will solder beat fuel in my battle?

~air fooled~ two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl

1,429 posts · joined Mar 2004 · 25 May 2005, 1:09 pm

#362006

ground the rust off of my buggy's fuel tank (59m beetle floor pan) to find two small holes in the top half of the tank. i made them a bit bigger and soldered over them, making sure some solder got inside the hole... will this last/work?

hope so cos i've now painted the tank! ahahaha😀😀

57kombi Hannover Elder

2,544 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 25 May 2005, 1:13 pm

#362008

I wouldnt have trusted solder, to do the job properly it should be welded.

I wouldnt mess with fuel tanks unless you know for a fact that the solder will be O.K. and last for years.

Cheers
Dave

PurpleT3 Fahrvergnugen

880 posts · joined Apr 2003 · 25 May 2005, 1:37 pm

#362022

The instructor of my panel beating course reckons that solder is the best thing for filling small holes in panels. I cann't see that pin holes in a fuel tank are any different. As long as you prepare the surface properly and the solder sticks, there is no reason it shouldn't last last 20 years.

Ain't nothin' like the wind in your hair.

Che Castro ankle straps

1,945 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 25 May 2005, 5:06 pm

#362120

yeah solder is good stuff. Plumbers and panelbeaters use it. Quite often on really old old cars the lead filler will outlast the steel that rusts around it.

Jon

VWCOOL 23 Windows of Awesome

5,158 posts · joined Jun 2003 · 25 May 2005, 5:11 pm

#362126

DON'T BLOW YERSELF UP!!

Tanks should be filled with water for weld repair etc --- use a radiator dude

Pay your debts, CxxT

Andy Andy\'s Adventures

2,820 posts · joined Nov 2002 · 25 May 2005, 5:26 pm

#362141

I have repaired pin holes with solder before, done right it's fine.
(on a motor bike tank)
😉

Purple Martin Fahrvergnugen

913 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 26 May 2005, 9:15 am

#362467

ONLY use ELECTICIAN'S solder!

Plumber's solder is corrosive and will slowly eat the surrounding metal, and your holes come back. Electrician's solder is not corrosive and so should last forever.

The BugShop FAQ article on fuel tanks recommends solder for mending small holes 😎
http://www.thebugshop.org/bsfqfuel.htm

1959 red & white Beetle
1975 Kombi camper

~air fooled~ two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl

1,429 posts · joined Mar 2004 · 26 May 2005, 10:33 am

#362517

tank hasnt had fuel in it for years...stripped all the surface rust off it and used acetone to clean it up before applying 60%lead 40%tin solder that i used on every electrical terminal on my buggy... seems solid enough, time will tell i guess.... thanks for the input fellas!

General_Failure Use your head, don't abuse it!

1,036 posts · joined Jun 2004 · 28 May 2005, 11:52 pm

#363854

Ooooh. Have to remember that one. Would it work on small cracks in other panels?
How is the best way to prepare the metal. Just stripping, de-rusting and cleaning with solvent? or does it need a flux applied to the surface?

If at first you don't succeed. Build, build again.
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based LCA pop-top camper. Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.