Fuel tank replacement

[D+C4106]

Well we tried the liner process and now it is time to do it right!  Any suggestions and estimates of cost will be appreciated.  I believe I will be going with a new tank, should I have a new fuel tank built? If so, what material is preferred ?  Steel , Aluminum,  Stainless or is plastic an option?  GM 4106  140 gallon tank.  Thanks for your thoughts,  Denis

[Tenor]

Dennis,
I just repaired my fuel tank on my MCI 7 over last weekend.    I drained the tank on Sat, pulled the tank Sun morning, and had it back in by Sun night.  It had several holes corroded in the bottom.  I just had a buddy heliarc them up and puddled more in some thin spots.  No problems and now no leaks.  Even if you have large holes, it would probably be more cost effective to have patches welded in.  FWIW.

Glenn

[cjm]

I called MCI for a price on a tank for my MCI-8.  The nice lady said $6189.  I'll be repairing mine.

[HB of CJ]

Could you find a used tank out of some other application that would work in your Bus Conversion?  An example would be a kinda square saddle tank off some retired heavy truck tractor.

Recently we had a price quote done on a somewhat custom easy-to-do gas tank for the bed of a pickup truck under the cross bed tool box and the $numbers$ about made us faint. 

[kyle4501]

Find a local sheet metal fab shop & get them to quote repairing yours. Where are the holes? If in the bottom, they can simply clad the bottom with 14 or 16 Ga mild steel & seal weld the edges of the cladding. 

FWIW, steel has gone stupid in price lately, roughly 3 times what I remember from several years ago . . .   

[JohnEd]

Just a thought here......I needed a gas tank many years ago.  The prices I was quoted scared me.  I ended up at a shop that had originally told me they didn't do gas tanks because of liability reasons and to get that insurance and licence was very spendy.  My buddy suggested that I talk with XXXX and tell him I needed a "water tank" and get the quote for that.  I gave the guy the dimensions and specs for what was obviously a gas tank and he quoted me a really nice price and smiled a knowing smile.  I still have it and it is in great shape.  16 gauge steel and stout.

Sometimes it is how you tell the lie,

HTH

John

[Tenor]

Remember, - Diesel does not explode like gasoline and welding on an empty diesel tank is no big deal.

[muddog16]

To tell the folks that welding on a diesel tank is not serious business is a huge mistake! Read this before you make a life threatening mistake!
http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/fod/oc/800-899/803-71id.pdf

[Dallas]

To tell the folks that welding on a diesel tank is not serious business is a huge mistake! Read this before you make a life threatening mistake!http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/fod/oc/800-899/803-71id.pdf

http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/fod/oc/800-899/803-71id.pdf

Pat, I fixed your link I hope. -Dallas

[JohnEd]

A friend of mine welded a motor cycle tank of mine back in the day.  He stuffed a vac hose up his auto exhaust and put the other end in the tank.  He let that run for a few minutes and then began welding...with a torch.  I watched carefully his every move from a block away with wonderment.  It worked!  He told me that his Daddy used to weld gas station tanks to repair leaks and did so for many years as there was really good money in it.  His prep for the tank was to pipe his truck exhaust into the multi thousand gallon tank and run on fast idle for a half hour.  He then welded the tank.  Ah, the good ole days, when men were men and sheep were nervous.  Nothing succeeds like success.

If you welded on a D tank without displacing the oxygen, I would want to be more than a block away.

HTH,

John

[edvanland]

I took my tank MCI 7 to a commercial radiator shop.  The found the holes and then welded a plate over them.  Now no leeks.  Don't remember the cost but about fainted on the low cost so I whipped out the check book and paid him.
ED
MCI 7

[muddog16]

Thanks Dallas!  When I cleaned my fuel tank that was stainless, I washed the tank out, then filled it with water and put a nitrogen purge on it to cut and weld in the new block that feeds my generator and heater there is no excuse to take short cuts when welding or cutting on fuel tanks of any kind, more people get harmed working on tanks than should.  I just read in a Ohio paper where a man and his sons were cleaning an old above ground fuel tank, his 16 year old son was over come and died while cleaning sludge from the tank...............life is to fragile for this to happen, take the time and find out what the proper methods are or take it to a professional!  When cleaning large tanks there should always be a hole watch and a prearranged emergency procedure before attempting any tank repair or cleaning regardless of the size of the tank!

[Dreamscape]

For All We Do "Safety First"!

It does not pay to take shortcuts!

Thanks for the reminders guys.

Paul

[HB of CJ]

We just tossed an eight ounce piece of dry ice into the tank, then very carefully welded it.  Diesel. Guess it worked.  Yeah, as a retired firefighter, I have seen some weird stuff happen....most of it very bad.  Good luck.