leaky clarke 5.5 gal tank

[400man]

I have the oversize clarke 5.5 gallon gas tank on my 400 and it leaks fuel from one of the brass insertsin the tank (the one thats right up under the seat the the fender bolts to, i'll take a close up pic to show which one) the tanks is a brand new piece I bought off ebay last fall. so far ive tried JB weld around the brass piece and it worked for a little bit but has started to work loose and leak once again. I can only fill the tank up half way before it starts seeping out around the brass insert.

anybody have any ideas on how I could fix this???

[hjsmith00843]

I would not use JB Weld on a ATV anyway too much vibrations. JB weld is istrong but brittle.

Try to remove the JB WELD and use some sort of epoxy. Maybe a semi set syle of epoxy. One that does not get 100% still but is flexable a little.

I would guess just a normal plastic epoxy would work fine. Maybe take a picture of the exact location of the leak and we might be able to help a little more.

http://www.amazon.com/50ml-Plastic-Welder-230-14320-Category/dp/B000P5OXTO

[400man]

Originally posted by hjsmith00843
I would not use JB Weld on a ATV anyway too much vibrations. JB weld is istrong but brittle.

Try to remove the JB WELD and use some sort of epoxy. Maybe a semi set syle of epoxy. One that does not get 100% still but is flexable a little.

I would guess just a normal plastic epoxy would work fine. Maybe take a picture of the exact location of the leak and we might be able to help a little more.

http://www.amazon.com/50ml-Plastic-Welder-230-14320-Category/dp/B000P5OXTO

yea you are right about the jb weld. I had to use it cause it was the only stuff I had and we were going on a all day ride that day. it worked for a little while but now its starting to peel away and should just come right off with ease. I'll try looking for some good epoxy that will not be eaten up by the gas. and i'll post a pic here in a little while too of the spot thats leaking.

thanks for the help! ;)

[CJM]

plastic welder would be the best since it will seal the area totally with new material and heat. They do run about 100+ bucks tho.

[400man]

heres some pics of where its leaking at. the jb weld just peeled right off with my finger, I guess the gas and vibration eventually broke the bond. I even scratched the plastic pretty good to make a better surface to bond too. its leaking from around the sides of the square brass piece.

http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp255/ky2stroker/450r005.jpg
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp255/ky2stroker/450r004.jpg
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp255/ky2stroker/450r003.jpg
http://i417.photobucket.com/albums/pp255/ky2stroker/450r002.jpg

[hjsmith00843]

Here is what I would do to fix it.

Take a dremel tool with a cut off wheels and cut a very shallow groove on all sides of the brass insert. Not too deep.\

Next take the wire wheel that comes with the dremel tool and rough up the area around it cut marks. Make sure to get rid of the JB weld.

Then take some acetone or denatured alcohol and clean the area up very well.


Take some epoxy that is gasoline safe and push it into the cuts and around the area that is leaking. Put some excess on it. Just make sure do not get in inside the threads.

Then let it cure for 24 hours. Then remove the buildup from directly on top of the brass insert.


Before you install the tank back in test it with some gas. Let it sit for a few hours to make sure. If it hold then you are good to go. If it leaks find the leaking spot and groove the area a little, clean, epoxy, wait, and test. Repeat if needed.

(make sure no gas is in the tank when you do all of the repair work.

[400man]

when I did the jb weld deal, I did it with like a quarter tank of fuel in it with it on the bike, this was on a friday evening and then we went riding that saturday. didnt leak a drop that whole day of riding.

so I basiclly just need a good epoxy that is gasoline resistant.

thanks

[CJM]

By making those groves your giving the epoxy more area to bond with the plastic.

However no matter what the vapors and gas itself will eat thru almost any epoxy. BTDT..

Plastic welders 100 bucks and you can use it to seal the tank up great and then useit on any part of the plastics that break too.

http://www.unbeatablesale.org/egle848.html?source=GGAN thats what I use but you can find it on ebay much cheaper or even older models will work too (ebay).

[MidnightBlade]

i use ye ole' soldering iron for welding plastic with a piece of plastic tube,plastic silverware , or some other type of plastic