How To Fix A Cracked Plastic Gas Tank

Is your plastic fuel tank cracked, leaking or punctured? You have two options, replace it or repair it. Why not try to fix it first?
Over time, through regular use, your tank may get damaged and the entire fuel supply will be compromised.
Have you tried other patch options such as soldering trimmer line to the crack and then it just peeled off? Different compositions of plastics do not bond together properly.
Instead of using Seal-All, other sealants or epoxy, do it yourself with a soldering iron. I'll show you how. Watch now.
If this doesn't seal your plastic gas tank, then it's time to replace it.
This repair applies to weedeaters, hedgers, chainsaws, leaf blowers etc.
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Learn how to properly fix or repair your own outdoor power equipment if it won’t start, bogs out, won’t rev up, chain or blade is dull and doesn’t cut good, needs sharpened, or simply just runs poorly.
Simple and basic, do it yourself (DIY) tutorials to help you with your broken lawn and garden equipment.
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Whether it be a handheld, two stroke, two cycle engine like chainsaws, weed eaters, string trimmers, grass trimmers, line trimmers, hedge trimmers, strimmers, brush cutters, leaf blowers, or four stroke, four cycle units like lawn mowers, pressure washers, generators, ride on mowers that need parts installed or replaced, I’m your guy.
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Disclosure: This KZbin video is provided for informational purposes only. Steve is a qualified small engine mechanic and is working in an open and fully ventilated shop for the purpose of making this video. Small engines should be operated outside in fully ventilated areas only and it is important that you wear the appropriate safety gear. If you choose to try one of the suggestions made in this video, you do so at your own risk. Please ensure that you take all proper safety measures before attempting any project.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Click here for a soldering iron---- amzn.to/2Uinwxg Click here for my website--- www.stevessmallenginesaloon.com/ Click here for my Parts and Tools Store---- www.amazon.com/shop/stevessmallenginesaloon

[@pietrosenerchia1786]

Steve great video by the way about soldering fuel plastic tanks..would you also recommend using a bit of epoxy resin for fiberglass after a plastic weld been done on it..for some one that doesn't do it very often..

[@mongomay1]

Thank you Steve for your common sense approach after trying many different repair methods and seeing what works and lasts for plastic type gas fuel tanks! Try carb cleaner or acetone to draw the contamination out of the crack/defect to get it cleaner. One tip I read about was to preheat the repair area with hot-air gun. This I think will help in sweating out the defect/crack contaminants and also as in metal welding make the plastic more acceptable to the concentrated heat zone. The cleaner the better your repair! I cut up clean milk jugs into strips to use as raw filler and the red caps for use on gas jugs. There is a symbol and usually a recycle code that will tell you what your plastic source is made from. HDPE is pretty common, look on your different products stored in plastic to understand more of the chemicals and solvents it has a safe use with. Use similar materials, I have the neck of my mower gas tank shear off from being too thin. I will be laying in milk jug material and metal mesh screen layers to build the neck back thicker to support the cap twisting. It is over a hundred bucks to replace the gas tank, which I have done before, so that for now is going to be my path forward in repair. I bought an inexpensive electric plastic welding kit from HF. HDPE Polyethylene Semi-flexible, melts & smears when grinding, usually semi-translucent, waxy or greasy feel. Overflow tanks, inner fender panels, water storage tanks, gas tanks, kayaks, canoes, playground equipment. Method AW-1 or N2-1 with high density polyethylene rod (R12 series). Link to plastics information and how to tips and videos: www.polyvance.com/identify.php

[@Mike75575]

Just get a new tank . Forget about this. Its a fire hazard waiting to happen 💣⏰️💥

[@alistersibley2155]

If you check out the videos on you tube of people repairing cracks on plastic kayaks/canoes, you'll find they all use hot air guns. This method stops the plastic burning and producing the black scab that Steve had here but Steve's method shown in this video does work and it does produce a permanent fix. Thumbs up!!!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@boastyy]

A couple of tips. Make sure you sand the repair area fully and make sure the soldering iron tip is clean before melting the plastic as you will transfer the black bits and into the plastic. A large flat head tip is easier to use on the soldering iron. I bought a cheap soldering iron just for doing plastic repairs. I normally take the fuel tank off, empty the fuel out, remove the tank and flush it out with water and leave to dry before starting the plastic welding. The tanks I have repaired have been made with ptfe, white plastic milk cartons are made out of the same material and create a solid repair that does not leak and looks like the original white tank. You can cut them into strips and melt them easily as a filler material to build up the thickness.😀

[@unclep1210]

Just a little extra for strength. Cut a piece of wire screen or mesh, like from a kitchen strainer or spark arrestor, slightly larger than the crack. Place that on the melted plastic then work it on all around. I do this for repairs on plastic kayaks. Works great and is strong as hell.

[@adamdorris4081]

: "Really polish that crack up the best as you can." Best line ever!

[@OOICU812]

Salad dressing?

[@dougalexander7204]

Uh huh...

[@billl605]

woof woof

[@tombal7408]

I guess we all need to go to Poland for this fix!

[@ivaerak]

He has great lines, he should use them on t-shirts no cap

[@jandecook3302]

Thanks a million. I live in Central America and have no source for parts for my very old weed eater. It worked like a charm. I didn't have a soldering iron so I used a nail and a Sterno. Us gals can fix stuff too!! with a beer :)

[@markk3652]

Propane torch and an old screwdriver will work too, nice flat tool to even it out with.

[@badgasser]

another good trick, watch for the surplus of hand sanitizer being thrown out, i got 2 gals. free and have made alcohol lamps out of the jelly canning jars with a hole in the lid and a small amount of medical gauze as a wick, diy sterno

[@tomt9543]

And if you run out of beer, you can filter the Sterno through a rag and drink it! Desperate times demand desperate measures! Ha!

[@litewatefitr]

This is one of my favorite corners of the internet, I swear... Thanks, Steve and company!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@grasshoppaMedia]

Gonna try this on a puncture.... Thanks for the video and all the tweaking and consenting comments! Together, we can do this!

[@Wollemand]

Good job Steve.. Love that you had a beer with you.. Im an engineer an work a lot with PE-welding, mostly with electrofittings.. After every welding there is a cooling-off period before you can manipulate/stress the place you have welded.. I strongly suggest that you allow yourself, to finish your beer and maybe even have another one, before you move on further with your checks and refilling the tank😀👍🏻

[@tonycook8059]

Agreed. And type of beer can make all the difference, but as long as it's cold, might not make as much difference. If one is good, two even better. 🍺🍻

[@kirkbeverley4768]

Piece of plastic bucket in toaster oven on tin foil at °450, heat gun on gas tank till about 450 (shiny). Lay the patch on gas tank, will never leak. Love your videos!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on Buddy...

[@DV6000victim]

I used to work at a winery/brewery and the owner used to have me "weld" up the cracks in the 300 gallon fermentation tanks in a similar fashion. Worked perfectly on most of the tanks. Thanks for the quality infotainment again my friend.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@Shu77ered]

Perfect! Saved me $85.00. I tried epoxy and plastic welding. Both methods failed almost instantly. Thank you for this great tip.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Glad it helped!

[@caratcranker5874]

A video about fillin cracks and drinking beer? mate i'm in !!.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on ....

[@Gyrxiur]

Good video, but I recommend using soldering station instead of just iron, so you can lower the temperature, so you don't burn that plastic to become black, because burnt plastic becomes more brittle.

[@davidedwards8282]

what's that?

[@Gyrxiur]

@@davidedwards8282 basically soldering iron with temperature setting

[@tomt9543]

@@Gyrxiur Harbor Freight sells a good one

[@andylibby854]

If you had an old tank you could cut small strips of the plastic and use that as filler. It also looked like the temperature of the iron was too high which contributed to the black burned plastic. But it worked and I believe you’re correct that it is permanent. Great video always interesting.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on Andy...

[@timallen6025]

Oh Steve .I have 4 ! FOUR ! donated 2str strimmers fixed , in use , saved from landfill .. thanks to your Brewski n Can Do channel . Thank you ! 👍👍

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

That is awesome!

[@brianpinkham7273]

I did exactly what Steve said on a Toro petrol tank costing £220 to replace new. The repair was so easy to do with stunning results. Milk carton worked like dream. Thanks Steve .

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Nice one!

[@jmorrow6913]

Most fuel tanks are HPDE plastic the same as milk jugs. So milk jugs are a good source of plastic for plastic welding. Though match the recycling numbers if at all possible.

[@brianwaiting7899]

*hdpe= high density polyethylene. That Google full auto semi word correction struck again ¬.^

[@DANimalicious]

Aahhhh! Good ol milk jugs are more useful than the nippled kind. When cut to potato chip size wafers and heated in toaster oven, they can be molded to make mallets, bike chain guides, reinforce stuff, dildos etc. Still prefer nippled tho.

[@zooknz1711]

HDPE is high density polyethylene, zip ties and line trimmer cord are nylon - no way they will fuse together. The milk jug idea should work, i am going to find an old fuel tank and try it. By the way, hdpe doesn't break down with fuel so hence they make fuel containers out of it.

[@jmc2510]

Zooknz let me know how that goes. I may be doing that later today.

[@jmc2510]

DANimalicious Dude this comment is A+. Much appreciated.

[@aktrapper6126]

" if it takes two beers I ain't judging" LOL.

[@caratcranker5874]

But i drank 2 beers in the same time. Steve, lift your game matey !!. lol.

[@ravenfeather7087]

What you're doing is called plastic welding. It's become a commonly used way of repairing plastic. Harbor Freight makes a kit that recently cost me about $16. It's not a high quality tool but works. I used it to repair a hole in an RV water tank the I created to get at something inside the tank. The opening was at least a half inch wide. The kit comes with the welding plastic "rods" and stainless steel matting (screen) to reinforce repair areas. Worked fine. After trying silicone, goop, etc. - all of which peeled off. Like J Morrow (below) says it's best to use identical plastic for the repair if you need to add material. Most plastics are labeled. Perhaps as important is to melt enough material to thoroughly mix the melted material together. It's not really simply laying one material on another it's combining the two materials.

[@Bob-ns4od]

I have a Craftsman mower 42" rider that has a crack in the tank. I used to work building service stations, and when a tank needed to be pulled we had to remove the fumes before transporting we used a lot of dry ice because when "melted" the fumes were heavier than air so it pushed all of the fumes out of the tank making it less of a bomb. Thanks for the tip on the tank. They don't make the tank any longer so my old mower will give me a couple more years of use.👍

[@thebooman3519]

Thank you for the straight forward easy guidance on this type of repair. Very helpful

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@keithfisk5854]

Steve you put it in words that even the most untrained persons can understand and you are my most used information channel thank you keith

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...and You're Welcome...

[@basilistravlos4575]

Thanks Steve. Once again. I thought that my Chinese chainsaw was done but following your instructions it's alive again.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Great to hear!

[@brianleduc7797]

Have been fixing tanks like your way for years and all so other types of plastic and your 100% right on your tire raps and all other stuff that's plastic !!! Now that the 3d printing machine are out like dog shit on every corner there a lot of different cord or string or whatever it's called!!! Made with lots different grades of plastics I'll have to think on that...as there was one stick that was a one fix deal but now as all good stuff it's no longer for sale!,,,, keep up you great channel of beer and wisdom

[@svtirefire]

I discovered that preheating the area with a heat gun on low makes it repair so much easier. I tried it on an old Tecumseh tank today and found that a couple of the smaller cracks pretty much repaired themselves when the heat gun got everything nice and mushy.

[@MattyDemello]

Great idea

[@MacheteBushcraftAustralia]

Always gold Steve!! I did the same thing on a Grillo ride-on tank a few years back but I cut excess plastic from the tank to use as filler material. That was about 6 years ago now. Not a single leak since.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on Buddy....

[@coma3550]

I Just want to say one thing to you Steve! Your awesome, thanks for helping us blokes out.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...and You're Welcome...

[@Bushman9]

Steve, you are bang on about the Seal-All. Used it on my cracked weed eater tank and it lasted for a good while, then started leaking again. It’s a Tanaka and the tank is no longer available. I know what I will be doing this spring... beer in hand of course! 🍺

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on

[@smuglet1180]

Yet another great video tutorial, Steve. Long may they continue. From a dedicated Irish fan.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@jeffpiatt3879]

When I was a kid, my Mom would use a hot butter knife, heated up on the range burner, to fix plastic toys we had broken. Great video, Steve!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Awesome Jeff! Thank You...

[@terryboone3333]

It's even better to learn two new things every day. Thanks

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Glad to hear that!

[@IxNxI]

Steve's Fuel tank 1 beer crafts ...

[@nateb9207]

Thanks Steve! Your channel is very helpful

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...and Thank You...

[@heavysnow8616]

Great work Steve, a fix that works and will last. Just be careful as the fumes off the plastic are bad to breathe.

[@sheshejosey3596]

Thank you for your video. my 12 year old lawn tractor had a crack in it and i was able to fix it with your method. it saved me $120 for a new tank (including tax and delivery charge). i had a wood burning craft tool that had a soldering bit so it worked out. again thank you for help[ing this 50 yr old lady fix this issue. i did not have a beer but i may have a sip of wine later tonight after the day is through. only took me 10 minutes total, if that!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Excellent!

[@alejandro1924]

Hi there, thanks great info. I wanted to add if people are working on a gas tank like a huge tractor one, what I did is put some soapy water in tank after I removed from tractor and rinsed the tank well, I then plugged in a air pump trough the supply line and pumped air which made bubbles come out trough cracks I would shut of pump dry and the small little bubbles still told me where cracks were. It worked awesome . Thanks, I enjoy your videos.

[@davidsimms3661]

Steve, I was looking for the best adhesive for a lawn mower tank and then I saw your video. I'm in! Thanks.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Good luck!

[@ryanjoslin2733]

Hey, I'm looking for a lawnmower tank repair... The hole is dime sized, and thankfully on the top corner of the plastic gas tank, (it's an old cheap mower) Any extra advice?

[@manuelv9494]

Yep, looks good. That's how I do it but I lower the temperature of that soldering iron a little so that you don't create so much black carbon in the plastic. You just want to melt the plastic, not burn it. Overall thumbs up, way to be.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@jimbeaver3426]

I use a variac to lower the voltage to 75 - 85 VAC for the iron, i.e., just below the plastic's charring temperature. With a little experimentation you'll find the right settings for your project. For 1/16" or thicker plastics during the welding process you can also add short lengths of bare fine wire (#26 to #30, etc.), imbedded across the crack at the surface. This is a highly effective technique especially for repairing acrylics. For example a ¼" thick, 6-inch broken off corner was reattached, in addition to solvent welding, using fine wires on both sides of the cracks, staggered so they weren't opposite each other. The project has been in service for several years without breaking again. If you don't like the aesthetics then there's always the scrap bin and buying a replacement.

[@shawndubay4050]

Hey Steve you are a pretty good plastic welder. Good job. Salute from Kentucky.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thanks 👍

[@shawndubay4050]

@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon your welcome so are you a welder and brazer or metal??

[@mrvic721]

Wow! Another great tip, thanks Steve!! Keep up the good work.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...and You're Welcome...

[@jacquesdorval8173]

Good job Steve

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@josephjorgensen3282]

Saved me 65 bucks on a job can’t thank you enough

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@mikehellekson]

Steve, you are my absolute favorite repairman!! Love your ideas!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Wow, thanks!

[@zooknz1711]

Clever repair Steve - well done

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@DANimalicious]

As usual, great video and legit fix. I'm surprised you didn't clean the soldering iron tip though. Also, that's at least a 2 beer fix at normal consumption rates. Cheers!

[@843292]

Brilliant idea! And they make different tips for soldering irons that may even make that task a little simpler. Thanks Steve!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on Buddy...

[@AnotherUser1000]

That' s a nice, new fuel tank!

[@jpaul4595]

I have a 30 year old Troy Built Tiller that I can fill the tank beyond half full. I’ll try this to repair the crack. Thanks for the tip.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@bigblue3568]

You can buy a "plastic" welder at Harbor Freight. Only same type of plastic will stick to each other. More than likely that gas tank is Type 2 HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene). Most milk jugs are HDPE so just cut and use a piece of it.

[@rogermccaslin6750]

Fuel tank is probably polyethylene, most likely high density polyethylene (HDPE). Cable ties are nylon. You are correct, the dissimilar plastics don't bond well. Many things are made of polyethylene - milk jugs come to mind. You might be able to find a compatible plastic from common materials. You can also buy plastic welding rods that would probably work.

[@nameuser4406]

Thank you very much. I have a portable dump station I'm going to try that on. I paid over $300 and had to buy a cheaper one to get me by for my 4th of July camping trip. I would hate to get rid of it because of a small hole. Thanks again can't wait to try it!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@captobvious9367]

Watched to many videos and should have gone straight to yours. I ended up doing this exact thing

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on

[@ralph5469]

Good fix Steve. That technique also will work on handheld pump sprayers too. Like the ones you use to spray weed killer or insecticides. The plastic on those are pretty thick also, and will take well to this technique.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Great tip Ralph! Thank You...

[@FlyingAxblade_D20]

@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon i have 5 tanks because all my pumps give out due to bleach. I'd like to know how to fix that, Tractor Supply won't just sell me the pump. Anyone want to buy a 1.3 gallon tank for shipping, aka free?

[@kenboon1478]

@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon what is the main problem that's causing a lawnmower engine not to start easily when it becomes hot ? Thanks

[@rickwashek478]

Your right, I finished 1 beer while you did that repair Steve. I would most likely started to look for replacement tank, good video.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@fluorescentblack4336]

These are the kinds of repairs I love. Thanks for the video!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@billwilliamson7155]

Thanks for a great tip Steve , I learn a lot following your small engine saloon

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@beanolatte2682]

Exactly what I do when repairing plastic. I purchased a plastic welding kit.

[@bradhill5822]

I have also done this with a 10” 3/8 “ Nail Spike. Heat up the spike with a Torch while holding on to the spike with Vise Grips.

[@vallery7521]

This worked perfect for my punctured Cub Cadey Zero Turn tank.! It took 2-3 minutes and saved me $120.00 for a replacement! Thanks!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on! You're Welcome...

[@stephen271]

Brilliant idea Steve good stuff

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@littleshopintheshed]

Great fix Steve. The tank for my mower is discontinued, I will be doing these shortly. My dad “fixed” it last year with rocker panel spray, and well.... we all know how that turned out!! Thank you, reminds me of a stir welding technique.

[@garthmcgibbon4285]

Hi Steve. What I would do is shave a very small sliver from the filler hole and do what you did to the tank using that little strip to fill in the trough. Plastics will weld together if they are the same plastic. I think that is polyethylene so strips from a milk jug should work as well. Try it and let me know if it works. That way you are not thinning the wall but simply filling in the trough.

[@richmcconnehey4591]

Awesome , thanks for that solution. I’ve tried all kind of sealers and that all fall off. 👍

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Glad to help

[@fire7765]

Great job Steve. thx for sharing.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...and You're Welcome...

[@ChrisNixon13]

I really like this tip Steve thanks! I wonder if a shot of brake cleaner would be useful to clean out the oil from the crack before melting?

[@tbyrdsr1]

Good work Steve . I have done auto body work for over 30 yr. and used to repair damaged battery with the same tools but I used a paddle blade on the heat gun to v out the crack then smooth over the top. Works great and keep up the good work.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@jr4750jr]

Excellent fix Steve, much appreciated for this one. Cheers from Brisbane Australia.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thanks Mate....

[@johndavis3231]

Try this sometime on a leak or sealing fuel line to a tank. Gorilla glue the area and connection parts, allow to set up overnight. This has worked for me three or four times as a permanent repair. The gasoline does not penetrate or soften the glue. Just a suggestion .

[@fredbruce6881]

Steve, You have save me so much money. I have all Stihl equipment I just would like to thank you. I thought it's about time for me to subscriber You helped me I am help you. Thanks

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...and You're Welcome...

[@darvinpreece601]

This Is a great video. Genius fix! Love this. It is a technique I’ll remember forever. Have you ever tried brake cleaner, or polymer safe firearm blaster on the oily part first. It cleans firearms very well and removes all the old oil. I’d bet it would work very quickly and well here. It might even eliminate the sanding step. This is a video I’m sharing and I’ll recommend your channel to everyone I know!!!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Great tip! Thank You...and You're Welcome...

[@don7406]

Nice repair, thanks for sharing.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...and You're Welcome...

[@rolandomontes4128]

Thank you you saved me $200 on my dirt bike fuel take. Great channel👍👍

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Great to hear!

[@darellsunderlin4670]

Good video , also I've used pieces of an old tank to use as filler. We always seem to have a few tanks laying around not in use anymore !!!!! :-) Cheers!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@schlomoshekelstein908]

what's the pplastic used? maybe old milk jugs are the same plastic i'm thinking?

[@darkknight145]

@@schlomoshekelstein908 Not the same type of plastic, I've actually tried to store veggie oil in milk containers, the oil attacks the plastic and they will leak within a few months. I'd imagine petrol with oil in it would be worse.

[@bradhill5822]

At 4:55 “the next thing we want to do is prepare that crack” 😜😜

[@jogrant3851]

Thank you!! Just put a small crack in my tank and wondered if it could be repaired. Lucky to see this video. You're a legend.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're welcome!

[@clauslundberg9224]

Super cool fix - thanks for sharing

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@TheReal1953]

Probably for another video but.....if you have a cracked plastic piece that doesn't hold any fluids, you can fix it with stainless steel mesh and a soldering GUN with a flat tip.

[@johncostin9437]

Good video Steve. You're right about how different plastics won't work for the patch. Those tanks are made from HDPE plastic and if you need more, it's easy to find. It's branded with the recycle 2 symbol. Like you, I've used a plastic welder to achieve the same result and the key is to get the new hdpe hot enough to bind with the substrate. If you use the same white opaque hdpe, you can tell it's good when it turns clear and translucent. You can also groove out the crack with a pointed dremel grinding tip.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on John...

[@josedejesus6185]

Very nice and instructional Steve! Thank you very much!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@jackwatkins7382]

Dammit man! Finally someone who understands that everything can be measured with beer! I once told a friend of mine how to get to my house. He asked how far was it was and I told him it was only three beers away. And the course goes like this, when you get in your car pop the top on your beer just as you're leaving town. Drive down the old Concord Highway until you run out of your first beer. Then stop on the left under a big oak tree, that would be the old Tucker place, and get another beer. When that beer Runs Out they'll be a old run-down store on the right. Stop in the store Yard and get another beer. Open the beer turn right and Drive until you drank about half of it and there will be a dirt road to the right turn on it by the time your beer is finished my driveway will be on the right. Chunk out your can but don't open another one cause my Drive ain't but about a half a mile long and I'll have a fresh one waiting on you when you get here! And the old Tucker place I mentioned is actually a GPS location which of course stands for good pissing station! Of course sometimes some of these sippers or light weights hell they probably Drive 10 beer past my house. They need to work on their beer drinking! Nother story. One night I had put in about 16 hours and the assistant administrator of the place where I worked just leaving a late meeting with all the department heads. I run into him in the hall I said hey let's go have a beer. I hadn't been in our town long and he asked where do you get a beer this time of the night I said in the back of my truck! They said I where do we go I said well I would carry out to the house but it's ways so we'll just duck in here behind this building I know it'll be safe for drinking a couple beers. So we pulled behind there and I grabbed us a couple beers out of the ice cold cooler and we popped our tops and started drinking a beer. So you know how it is when you just got off a hell of a day's work. so my can quickly hit the back of the truck and I asked him are you ready for another? He looked over at me and said damn! I didn't know we was pouring them out! I told him sure right down my neck. So anyhow he drank about 2 I drank about 4 or 5 and we parted ways and then I still had that drive to make. Oh well my truck knows the way home so I just stretched out and took a nap and my truck blowed the horn when he pulled in the yard. That was a damn good truck! after driving to the same house for 35 years he could do it with his headlights off! Haha. Good day to y'all!

[@TomTom-by5sx]

Steve, you are right on, composition of the plastic must be identical or the repair will fail. Nice job, very nice.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@ICOWBOYIM]

GREAT REPAIR‼ Its a good day when I start it out by learning something new 🛠..... P.S. I just did the research and found plastic gas tanks are made from high density polyethylene (HDPE) so are detergent bottles, i.r. filler material. Skoal 🍺

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on Rich...

[@valdelinoomarciniak4708]

Great vídeo Steve...i'm always seen your's vídeo.... Thanks for tour help

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@MrSirPhase3]

Finally a fix for a split plastic tank that works. My 3.0 HP Sears Gamefisher fuel tank thanks you.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Fantastic!

[@alanprudhomme9090]

A good reason to SAVE that junk tank you were going to throw away. Use it for filler on another one. It's amazing , nothing sticks to this shit but its self.

[@splash5974]

Ive tryed JB Weld, as others have suggested in the past, but it doesnt last. It will delaminate! Tried zip ties, doesnt stick! The thing i have found that seems to work if you need filler, is the plastic from windshield washer fluid jug. It melts in and really bonds well! It was the only way i fixed my tank last summer...

[@billlovett4256]

I have also used JBweld to repair a gas tank, the steel epoxy one not the plastic one. And it worked great and never leaked.

[@splash5974]

@Oops Oops I bought the JB Weld quick setting. And within a week or so, it literally peeled off! I cleaned the area really well and sanded the plastic first. I tried again, and it did the same thing...was thinking maybe the 2 stroke oil breaks it down? Cause i used it to repair a bad sending unit on a car years back, and it never had an issue.

[@rider660r]

It doesn't if you do it right.You didn't do it right that's why it came off. Back in '94 or '95 all there was regular JB Weld... Gotta open up a hole large enough JB can be push through to the other side. Then sand around the area to scuff it up but try to keep it small.Apply the JB and make sure to push it through the hole also,let it set a couple min till a slight skin forms then apply it to the inside and make sure to smear it around again staying small. Done right you'll never have another problem.....been 24-25 yrs now bouncing around in truck beds,on skidders and dropped a lot of times and my 2077's tank hasn't leaked again. The long crack like he had in the vid I would have made a hole at each end of that crack.That also helps from the crack wanting to expand further.

[@YourMom-yu4mq]

I am borrowing a 660 from a buddy. It has a cracked tank, somewhat common I guess, going yo fix it for him. Thanks Steve.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Good luck!

[@tfknauss]

Great ideas, thanks Steve!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@michaelsutton4149]

Had a fuel cap that cracked & eventually the whole top of cap separated from main part.Have tried glues/epoxy, no luck.Clamped both parts together & did the plastic weld with soldering iron around the whole circumference of the top part of cap..all good.👌Cheers, from The Hunter Valley Australia...👍

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on

[@RichardFreeberg]

Watch out for fuel vapor. Fuel in a fluid state is relatively incombustible. It needs to be mixed with oxygen, as a vapor, exactly like what you will find in a totally EMPTY tank. The soldering iron is probably just below ignition temperature, but who knows how close. Short story. One mechanic I worked with tried to bronze braze a VW metal fuel tank with a pinhole leak. The tank came from the junkyard and had been open and lying in the sun for at least 5 years or so. BOOM! It opened up like a flower and threw him backward 30 feet. He was lucky and only had minor injuries. Moral: be extremely paranoid of ALL fuel tanks, especially EMPTY ones...

[@BigmanKris]

Thanks Steve, just fixed my Stihl FS 81 tank . Brilliant !

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Glad it helped

[@pbrstreetgng79]

I use Yamabond # 4. Love that stuff. I mostly use it to seal up 2 cycle engine cylinders, but I have successfully used it to seal up cracked fuel tanks. One repair was on a 5,000 watt generator plastic gas tank; the black ones that sit on top of the frame. The crack was a foot long! I drained all the gas out, did very little prep, applied it, let it dry, and it worked out great. I now use this stuff for all my gas tank repairs. It doesn't come out pretty, but if they want pretty, they can buy a new gas tank. I have never had one leak after doing this repair.

[@lavitagus]

If you knew the plastic composition of the Sthil gas tank you can find plastic welding rod kits that come with an assortment of different kinds of plastic. They are usually color coded and with some experimentation you can find the right one for the type of plastic Sthil uses for their tank. But I agree that just melting what is already there is an easier fix.

[@TheTrailblazer1974]

Looks good to me

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@s.hmobilesmallenginerepair3029]

Great work Steve.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@valentinesmith6617]

Hi steve i repaire small engines and when i have a problem i all ways go to your channel thanks for all your help iam still learning every time i go to your channell thank you steve val smith in the middle of ireland 👍👍👍👍👍

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Cool, thanks

[@kennycoye3907]

U know Steve, you should be receiving a lot more money from u-tube! U have saved me quite a bit of money! Thanks sir! I'm going to try it now!!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on Kenny....

[@jimbeaver3426]

There's nothing stopping you or anyone from giving Steve a substantial donation, say, $25 - $50 +, for saving you quite a bit of money, which is far less than it would of cost you at a pro-shop. C'mon Kenny and guys, unlock that wallet and make a one-time donation right now, while you're reading this before you forget, OK! And, Steve, thanks for all your hard work creating these informative videos, saving us lots of money!

[@WeBeeJamming]

@@jimbeaver3426 Well said!! I didn't need any repair. I just heard he was fun to drink beer with🤣🤣🤣

[@marvinsalvador1208]

Thank You sir, steve tomorrow i gonna try this process to fix my Motorcycle Plastic tank.

[@thomasz4981]

All kinds of these videos on youtube from years ago, make sure you donate to the right guy.

[@staff4837]

Awesome video I loved it, quick question, WHAT CAN YOU REPAIR WITH A CORONA BEER🔧😁🔨🤗🛠😅

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

LOL! ANYTHING......

[@JohnJohn-wr1jo]

Anything but the Corona virus

[@lukep6017]

Excellent VIDEO.