[khan_sultan]

Friends,

It seems that in my recent highway drive o my Palio 1.6 S10, a stone has chipped my fuel tank and it has developed a leak on the bottom part of the tank.

Question: Is it OK to get a fuel tank welded? The new Fuel tank is
costing some 5.5K + taxes. (+ labour charges)

The welding option will set me back with some 900 bucks (including labour).

PS: There is NO rusting in the Fuel Tank. It is perfectly fine otherwise.

Cheers,

[aka_iitd]

I think welding is fine.
In case of my bike the engine oil was leaking and person put some mseal type of thing and it is lasting from last 3 years. Not sure if it works well with petrol tank also.

[hemanthisgreat]

Not sure about cars, since I never had a leak in the petrol tank, but in my rx135 the petrol tank had a leak, and it was rectified by buffing. A metal is placed on the crack and buffed. No leaks till date. I guess there is no harm in getting it welded first and use it. If there is any problem, you can always get it replaced.

[jyobeb]

Welding is fine. Just make sure you wash out the tank with water before welding and then let it dry totally before re-fitting.
Why don't you try the wetset m-seal or a resin type sealant first?

[hemanthisgreat]

Originally Posted by jyobeb

Why don't you try the wetset m-seal or a resin type sealant first?

If the tank scrapes again, it will easily come out. The m-seal is only a temporary solution.

[kapilsharma80]

khan Sultan, if you plan to keep your car for long then get the fuel tank replaced. or else go ahead with welding.

[abdriver2000]

If you are going to use Mseal, use the original one or the Araseal brand. Do not use wet set version. I have used Original Mseal version in my bike tank and it stays for >2 years without any issues. The wet set version started leaking again in about 2 months.

[phamilyman]

maruti tanks are fibreglass btw. Fully, you sure yours is metal?

[khan_sultan]

Talked to a few 'mechanically oriented/OTR' friends of mine and after getting more confused than before, found the below logic to be the guiding principle:

Originally Posted by kapilsharma80

....if you plan to keep your car for long then get the fuel tank replaced. or else go ahead with welding.

Thanks Kapil Sharma for the post. At times one tends to miss the obvious.

So it's a new Fuel tank getting put in as I write this.

Cheers,

[kapilsharma80]

Pleasure..brother!! please ensure that your fuel pump is handled with care. mine got damaged while getting the tank cleaned. luckily my car was still under warranty.

best practice is to get it done in front of you. all the best!!

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

maruti tanks are fibreglass btw. Fully, you sure yours is metal?

Palio fuel tanks are made by Maruti?

[Khandelwal]

I hope you will ensure removing all the petrol from the tank before welding.

Obvious, but just reminding.

[vikram_d]

Originally Posted by khan_sultan

So it's a new Fuel tank getting put in as I write this.

You can very easily get it arc welded or tig welded. In case of tig welding the welding is stronger than your base metal. So I dont see the need for a new tank. If you need any help PM me.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Dear Shahnawaz - PLEASE DO NOT EVEN THINK OF WELDING A FUEL TANK IN WHICH FUEL WAS THERE. It will burst and blow to a height of a 2 storey building. Just put a new one. Believe me, we are supposed to experiment with such things, I just happen to know. At best you can attempt soldering but that too after removing from the car, draining all fuel and keeping it empty and open for at least a month.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[vikram_d]

Sir no offence meant, but I dont think anybody will be stupid enough to weld a tank with fuel in it.