I finally tracked down the cause of a petrol yesterday to a leaky external fuel swirl pot.
It's of an aluminium construction and there appears to be a hairline crack next to one of the mounting welds. I have patched the leak temporarily with the petro-patch putty stuff but wondered if there is a better long term solution aside from re-welding it?

Other than petro patch or JB weld the only other stuff i could think of is the liquid you put in old petrol tank (swish it about, empty out excess than let it cure). Not sure where you get it from though (Frosts??). Im also not sure if it will hold if the crack moves in use.

Probs best and cheaper to get it welded up.

if its cracked it because its old and stressed. Perfect solution IMHO would be to rubber mount it to reduce both vibration in the tank and bubbles in the fuel, and to get it properly welded up. Im sure there will be someone local who would weld it up for you. Consider bracing the mount if you deem it a weak point.

Just sealing it is asking for trouble IMHO, the crack will still be their, and other parts of it will be similarily tired. A fuel leak under the bonnet can be fatal.

Must say its possible that stainless is a better material for swirl pots...

[Edited on 11/9/06 by JoelP]

Usual warning about welding used petrol tanks applies. Though if you're sending it out for TIG'ing I'd hope the operator would be able to figure it out.

Frost's sell the tank sealer, but I'm not sure I'd trust it.

A swirl pot is a fairly small volume and is extremely portable, so it should be fairly easy to wash out prior to welding.

You could always throw a match in after washing!

I would be more concerned about the crack being difficult to weld due to the muck that will have got in there - it may need filing or grinding out before re-welding.

It might be worth trying the POR-15 Tank Sealant, but in the end it won't cost much more to get it welded - the sealant is quite expensive (£24 + postage for a motorbike tank repair kit in Frosts!) especially when you consider that you'll need their 'marine clean' and 'metal ready' stuff to wash it out and prepare it (if you follow their instructions). It may not even work, as the ali might not have enough 'key' for the goo to grip, unlike a rusty old steel tank.

If you do the prep then the welding shouldn't cost too much.

David

I have said it before, but here I go again:
Wash it out with soapy water then run your car and hold the opening over your exhaust for 15-20 mins.
The carbon monoxide kills any petrol fumes.

Thanks for the replies. The swirl pot was actually a brand new item from ebay a couple of months back (It's just a shame it's taken so long to get the plumbing sorted before I noticed the problem!) I will try and SVA it in it's current state but get it cleaned and welded up soon after if that's the only way of sorting it once and for all.
I think the rubber vibration mounts is also a good idea. After I found the crack I wondered how long the ally tank would have lasted fastened to the chassis anyway!! Lucky I bought a few spare Pacet mounts :-)

quote:

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Originally posted by nitram38
I have said it before, but here I go again:
Wash it out with soapy water then run your car and hold the opening over your exhaust for 15-20 mins.
The carbon monoxide kills any petrol fumes.

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First of all find the crack.

Next, find some suitable goo, anything will do. Araldite, JB Weld, Body Filler, and coat the offending area,
off centre is best, making sure you work it well into the crack.

If you can get some inside all the better.
Smear it round on the end of a stick although due to access this is not always possible.

To even out the interior finish, coat with a layer of carbon soot.

Job done.

Now give it to a welder and ask him to repair it properly for the price of a pint.





Paul G

Mail it to me and I'll weld it up and post back for a drink

regards Mark

U2U if required