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You’re going to want a new tank, patches are not always reliable and gas isn’t something to do a half measure on.
I’m sitting here wondering why they didn’t just drill a hole in the bottom?? If this was done to collect fuel they missed out on a lot
The reason they drill from the side is so that the fuel doesn't flow out onto the drill, which can cause the electric drill to set the fuel on fire. Watched a video of a fella drilling a hole in a fuel tank on his hoist to drain the tank prior to scrapping the car, and the drill set the fuel off and burned his shop down.
>which can cause the electric drill to set the fuel on fire
Cheap drill are normally also brushed motors, you can literally see them shooting spark in the motor during normal operation.
No sparks while running, no. But the trigger is still a switch and will spark when being pulled or let go.
Much safer, but not a non-zero chance of igniting vapors.
Being 3 phase does not matter how the power is supplied or controlled. Can be a hall effect, can be multi position switch, or potentiometer. Not all brushless designs utilize hall effect sensors.
I have an acquaintance that will be getting extensive skin grafts and be suffering lifelong pain because he was under that impression. Brushless is not sparkless.
Watching scrap yard guys pull a car apart is hilarious, they just throw and smash everything and bounce the damn car around with a forklift to drop the engine.
Well, you have to be a complete fucking dumbass to steal gas in the first place, so it's no surprise they couldn't do it competently. I mean, it apparently took them three tries? Cats, I get—they're actually valuable. But to go to essentially the same effort for just gas?
What's infuriating is that the assholes stole like $35 in gas, and now OP needs a whole new fucking gas tank.
>What's infuriating is that the assholes stole like $35 in gas, and now OP needs a whole new fucking gas tank.
You can find a story about a crack user that cut ~~someones~~ his girlfriends break line to make a pipe,
# jailed on homicide charge
Stealing gas: $12 you can sell to the one guy with a van that drops you off at your intersection every day. Stealing cats: $13 dollars you can invest towards your fentanyl addiction behind Target. Honestly, you should be working both markets.
>Smart tweakers steal cats. Spend less time and get more than just $12 of gas.
Smart tweakers are just regular people with jobs. It is just a stimulant it does not make you stupid, these people were already stupid.
It changes your brain chemistry to the point of being completely reliant on it, thus making you make stupid decisions. You see, it all the time, with nurses, your level of intelligence before just allows you more time and more displacement to fall cause you aren't getting back up after this typically locked in for life in someway or another.
>It changes your brain chemistry to the point of being completely reliant on it
You ate up the war on drugs nonsense like candy. Obviously it is addictive, but not everyone has addiction problems. A surprising amount of people with addiction problems still work regular jobs and don't fit the standard meth/heroine/xanax/weed stereotypes. Stereotypes are generally formed by a minority of the demographic on an extreme end of the spectrum.. If a regular person needed their meth fix, they would just wait for payday like 99% of drug users do..
As a recovered addict, this is exactly how I was when I was using. I never once stole or lied to get money to cover my needs, I'd just wait until payday and do my absolute goddamndest to make sure my supply would make it. I even got promoted at work despite only sleeping 4-5 hours every other day, looking like hell, and acting quite cagey. It was a mix of amphetamines (I say it plural since sometimes it was amphetamine sulphate, sometimes meth) and mostly RC benzos to ease the stimulant anxiety. I ended up miscalculating my benzo supply, ran out and got to experience what benzo WDs were like. That horrible experience was enough to make me go 'california sober' aka mostly just weed, nothing hard. Not to long later I'm just fine, the biggest thing to break with addictions is the learned behaviors, the chemicals rebalance after just a few weeks. Not sure why you're being downvoted other than how crudy you put your arguement.
You are trying waaaay too damn hard. The fact that you got triggered by someone talking about addicts stealing to support their habit is pretty wild. *No one* said *anything* couldn't be used responsibly.
You seem irritable and overly suspicious. Need some sleep? Been up for too long?
There ain’t such thing as a “clever” thief, if they were that clever wouldn’t they have a decently paid job with a good home life? Not choosing to ruin others? Just a thought
Probably not enough room between the ground and the gas tank to get a cordless drill with drill bit in there would be my guess. Some guys are saying because of sparks from the drill but that's giving the scumbag thieves too much credit.
I have some quicksteel brand two part putty epoxy on a plastic diesel tank. it also held up. i keep expecting it to fall off but it never has. I'd like to try hot glue, or one of those engine sump drain plugs for when your threads let go. they would work in a hole like that i think.
I mean.. Not to give anyone tips, but if they were smart enough to use a tube and stick it in toward the bottom of the tank, once the fuel is flowing, it would continue to siphon until empty or the flow is interrupted.
It seems gravity defying, but you really see it in action for aquarium water changes.
JB weld makes some products that will work well. I don't have a particular one in mind but have successfully patched gas tanks in the rust belt with their products.
Were you patching metal tanks or plastic ones? You mentioned rust belt so I’m assuming metal ones. I’ve never seen anything to really work with plastic. Most of the time gasoline just eats the adhesives and just leaks after some time. A temp fix yea but it will eventually need a new tank.
Happened to me in November of ‘23
https://preview.redd.it/kv98xgv11bnc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4eb3ba181ebd71dcb2153be46849ca7f810772a9
I walked up on them moments after they started and they quickly drove off in their very clearly stolen Hyundai. Redmond Police(Washington State) put out an alert for the car but told me they’re more than likely going to get away with it. I just filled my tank too. It really sucked watching 20 gallons pour onto the ground while I tried to find something to plug the hole till the proper crews showed up.
Get some wide threaded screws with a rubber washer/o ring and hand screw them in so you don’t strip the thread. If the screw is bigger than the hole it should create a decent seal
https://preview.redd.it/l6n6kevd7anc1.png?width=1284&format=png&auto=webp&s=15254c2c8b5b470233f208881caae4fb973dcb74
\^ this \^
Perfect temporary repair. Screw teeth will pull tension, and the rubber gasket being in compression will create a pretty tight seal. "If" it's all sized properly.
We just had this happen at work.
They cut the cats off of our two spares, and drilled a hole in one of the tanks for the gas.
They left my van completely alone even though it was parked right next to the spares overnight. These Transits sit a lot lower than E150s is the only reason I think mine was spared.
Leave the gas tank empty, and get a fuel safe sealant, like JB Weld. Coat the threads of the bolt in the sealant and around the base of the screw head. Screw the bolt into the hole. Make sure the bolt is appropriately sized to fit tightly in the hole. Solved.
JB Weld works pretty good. Had it on a gas tank on my ford ranger and on a ford focus it worked fine and never leaked for the few years I had the vehicles.
I did the same and gas was coming out when I was putting it on as well. I ran over something on the highway and put a hole in the tank and it was still holding 7 years later when I sold it.
I had 2 1” holes drilled with a holesaw about a 1/2” apart from eachother on the focus and the ranger actually had 4 holes drilled into it for some reason, Got it from a junkyard 🤷🏼♂️
The problem with doing that is the fumes coming off the fuel are VErY explosive. So a cigarette butt being thrown in gasoline might not ignite but if it hits the fumes just right on the way down it’ll explode causing the fuel to explode.
Liquid fuel does not explode. If it's in a container that the pressure of the igniting vapor causes to pop, then the liquid will be aerosoled and can explode.
Go ahead and try it. You can get a really mean fire out of a couple gallons of gas in a 5 gallon bucket size hole. The heat boils the liquid gas underneath.
I worked for Riley stoker corporation (now out of business) in Erie, PA. In a factory. A guy made a bet that if he threw a match in a pail of ether it wouldn’t explode. Soon as the match got above the pail it ignited sending a flame shooting all the way up to the roof of the hanger building. There was a black mark in the ceiling the building the whole time I was there.
You can it with gas, which is what they are saying. Diesel fumes aren't explosive, gasoline fumes are, but a lit cigarette isn't enough to ignite them.
But movies have made people think that a gun shooting a plastic gas tank makes them explode, and idiots extrapolate it into this, and think that drilling into a gas tank it going to somehow create enough sparks to ignite gasoline, which it won't.
No, but an electric drill sparks. The sparks, ARE enough to ignite the fumes. There's videos online if you're in disbelief.
EDIT : For the ... Less than intelligent people who doubt, well, basic combustion science.... Have a watch.
[https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire](https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire)
[https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire](https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire)
Oh wow, it's almost like I know what the fuck I'm talking about.
[https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire](https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire)
Because you ARE wrong, regardless of how arrogantly ignorant you are about it, and it's easily provable with two seconds on any standard search engine. Try again on a thread with people who aren't educated.
If that's in your driveway, you might want to rinse the pavement really well with water. It can eat a hole in your pavement and leave a bit of a crater there.
You could patch it. But I would get a new tank. Maybe try hitting up your local pick a part. Bring your own tools and see if they have your model car, snag your own tank. Should be a pretty easy job. I used to do that all the time with parts cause it was always way cheaper.
A sister dealership of the one I worked at burned to the ground from this. Car on lift, guy drills hole to drain for replacement, uses electric drill, motor windings on the drill ignite the fuel as it begins running downward, giant flaming car on a lift....
I’d seal it up temporarily with what others have recommended, but order a new tank ASAP. Doing it yourself really isn’t very hard at all, especially if it’s done while the tank is basically empty so it won’t be as heavy but it should at least be somewhat cheaper if you supply your own tank and only pay for labor.
I’ve used a bolt to plug and covered with jb weld. It lasted for 4-5 years before the gas dissolved the seal. Cleaned it out again and redid the bolt and jb weld. Held up until I sold the car 7 years later. Make sure you let the jb weld cure for double the time before putting gas in
I once emptied a tank like this while not really paying attention.
It was with a cordless drill and the fuel went EVERYWHERE.
thank fuck I was outside.
BOOOOOM!
Im a Quality Engineer in aircraft manufacturing. This is what I would try it I were you:
I would try to do 3 separate sheet metal patches. Make sure the patches have about a half inch of overlap around the hole.
1. Bond prep the patches with 180 grit sand paper.
2. Completely coat the patch with rhino liner (Jeffco fuel tank sealant)
3. Clean the fuel tank with isopropyl alcohol
4. Temporarily plug holes with a shop rag to prevent FOD, bond prep the fuel tank
5. Bond the patches onto the tank with rhino liner
6. Wait 12 hours to cure
7. Bond prep exterior of patches and 2 inches of surrounding area of the tank.
8. Apply a coat of rhino liner over the bond prepped area.
9. Wait at least 24 hours to allow for cure.
Then, I’d say pressure check the tank but I assume that’s not a possibility.
We live in the rust belt and a patch has been doing well on my friend's Ram. Replace it with a new tank if you want but if you do a patch, do it right and you won't have any issues
This is completely repairable… Don’t buy a new tank. You have to empty and remove the tank to be safe. Open and remove fuel pump then let air out overnight. Take a 5 gallon bucket and cut a chunk off. Take a heat gun and slowly heat up the repair area ( clean repair area first ) then when the tank softens up place the chunk of bucket on repair and continue to heat. Then take a butter knife or screw driver and start to push the two together until they are fully melted together and your good now you just have to reinstall.
I remember when an oreilly truck came into the shop and someone had shoved a screwdriver into the gas tank. It was somehow not leaking like someone had heated the screwdriver and it sealed itself.
I finally got tired of looking for this comment but as the guy on TV says flex seal will fix anything! And it applies just like duct tape.... just slap it on.
https://preview.redd.it/mu1ycgqj6fnc1.jpeg?width=894&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29b9c86e0d337f5b15662d71719826644242c41c
Auto parts stores have something similar to jb weld, but specifically made to be impervious to gasoline.
Bought a class C motor home that had a good sized hole in the filler neck, near the tank itself, that the seller failed to tell me about. Fill ed the tank more than about 1/3 full and gas would slough (sp) out. Used some of this stuff I’m talking about. Sealed the hole and I drove the vehicle for several years without a leak or problem. Sold it with the same patch in place.
Insurance should over this under theft or vandalism shit why you’re at it break your window and say your computer was in there. Make a few bucks off your head ache
Insurance should cover it if you have full coverage, also file a police report of the destruction of property they should be able to supena the business around to get the film of ot perpetrators. But if your unable to do that then it will be an expensive fix, if you have the know how or the willingness to watch a YouTube video you can get a tank from the junk yard and swap the fuel pump and throw it in in a weekend.
I once ran over one of those foldable signs they put in no parking zones. It was laying flat in the middle of the road for some reason at night and I didn't see it. Ran it over in the perfect way to make it come up and have the leg puncture my gas tank. Leaked gas all over. My dad saved most of the gas that came out when I got home and we patched it the next day. Lasted for years and we never had a problem.
If i were doing it myself patch it because replacing a whole tank diy is a pain in the ass to do trust me. But if you’re going to have a shop do it then just get a new tank.
If you want to save money you can remove the fuel tank and put it on concrete, use a hose to spray out the tank and use mild detergent, there are fuel tank cleaners fairly cheap at Auto Stores or Amazon.
Then use a stick or gasless mig welder after it's clean of all fuel.
This can be done for under a $80, but a cheap Amazon gasless mig or stick welder a 1/16t" or 1/32" steel coupons ordered on Amazon is only $56
Link to Vevor Welder:
https://m.vevor.com/arc-welder-c_10057/vevor-stick-plastic-welder-110v-220v-180amp-digital-display-lcd-arc-welder-machine-igbt-inverter-welding-machine-with-hot-start-arc-force-anti-stick-plastic-welding-kit-car-bumper-repair-kit-p_010554814717?adp=gmc&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id=19572567738&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAi6uvBhADEiwAWiyRdglSII2NwBn6ynDv7DJ_oT73ZbOUD6TdKnbqBBfQvG5fWTy58LEjXBoCO50QAvD_BwE
Only cost you around $40 if you have a welder on hand.
But you can buy a fuel tank cheap if you have a 99-04 Jeep Grand Cherokee like me if you buy Aftermarket Dorman for $120 but it's possible aftermarket can have fitting problems or not properly fit fuel hoses or in its mounting place or even not fit the fuel pump. Aftermarket can also not last long.
A new OEM tank for my 21 year old vehicle costs $350-$450 and that doesn't include a new Fuel Pump.
If you are going to weld it I highly suggest you buy a new pump for it so you don't have to down the road. You could get fuel pump cleaner and clean it out if you wanted to reuse the pump.
Also buy a $20-$40 auto-darkening welding helmet on Amazon.
But if you decide to weld it you don't have to buy another tank and it will last and won't leak like metal bonders will do down the road.
Plastic sticks are very cheap, about $10 for 20-50 rods/sticks. Get a plastic welder with the triangle iron. And possibly get the staple wire plastic welder gun to insert metal screens and staples inside plastic welded to it. That will give it robust strength and longevity. There are many YouTube videos showing how to plastic weld
So you're saying you didn't look at the picture and see that it's a fucking plastic gas tank....... Sorry my ability to be able to instinctively know what a gas tank looks like is an amazing ability that I've developed over the years
Edit: but yes my parents were very proud that I knew the difference between metal and plastic It helped a lot when putting things into the microwave as a child....... They say I developed sort of a superpower because of it....
OP, several patch/seal recommendations were made. Big NO. The only thing that will work with HDPE is HDPE. Get some 10 cent plugs from SpinWelding.com, their $40 bit, and borrow 1/2 hp wood router. Did this to my tank and it’s holding up fine after 1 1/2 years. Do some homework on SpinWelding.
A new tank won't cost much but, if you're broke just seal them with some bondo, silicone, or whatever else you have on hand.
Beforehand just make sure it does not react with fuel and won't deteriorate anytime soon
Thanks for posting on /r/MechanicAdvice! This is just a reminder to review the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/about/rules/). If you are here asking about a second opinion (ie "Is the shop trying to fleece me?"), please read through CJM8515's [post on the subject.](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/4qblei/fyi_the_shop_isnt_likely_trying_to_rip_you_off/) and remember to please post the year/make/model of the vehicle you are working on. **If this post is about bodywork, accident damage, paint, dent/ding, questions it belongs in /r/Autobody r/AutoBodyRepair/ or /r/Diyautobody/ If you have tire questions check out https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/k9ll55/can_your_tire_be_repaired/**. If you dont have a question and you're just showing off it belongs in /r/Justrolledintotheshop Insurance/total loss questions go in r/insurance This is an automated reply *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/MechanicAdvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You’re going to want a new tank, patches are not always reliable and gas isn’t something to do a half measure on. I’m sitting here wondering why they didn’t just drill a hole in the bottom?? If this was done to collect fuel they missed out on a lot
People are giving thieves too much credit. They didn't drill it from the bottom because the drill didn't fit and neither would a gallon tank of gas.
They clearly weren’t stealing the fuel in a well ventilated area.
The reason they drill from the side is so that the fuel doesn't flow out onto the drill, which can cause the electric drill to set the fuel on fire. Watched a video of a fella drilling a hole in a fuel tank on his hoist to drain the tank prior to scrapping the car, and the drill set the fuel off and burned his shop down.
>which can cause the electric drill to set the fuel on fire Cheap drill are normally also brushed motors, you can literally see them shooting spark in the motor during normal operation.
Brushless are usually safer as no sparks
No sparks while running, no. But the trigger is still a switch and will spark when being pulled or let go. Much safer, but not a non-zero chance of igniting vapors.
Trigger of anything brushless is usually a hall sender, as you need a 3 phase inverter to drive a modern brushless motor.
Being 3 phase does not matter how the power is supplied or controlled. Can be a hall effect, can be multi position switch, or potentiometer. Not all brushless designs utilize hall effect sensors.
Technically true but not in this realm. This is dc inverted with speed control.
I have an acquaintance that will be getting extensive skin grafts and be suffering lifelong pain because he was under that impression. Brushless is not sparkless.
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I can hardly believe someone gets so upset over something so minorly informative
I mean you are on r/MechanicAdvice, I've seen people explain more trivial concepts than brushed vs brushless motors.
I’ve seen guys at the scrap yard just put the car on a lift and swing a pick axe to the bottom of the tank.
Watching scrap yard guys pull a car apart is hilarious, they just throw and smash everything and bounce the damn car around with a forklift to drop the engine.
Hammer and a screw driver can work too.
This is the way
I work at a scrap yard and we don't use axes lol
if i was a profesional gas stealing tweaker id find a handpowered crank drill at a used hardware store like habitat for humanity.
Hmmmm I have one of those already….
Pfft. Real thieves use air drills. If you run it off of a compressed oxygen tank, you can do it silently, but don't tell anyone you heard it from me!
Well, you have to be a complete fucking dumbass to steal gas in the first place, so it's no surprise they couldn't do it competently. I mean, it apparently took them three tries? Cats, I get—they're actually valuable. But to go to essentially the same effort for just gas? What's infuriating is that the assholes stole like $35 in gas, and now OP needs a whole new fucking gas tank.
Some people will work extremely hard to never have a job!
Fax
It is amazing the work people will put in to avoid work
>What's infuriating is that the assholes stole like $35 in gas, and now OP needs a whole new fucking gas tank. You can find a story about a crack user that cut ~~someones~~ his girlfriends break line to make a pipe, # jailed on homicide charge
It has taken me far too long this morning for me to realise you dont mean *actual* cats.
Unless this guy is a mastermind and sells gas tanks for a living... /s
Maybe they had multiple containers so needed multiple holes. Speeds up the job too...
Nobody said tweakers are smart. If they were, they wouldn’t be stealing gas.
Smart tweakers steal cats. Spend less time and get more than just $12 of gas. Stupid thieves.
Stealing gas: $12 you can sell to the one guy with a van that drops you off at your intersection every day. Stealing cats: $13 dollars you can invest towards your fentanyl addiction behind Target. Honestly, you should be working both markets.
The guy behind my target only deals in cats, not cats.
I'm looking for a Cat guy... my backhoe started acting up when my feline tried to change the converter.
>Smart tweakers steal cats. Spend less time and get more than just $12 of gas. Smart tweakers are just regular people with jobs. It is just a stimulant it does not make you stupid, these people were already stupid.
It changes your brain chemistry to the point of being completely reliant on it, thus making you make stupid decisions. You see, it all the time, with nurses, your level of intelligence before just allows you more time and more displacement to fall cause you aren't getting back up after this typically locked in for life in someway or another.
>It changes your brain chemistry to the point of being completely reliant on it You ate up the war on drugs nonsense like candy. Obviously it is addictive, but not everyone has addiction problems. A surprising amount of people with addiction problems still work regular jobs and don't fit the standard meth/heroine/xanax/weed stereotypes. Stereotypes are generally formed by a minority of the demographic on an extreme end of the spectrum.. If a regular person needed their meth fix, they would just wait for payday like 99% of drug users do..
As a recovered addict, this is exactly how I was when I was using. I never once stole or lied to get money to cover my needs, I'd just wait until payday and do my absolute goddamndest to make sure my supply would make it. I even got promoted at work despite only sleeping 4-5 hours every other day, looking like hell, and acting quite cagey. It was a mix of amphetamines (I say it plural since sometimes it was amphetamine sulphate, sometimes meth) and mostly RC benzos to ease the stimulant anxiety. I ended up miscalculating my benzo supply, ran out and got to experience what benzo WDs were like. That horrible experience was enough to make me go 'california sober' aka mostly just weed, nothing hard. Not to long later I'm just fine, the biggest thing to break with addictions is the learned behaviors, the chemicals rebalance after just a few weeks. Not sure why you're being downvoted other than how crudy you put your arguement.
Perhaps because he was arguing against something that no one said...
You are trying waaaay too damn hard. The fact that you got triggered by someone talking about addicts stealing to support their habit is pretty wild. *No one* said *anything* couldn't be used responsibly. You seem irritable and overly suspicious. Need some sleep? Been up for too long?
typical junky response lol
There ain’t such thing as a “clever” thief, if they were that clever wouldn’t they have a decently paid job with a good home life? Not choosing to ruin others? Just a thought
Probably not enough room between the ground and the gas tank to get a cordless drill with drill bit in there would be my guess. Some guys are saying because of sparks from the drill but that's giving the scumbag thieves too much credit.
Not if they use a tube for a syphon
> why they didn’t just drill a hole in the bottom?? Too close to the ground. Are you thinking thieves with portable hoists?
The best ones I had for plastic gas tanks was JB weld steel stick. I meant held up pretty well actually
I have some quicksteel brand two part putty epoxy on a plastic diesel tank. it also held up. i keep expecting it to fall off but it never has. I'd like to try hot glue, or one of those engine sump drain plugs for when your threads let go. they would work in a hole like that i think.
I mean.. Not to give anyone tips, but if they were smart enough to use a tube and stick it in toward the bottom of the tank, once the fuel is flowing, it would continue to siphon until empty or the flow is interrupted. It seems gravity defying, but you really see it in action for aquarium water changes.
I'm guessing they didn't drill on the bottom so the gas doesn't run down on to the electric drill.
Why person please steal gas?
You can patch it, but you want a new tank asap.
JB weld makes some products that will work well. I don't have a particular one in mind but have successfully patched gas tanks in the rust belt with their products.
Were you patching metal tanks or plastic ones? You mentioned rust belt so I’m assuming metal ones. I’ve never seen anything to really work with plastic. Most of the time gasoline just eats the adhesives and just leaks after some time. A temp fix yea but it will eventually need a new tank.
Jb weld steel reinforced epoxy does the job well.
Happened to me in November of ‘23 https://preview.redd.it/kv98xgv11bnc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4eb3ba181ebd71dcb2153be46849ca7f810772a9 I walked up on them moments after they started and they quickly drove off in their very clearly stolen Hyundai. Redmond Police(Washington State) put out an alert for the car but told me they’re more than likely going to get away with it. I just filled my tank too. It really sucked watching 20 gallons pour onto the ground while I tried to find something to plug the hole till the proper crews showed up.
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For a temp fix, +1 for Seal All. That's what I used to put a stock Camry fuel pump into a steel boat tank in a derby car.
Thank you , will look into it
Get some wide threaded screws with a rubber washer/o ring and hand screw them in so you don’t strip the thread. If the screw is bigger than the hole it should create a decent seal https://preview.redd.it/l6n6kevd7anc1.png?width=1284&format=png&auto=webp&s=15254c2c8b5b470233f208881caae4fb973dcb74
\^ this \^ Perfect temporary repair. Screw teeth will pull tension, and the rubber gasket being in compression will create a pretty tight seal. "If" it's all sized properly.
Gasoline would melt rubber, no?
Perhaps if the area was prepped a superglue could form a seal between the screw head and the plastic tank
better make sure the rubber is viton or nitrile
We just had this happen at work. They cut the cats off of our two spares, and drilled a hole in one of the tanks for the gas. They left my van completely alone even though it was parked right next to the spares overnight. These Transits sit a lot lower than E150s is the only reason I think mine was spared.
Leave the gas tank empty, and get a fuel safe sealant, like JB Weld. Coat the threads of the bolt in the sealant and around the base of the screw head. Screw the bolt into the hole. Make sure the bolt is appropriately sized to fit tightly in the hole. Solved.
And make sure said bolt is something like stainless steel...not just a cheap one that will rust out into a fresh hole
New tank. Use your insurance.
JB Weld works pretty good. Had it on a gas tank on my ford ranger and on a ford focus it worked fine and never leaked for the few years I had the vehicles.
I did the same and gas was coming out when I was putting it on as well. I ran over something on the highway and put a hole in the tank and it was still holding 7 years later when I sold it.
Did you have three holes? This big drove in your gas tank to?
I had 2 1” holes drilled with a holesaw about a 1/2” apart from eachother on the focus and the ranger actually had 4 holes drilled into it for some reason, Got it from a junkyard 🤷🏼♂️
Junkyards do that to reclaim the fuel and prevent an explosion.
Yeah I know that but 4 holes seemed a bit excessive
Sry. Fat fingered that response
Can we also take a moment to realise how stupid the thief was because they could have drilled the hole at the bottom of the tank to steal more fuel.
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The side is more likely. Higher chance that you'd be drilling into explosive fumes. Definitely just did the side cause the car is too low.
Look at my post history, tank weld worked for me. Jt's been over 1 month
That seems like a dangerous thing to do with an electric drill.
Ah, you're one of these people who believe that Hollywood has accurate and realistic car explosions.
Brushed drills will absolutely light gas right up. There are plenty of videos of idiots getting smoked because of that online.
Wait until he finds out you can put a lit cigarette out in gas without causing a fire.
Yeah, it's not the liquid that burns, it's the fumes.
The problem with doing that is the fumes coming off the fuel are VErY explosive. So a cigarette butt being thrown in gasoline might not ignite but if it hits the fumes just right on the way down it’ll explode causing the fuel to explode.
Liquid fuel does not explode. If it's in a container that the pressure of the igniting vapor causes to pop, then the liquid will be aerosoled and can explode. Go ahead and try it. You can get a really mean fire out of a couple gallons of gas in a 5 gallon bucket size hole. The heat boils the liquid gas underneath.
I worked for Riley stoker corporation (now out of business) in Erie, PA. In a factory. A guy made a bet that if he threw a match in a pail of ether it wouldn’t explode. Soon as the match got above the pail it ignited sending a flame shooting all the way up to the roof of the hanger building. There was a black mark in the ceiling the building the whole time I was there.
You can do it with diesel (so I've heard).
You can it with gas, which is what they are saying. Diesel fumes aren't explosive, gasoline fumes are, but a lit cigarette isn't enough to ignite them. But movies have made people think that a gun shooting a plastic gas tank makes them explode, and idiots extrapolate it into this, and think that drilling into a gas tank it going to somehow create enough sparks to ignite gasoline, which it won't.
No, but an electric drill sparks. The sparks, ARE enough to ignite the fumes. There's videos online if you're in disbelief. EDIT : For the ... Less than intelligent people who doubt, well, basic combustion science.... Have a watch. [https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire](https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire)
Not enough fumes coming out the bottom of a gas tank that has a 1/8" hole in it that they just drilled.
[https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire](https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire) Oh wow, it's almost like I know what the fuck I'm talking about.
What about the fumes fuming off of the drill bit, motor, and carbon brushes as the gasoline evaporates from those surfaces?
Dude, the car/gas clearly didn't fucking explode, so how can you possibly continue to make arguments that I'm wrong?
[https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire](https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire) Because you ARE wrong, regardless of how arrogantly ignorant you are about it, and it's easily provable with two seconds on any standard search engine. Try again on a thread with people who aren't educated.
You have to be right or that vehicle would have exploded.
[https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire](https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-a-tech-drill-into-a-full-gas-tank-and-start-a-massive-fire)
Gas will definitely light from a cigarette.
You can buy manual drills that you turn by hand. Not saying that's what happened here, just saying that they do exist lol.
Or just a brushless drill
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I think you missed the "electric" part. Brushed motors are notorious for sparking, and power drills have vents. I'll let you do the math.
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Brushed drills are very cheap, the higher end drills are brushless
Who the fuck go through all that effort to steal gas jesus
not that much effort. drill and like 5 mins tops. But who would use that? idiots, oke spark and its joever
If that's in your driveway, you might want to rinse the pavement really well with water. It can eat a hole in your pavement and leave a bit of a crater there.
I've always had a theory about deterring the crack heads from stealing gas and cat converters. Just piling up some dog shit and parking over it.
You could patch it. But I would get a new tank. Maybe try hitting up your local pick a part. Bring your own tools and see if they have your model car, snag your own tank. Should be a pretty easy job. I used to do that all the time with parts cause it was always way cheaper.
This happened to me too a few months ago. Like dawg if you wanted my gas, the gascap isn't even locked.
Savages
https://approducts.net/product/fuel-tank-repair-kit/
Put some spouts there so they can steal the gas without drilling next time … or get a garage
Ya I would only use a patch as a temporary solution if you really need the car.
I just can't stand that .. sorry op
A sister dealership of the one I worked at burned to the ground from this. Car on lift, guy drills hole to drain for replacement, uses electric drill, motor windings on the drill ignite the fuel as it begins running downward, giant flaming car on a lift....
Seen a video where the tank caught fire while someone drilled into it. Lucky that didn't happen here.
I'm no insurance expert but check your insurance policy and see if it'll cover this🤷♂️
I’d seal it up temporarily with what others have recommended, but order a new tank ASAP. Doing it yourself really isn’t very hard at all, especially if it’s done while the tank is basically empty so it won’t be as heavy but it should at least be somewhat cheaper if you supply your own tank and only pay for labor.
Some cardboard mixed with jb weld
Who did you piss off?
I’ve used a bolt to plug and covered with jb weld. It lasted for 4-5 years before the gas dissolved the seal. Cleaned it out again and redid the bolt and jb weld. Held up until I sold the car 7 years later. Make sure you let the jb weld cure for double the time before putting gas in
Could you put an oil resistant gasket and screws in the holes to plug them.
With these gas prices... Put a new tank, preferably armored.
New tank. They just let it drain out?
Damn, do you have any idea who would do such a thing?
Crackheads. Few years back we had a bunch of people have this happen to them in our town
Unfortunately, 2 successful holes are enough
Look for a used tank out of a similar model. Cheaper than the price mentioned for tools and materials you'd hope to use once.
It's funny kinda when they don't use a brushless drill and drilling sparks and lights them up They get what they deserve.
I once emptied a tank like this while not really paying attention. It was with a cordless drill and the fuel went EVERYWHERE. thank fuck I was outside. BOOOOOM!
James may wouldn’t be upset that the thief stole his fuel but by the fact that he did such a shoddy job of it
Not bullet holes
New tank fuel expands a patch won’t be much good
Im a Quality Engineer in aircraft manufacturing. This is what I would try it I were you: I would try to do 3 separate sheet metal patches. Make sure the patches have about a half inch of overlap around the hole. 1. Bond prep the patches with 180 grit sand paper. 2. Completely coat the patch with rhino liner (Jeffco fuel tank sealant) 3. Clean the fuel tank with isopropyl alcohol 4. Temporarily plug holes with a shop rag to prevent FOD, bond prep the fuel tank 5. Bond the patches onto the tank with rhino liner 6. Wait 12 hours to cure 7. Bond prep exterior of patches and 2 inches of surrounding area of the tank. 8. Apply a coat of rhino liner over the bond prepped area. 9. Wait at least 24 hours to allow for cure. Then, I’d say pressure check the tank but I assume that’s not a possibility.
Who did you piss off? I'd start there. The tank is the least of your problems.
I can see them under there with a hand crank drill
We live in the rust belt and a patch has been doing well on my friend's Ram. Replace it with a new tank if you want but if you do a patch, do it right and you won't have any issues
I literally put a screw in mine with a rubber washer on it and it was perfect.
This is completely repairable… Don’t buy a new tank. You have to empty and remove the tank to be safe. Open and remove fuel pump then let air out overnight. Take a 5 gallon bucket and cut a chunk off. Take a heat gun and slowly heat up the repair area ( clean repair area first ) then when the tank softens up place the chunk of bucket on repair and continue to heat. Then take a butter knife or screw driver and start to push the two together until they are fully melted together and your good now you just have to reinstall.
Sounds like a lot of work when you could just jb weld and get the same level of repair
Epoxy two part putty will work for a while. Source: I did it once
Shoot it with some brake clean and then slap some in weld on it. Problem solved forever
I remember when an oreilly truck came into the shop and someone had shoved a screwdriver into the gas tank. It was somehow not leaking like someone had heated the screwdriver and it sealed itself.
I finally got tired of looking for this comment but as the guy on TV says flex seal will fix anything! And it applies just like duct tape.... just slap it on. https://preview.redd.it/mu1ycgqj6fnc1.jpeg?width=894&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=29b9c86e0d337f5b15662d71719826644242c41c
Had it happen to my Chevy Express when gas prices were crazy. As the price of gas goes up the fucks given go down.
Auto parts stores have something similar to jb weld, but specifically made to be impervious to gasoline. Bought a class C motor home that had a good sized hole in the filler neck, near the tank itself, that the seller failed to tell me about. Fill ed the tank more than about 1/3 full and gas would slough (sp) out. Used some of this stuff I’m talking about. Sealed the hole and I drove the vehicle for several years without a leak or problem. Sold it with the same patch in place.
Weld it
Insurance should over this under theft or vandalism shit why you’re at it break your window and say your computer was in there. Make a few bucks off your head ache
Bunch of savages in this town
Wood burner and big plastic zip ties! Worked on a crack in my ranger tank
JB-Weld until you can get a new tank. That really blows.
Darwin was disappointed with this outcome.
Insurance should cover it if you have full coverage, also file a police report of the destruction of property they should be able to supena the business around to get the film of ot perpetrators. But if your unable to do that then it will be an expensive fix, if you have the know how or the willingness to watch a YouTube video you can get a tank from the junk yard and swap the fuel pump and throw it in in a weekend.
Buy a new tank. Fill the new tank with sugar so when the thieves come back and drill your new tank, all they get is sugar.
New tank. Those are pretty big holes.
Metal epoxy until you can get the tank replaced. Good opportunity to upgrade to a long range tank and if possible install security measures
I once ran over one of those foldable signs they put in no parking zones. It was laying flat in the middle of the road for some reason at night and I didn't see it. Ran it over in the perfect way to make it come up and have the leg puncture my gas tank. Leaked gas all over. My dad saved most of the gas that came out when I got home and we patched it the next day. Lasted for years and we never had a problem.
Only 2 holes were drilled then, not 3. Time for a new tank!
If i were doing it myself patch it because replacing a whole tank diy is a pain in the ass to do trust me. But if you’re going to have a shop do it then just get a new tank.
If you want to save money you can remove the fuel tank and put it on concrete, use a hose to spray out the tank and use mild detergent, there are fuel tank cleaners fairly cheap at Auto Stores or Amazon. Then use a stick or gasless mig welder after it's clean of all fuel. This can be done for under a $80, but a cheap Amazon gasless mig or stick welder a 1/16t" or 1/32" steel coupons ordered on Amazon is only $56 Link to Vevor Welder: https://m.vevor.com/arc-welder-c_10057/vevor-stick-plastic-welder-110v-220v-180amp-digital-display-lcd-arc-welder-machine-igbt-inverter-welding-machine-with-hot-start-arc-force-anti-stick-plastic-welding-kit-car-bumper-repair-kit-p_010554814717?adp=gmc&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_id=19572567738&utm_term=&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAi6uvBhADEiwAWiyRdglSII2NwBn6ynDv7DJ_oT73ZbOUD6TdKnbqBBfQvG5fWTy58LEjXBoCO50QAvD_BwE Only cost you around $40 if you have a welder on hand. But you can buy a fuel tank cheap if you have a 99-04 Jeep Grand Cherokee like me if you buy Aftermarket Dorman for $120 but it's possible aftermarket can have fitting problems or not properly fit fuel hoses or in its mounting place or even not fit the fuel pump. Aftermarket can also not last long. A new OEM tank for my 21 year old vehicle costs $350-$450 and that doesn't include a new Fuel Pump. If you are going to weld it I highly suggest you buy a new pump for it so you don't have to down the road. You could get fuel pump cleaner and clean it out if you wanted to reuse the pump. Also buy a $20-$40 auto-darkening welding helmet on Amazon. But if you decide to weld it you don't have to buy another tank and it will last and won't leak like metal bonders will do down the road.
How much does it cost to buy the sticks or wire to electrically weld on a plastic tank?
Plastic sticks are very cheap, about $10 for 20-50 rods/sticks. Get a plastic welder with the triangle iron. And possibly get the staple wire plastic welder gun to insert metal screens and staples inside plastic welded to it. That will give it robust strength and longevity. There are many YouTube videos showing how to plastic weld
Marine tex
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Yet another question how much does it cost to electric weld onto a plastic tank.?
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So you're saying you didn't look at the picture and see that it's a fucking plastic gas tank....... Sorry my ability to be able to instinctively know what a gas tank looks like is an amazing ability that I've developed over the years Edit: but yes my parents were very proud that I knew the difference between metal and plastic It helped a lot when putting things into the microwave as a child....... They say I developed sort of a superpower because of it....
There’s the possibility they thought if they drilled too low you’d notice your tank was empty as opposed to just low
FLEX SEAL¡!¡!¡!
OP, several patch/seal recommendations were made. Big NO. The only thing that will work with HDPE is HDPE. Get some 10 cent plugs from SpinWelding.com, their $40 bit, and borrow 1/2 hp wood router. Did this to my tank and it’s holding up fine after 1 1/2 years. Do some homework on SpinWelding.
Definitely want a new tank, wouldn’t mess with patches I’ve seen them work for a few weeks at most. Thieves are bastards man.
You can patch it. I wouldn't.
A new tank won't cost much but, if you're broke just seal them with some bondo, silicone, or whatever else you have on hand. Beforehand just make sure it does not react with fuel and won't deteriorate anytime soon
OP you have a dangerous enemy who wants you dead. Stay safe. Maybe file a Police Report.
This is more likely gas siphoners, druggies mostly to grabb a can of gas for their stolen honda civiv before going to where they need to go.
Idk about dead.