New to me 2003 F250 Super Cab 6.8 V10. Great condition inside and out. 68,000 miles. Began smelling fuel (gas) a few days after driving it 250 miles from purchase location. Traced leak down to the top of the gas tank. Staining was visible around the rear vent. Applied about 5 psi to the tank and sprayed soap around until I saw bubbles coming from a hairline crack at the rear vent connection. Its where the fitting for the hose comes out of the tank.


My first choice would be to hot weld the crack. I'm not very comfortable with the idea of a heat source near a gas tank. I'm not sure, but the heat from the plastic welder might be hot enough to ignite fumes? I would gladly take the tank to someone but I can't locate anyone. I'm in the South Miami area.


Second option is to try some industrial 2 part epoxy (PIG) and seal it with that. Is there pressure inside the tank, and if so how much? Has anyone tried this fix with epoxy or JB Weld?


I'm also open to trying to find a used tank somewhere, anyone have any leads?

The last option is to use this as a great excuse to buy the bigger aftermarket (51 gallon) tank! But the $1400 price is holding me back...
Thanks for any comments
Dave

 

I vote for JB Weld!

I used it to stop oil leaking from the corroded oil pan on my '95 F-150, 5.0L. It was supposed to be short-term fix until I could pull the engine to replace the pan, but it was still holding up 5 years later.

 

I don't think that the tank gets pressurized other than the expansion of gasoline when the temps rise. I would vote for JB Weld.

 

Thanks. I'm checking the price and availability of a used one while I have the tank removed.

 

Go to the autoparts store and get some "gas tank repair" epoxy. It is a two part epoxy putty. It is for fuel tank repair. It is not expensive. If you clean the area properly and use it correctly, it will provide a permanent repair of any leak like yours. It is easy to use and works very well. No heat needed.

 

Make sure you get the correct epoxy........if the valve or broken part is polypropylene, most epoxy will not stick to it...

JB does had an epoxy that will stick and maybe repair it. Also, might try the plastic bumper epoxy to see if it will hold when applied.

Plastic Bonder Syringe | J-B Weld