Hole in the plastic saddle tank....best way to repair it?

[72timemachine]

I found a very nice plastic aftermarket saddle tank in the junkyard, it fits between the front of the bed (8') and before the rear tire on the driver's side under the bed and behind the lower bed panel.

The filler neck is in the wheel well forward of the rear tire. The workers at the junkyard who drain all the fluids out punched a hole in the bottom of the tank to remove any fuel. The price was right so I grabbed it but is there a safe fix for it? The hole is almost the size of a nickle.

Thanks for any help.

[KyleSeal]

I used JB Weld once to patch a hole in an overflow tank for my radiator, because I needed to drive and didnt want to buy another just yet.

Some tank sealers are also tank patchers. I would check out some tank sealers from ClassicParts.com and LMC Truck.

[El Dorado Jim]

the pick n pull auto wreckers do the same thing around here, they punch holes in all the tanks.really sucks for re-using a tank...

[kwmech]

Don't use JB weld, plastic welder for sure. OR utilize the hole for a low profile drain valve

[hamjet]

I used a two part plastic epoxy on a plastic tank once, it worked well...

[Fatherflash]

There is an adhesive called AMS-S-8802 which is used by both the military and airplane manufacturer's to seal aircraft fuel tanks. I have used this stuff quite a few times and works really well. It seals for both metal and rubberized fuel tanks with no problems. If you do use it keep in mind the number at the end of the type call out is total time to set up. This means if it is called AMS-S-8802 B1/2, you have a half an hour before it starts to set. If it says B2, you have two hours to work with it before it starts to set up.

I know you didn't ask but, I would recommend you patch from both the inside the tank if possible and outside the tank as well. Cut a patch at least 1 inch larger than the hole and apply a bead of this stuff around the hole and another bead around the perimeter of the patch. Stick the patch on there and let it cure. Most important....don't muck with it while its curing. Give it at least 24 hours before you do anything else with it. I would recommend using same type of rubber as the tank if possible. Do not recommend metal because it could pop off due to flexing of the tank.

Also, wear latex or nitrile gloves and have lots of spare pairs handy. Once this is on a surface or your hands, it is very difficult to get off.

See attached spec sheet for more info. Let me know if you have more questions.

You can get this at Amazon https://www.amazon.com/PRC-Desoto-PR...rds=AMS-S-8802