it works like an epoxy. If you don't use the whole can and there is a trace of the paint left in the lid groove the only way you will get more POR out is to drill a hole in the cover. This shit stuff is often used as a gas tank liner for rusted tanks and works perfectly. Regular old POR 15 works as good as the tank repair kit.

Pour a little POR onto the bottom of the tank, position the baffle so it sits in the POR and let it cure.

Eastwood, Summit Racing and a number of other places sell POR 15. All the pictures are clickable links.

If you need to clean the inside of the aux tank consider this kit:



Tank repair kit:



These are the standard pint/quart/gallon cans:

Click to expand...

Interesting idea, one I hadn't thought of - simply coat the interior tank completely.

Maybe do the baffle first then later apply a coat to the entire tank?

There is really no need to coat the whole tank, just use one of the small cans and POR Puddle Weld the baffle in place. If you do mask all the openings and POR the whole tank nothing will ever come loose again for the life of the tank. Just be absolutely sure that the POR doesn't get anyplace important because it's a bit more than permanent.

Can you locate where the baffle edge is from the outside ,and drill a couple of say 1/4" holes into meet the edge of the baffle, and then tig it with a plug weld to catch the baffle ,and seal the hole up at the same time?

I rubbed a leak into my tank from a bungee cord hook on my '81 Honda Silver Wing about 20 years ago. I put a gob of regular type JB Weld on it. No problems so far!

Too bad you don't live close by...I could hook you up with some proseal. That stuff is the cat's ass when it comes to fuel sealing. On top of that it secures items quite well with a good dry time. The only problem is getting it off when you want to reseal it. Quite the pain in the ass. They should have some two part proseal you can get but I wouldn't know where to look. Good luck.

dcarver said:

A phone call to JB Weld - they say use the 'standard' JB Weld https://jbweld.net/products/jbweld.php

Click to expand...

They are correct. Standard dark gray JBWeld is The Shit.

I have a 4" section of split 90-degree seam on my McAvan aux cell that has been leak-free for the past 43,000 miles - nothing but standard JBWeld slathered on the offending seam. All the more testament is the fact that the back of the Hayabusa sees an ungodly amount of harmonics traveling through the tailsection... yet this repair has stayed intact and bone dry the entire time.

Personal testimonial for JB Weld with gasoline:

I had a small single phase emergency generator with a 5 HP engine on it. The fuel tank was a small, 1 gallon rectangular metal can mounted with two metal straps around the circumference. Over the decades of single cylinder vibration those straps wore hole sin the metal surface. JB Weld to the rescue!! No more leaks. withstands gasoline, no problemo.

I eventually broke down and bought a newer, bigger genny (happens to be running out back right now <_< ). That one gallon fuel tank was just too small!!

Testimonial #2

We've had several SAAB autos through the years (still have a couple in the family now). I've always like them cause they are somewhat eccentric (like me), are known for their longevity and are pretty easy to work on.

For a number of years in the 90's they had issues with head gaskets blowing on their turbo chraged 4 cylinder engines, resulting in erosion of the cylinder block deck surface (where the head gasket must seal). Corporate SAAB's official repair solution was to fill the erosion with JB Weld and then after hardening, plane the deck flat. Slap a new head gasket on there and run it another couple of hundred thousand miles.

JB Weld is the shit!

Thanks for the replies everyone. I've been busy with other projects but should have time to play soon..

dcarver said:

My aluminum aux tank has a loose baffle plate, it broke the tack weld and rattles around.

Click to expand...

The welds on our two prototype tanks are a little different than on the production tanks. See the bead on the bottom edge:



After mine was powder coated, I added the round rubber bumpers shown in the top of the photo. Still, if I ride without my helmet I can hear the baffles buzzing. Also, we learned that there is quite a bit of variation from one rear subframe to the next. Several of the Tag-Along Tank replacement grabrail bushings needed to be modified to compensate. We're going to need to recheck the fit of your tank to your bike.

Then, is it possible that pressurizing your tank contributed to the welds failing?

dcarver said:

OK, the pressurized tank proof-of-concept solution. One two-way valve. Position 1 vents as normal. Position 2 closes vent path, opens path to pressurizer bulb (from a blood pressure cuff). The bulb provides more than enough pressure (inches of water, no problem of stressing the tank) that pushes fuel from TAT to main tank. It works really, really well.

<img src="https://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i320/dcarver220b/FJR/Aux%20Tank/Pressurized%20Tank/DSC05575.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" />

Click to expand...

If the vent path was ever left closed and a near empty tank was was out in the sun... That could put a lot of stress on all of the welds and the baffle welds are the weakest. I figured tacking them would be adequate because the baffles aren't structural. If I built any more tanks I would specify that the two baffles be tacked to each other instead of just to the outside walls. I'm pretty sure that's why mine buzzes.

I wonder if the problem is unique to your set-up or if those baffles needed more weld.