can i weld a small pin whole on my gas tank using MiG welding?

Question

my friend has a MiG welder can i weld a whole using drip transfer the tank has been empty for 6 months and i cant smell gas in their do i weld it or solder it

Answer 1

i think i would take the pinhole and put a drain plug in it. welding gas tanks scares the crap out of me. drill the pinhole out thread the hole and then a plug

Answer 2

LOL @ people

Its no big deal welding on gas tanks as long as you take proper precautions

1 wash tank with soapy water
2 while welding make sure you run a purge line of inert gas through the tank(argon,nitrogen.....)

I would not soldier because the fix will be very brittle and will fail over time.

I would reccommend gas bronze brazing, you can get the rods and flux at most hardware stores or any welding supply house.

Answer 3

Any welding on a gas tank that has already been used is exceptionally dangerous, because it won't burn... it'll EXPLODE.

Firms that do welding on these types of applications use special welders that work with water-filled gas tanks.

You are trying to repair a small hole? Have you considered going to a junkyard and pulling a brand-new gas tank?

Answer 4

If you can remove the tank, use Gold Standard gas tank sealer from KBS Coatings. They offer 3 different kits for varying size tanks. The kit has all prep products you'll need to do the job right. You don't say how big a hole?? Pinholes/weld seams will be sealed by the sealer alone; some kits have a small piece of fiberglass mesh included to patch small holes with the sealer.

Answer 5

Do yourself a favor and fill it up with water somehow then weld it doing drip transferr soldiering will crack and break over time or with weather change cause its brittle at same time try useing JB weld it works miracles use the liquid kind I have actually JB welded an engine block back togethee!

Answer 6

That sheet metal is so thin that you would have to be very quick with a mig to weld it, I would solder it before I would even think of mig welding it, Ive welded on a prophane tank before with a mig welder and those tanks are thin too. Be carefull what ever you do. Check with your local salvage yard they will probably sell you a used tank cheap, they cant crush them by law.

Answer 7

my friend ownes a rad and gas tank repair shop. first you pour 1/2cup of liquid soap; dish or car wash; into tank. next put a hose with a noozle to make lots of suds and leave it run for at least a 1/2 hour. drain and solder with lead. lead is best because it is not a hard metal and will flex and is permanent. if this tank had recently had gas in it, wash it 2x and still you have to make sure no gas is caught in the baffels or poof. safest thing to do is pay a couple of $ to a rad shop

Answer 8

I would weld it with the MIG,but only with a flow of nitrogen blowing through the tank to displace any oxygen inside.

Answer 9

Still sounds like it would be safer to try a gas tank internal sealer product first. They really work well from what I've heard. There are also external epoxy ribbon patches designed to patch holes from the outside of the tank also that work great. Check below.

http://www.caswellplating.com/permatex/permrepairprods.html#gastank

Answer 10

You could solder it, but it would have to be silver solder.

You can also get some solid epoxy and repair it. Auto parts stores carry it and it is fuel resistant. Clean around the hole with sandpaper until nice and shiny. After you apply it and it cures, cover the area with spray on rust proofing or spray on roof sealant.