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Aug 13, 2019 18:03:32 GMT
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I can't really tell from the pictures but if the tank is made from aluminium and TIG welded that crack looks like a cold crack caused by only fusing material instead of also adding filler rod. If this is the case, the whole tank is suspect...
Not wanting to scare you, but it was the first thing I thought when I saw that picture.
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Aug 13, 2019 20:50:57 GMT
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Mark Do you think the front lip is bowing from the air pressure that's put on it from driving or is the something out of balance causing a vibration that is stressing the panel? I think it's more that he hit a mole hill or hole on a field and beached the front. If you knew how thick & strong the front is you would never ask that question. The big brown rub mark underneath is a bit of a clue. |
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Aug 13, 2019 21:00:27 GMT
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I can't really tell from the pictures but if the tank is made from aluminium and TIG welded that crack looks like a cold crack caused by only fusing material instead of also adding filler rod. If this is the case, the whole tank is suspect... Not wanting to scare you, but it was the first thing I thought when I saw that picture. You are absolutely correct. I've had the torch out and inspected the welds from the inside and that particular weld has no penetration whatsoever. It was welded about 20 years ago and has been on the road for over 5,000 miles so it's had a good testing! The other welds are mostly good but longer term I'll either make a new tank (a bit bigger too) or I'll strip all the edges and run over all the welds again. The guy at work at the the time was good at fusing without a lot of rod, luckily he only welded some of it and the other welds were a different guy who put more heat/filler rod in. I probably also over dressed it removing too much metal too. The welders we have at work now are very good and can get a bead on both sides so you know penetration is good. Anyway..... Tank is DA'd back along the whole seam ready for re welding tomorrow. Christ that paint is HARD!! The topcoats are not too bad but the epoxy primer is harder than concrete!!! Good to know how well it bonds and how durable it is I guess.  |
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Aug 14, 2019 11:12:37 GMT
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Am I right in remembering that you can steam a fuel tank prior to welding as it warms it up as well so its considered extra safe ? At least you got home but small consolation. James Fuel tank repairs are normally undertaken by steaming or boiling the tank out first - simply by blanking all the outlets with exception of the filler neck then using a steam cleaning lance** down the neck with the trigger held on - this is then left for a hour or so to fill the tank with steam / very high temperature water that it overflows out of it - steel tanks tend to be repaired by cleaning the surface area to be repaired then plating over with thin sheet steel with the area tinned prior to a soft solder applied by heat - obviously alloy tanks have to be rewelded - some radiator companies will undertake this type of work but they are getting few & far between - I currently ship my tank repairs 150 miles North **For clarity - A proper heat generating steam cleaner is what is referred to here and not a cold water pressure washer |
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Last Edit: Aug 14, 2019 11:16:39 GMT by Deleted
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Aug 14, 2019 11:53:15 GMT
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So, not peeping round the garage corner brandishing a burning rag wired to an old clothes prop, tied to a scaffolding tube then?
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74 Mk1 Escort 1360, 1971 Vauxhall Victor SL2000 Estate.
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Aug 14, 2019 12:20:17 GMT
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I just stuck the nozzle of the butane torch in the end and watched the 4ft blue flame come out  Popped the butane torch in it this morning - nada. Does not even smell of petrol. |
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Aug 14, 2019 13:16:14 GMT
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That's a shame about the tank but considering the mileage it's done well, I had a few pin holes in the cortinas spare tank that I soldered to seal it - it seems to have done the trick.
Can you blend the front end paint in easily?
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1966 Ford Cortina GT
2018 Ford Fiesta ST
Full time engineer, part time waffler on Youtube - see Jim_Builds
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Aug 14, 2019 21:21:37 GMT
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Aug 15, 2019 22:02:28 GMT
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Tank is now fully welded up again all round;  Not by me I hasten to add as I can't tig weld, but by my welder at work. Nice deep penetration on the welds this time;  Flatted it all back tonight and shot the first new layer of primer back on. Got a few runs unfortunately as it was the last bit in the tin so I thinned it a bit more than normal as it was a bit thick, should not have done that. No problem as it needs blocking back anyway as it's still a bit uneven where I sanded the old paint down.  |
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mk2cossie
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 3,059 
Club RR Member Number: 77
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That is a very nice looking weld there blackpopracing  Did it get flap wheeled at all before paint, or left as is? |
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Good call to re-weld the whole lot I think there would always be a worry in the back of my mind about if it was going to fail somewhere else.
Given the superb level of finish on the rest of the car I wonder if you might be better off just biting the bullet and painting both wings completely, I can see you spending ages trying to blend and polish it then never really being happy.
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That is a very nice looking weld there blackpopracing Did it get flap wheeled at all before paint, or left as is? The whole thing was gone over with the DA but there are still witness lines where metal joins primer. Another blocking down and another coat of primer will see these gone. |
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Aug 16, 2019 10:05:06 GMT
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kevins Yes, agreed, I would be always be wondering when the next crack would appear! Ref painting the wings - the whole front is one peice so a pretty huge bit of painting!
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Aug 16, 2019 11:29:47 GMT
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kevins Yes, agreed, I would be always be wondering when the next crack would appear! Ref painting the wings - the whole front is one peice so a pretty huge bit of painting! Mark - There are some very simple but very clever masking products in the market nowday's - soft edge blending tapes that save a mountain of work - I'm going to be using some this afternoon so I will take some pics and post them back to the thread - it may just save you from having to paint the whole front end - Chris |
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Last Edit: Aug 16, 2019 11:32:58 GMT by Deleted
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Aug 17, 2019 14:32:48 GMT
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Appreciated Chris, saw some at the NEC show but did not buy any at the time. Had a better look at the cracks today, they are very deep - I can get my fingernail right into them. I'll have to grind them out with a Dremel first and put in new Flowcoat (gelcoat with wax in it) before I do any paint remedies. Other progress, flatted tank down this morning and laid on a second coat of primer. Left it under the Infra red lamp for a while and flatted this coat down as well. Then laid on the silver basecoat. I'll leave this a few hours and then will get the first clearcoat on this evening.  Then tomorrow I'll get the second clearcoat on and hopefully with a bit of flatting & polishing it can be refitted to the car. |
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Aug 18, 2019 20:23:31 GMT
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Tank now fully painted, just needs a little colour sanding to finish. Hope to complete that tomorrow when paint has hardened off.  While tank was out it showed up some changes required in rear suspension to soften it up a little. I also took the rear shocks off as they are not fairing well with road use  Some scotch brite pads later and a go on the polishing mop has returned them to as new condition. The polishing mop wax ought to keep them in good order for a while, but I will try to find some rubber boots for the rose joints as they have not fared well in the environment. Polished top fixing on bottom of pic - unpolished shock on right.  |
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Aug 18, 2019 22:48:15 GMT
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Blackpaps, off on a tangent for a minute, sorry....
I'm sure you've mentioned it previously but it's easier* to ask than to search back over 1000s of pages of progress...
What transmission / gearbox do you have in the Pop?
* easier = lazier
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Last Edit: Aug 18, 2019 22:48:40 GMT by Deleted
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Aug 18, 2019 23:01:53 GMT
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It's a TH350, same as yours.
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Aug 18, 2019 23:03:23 GMT
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It's a TH350, same as yours. Thank you!  (I'll let the thread resume without me waffling on as to why I asked) |
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Aug 20, 2019 22:20:37 GMT
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Well the daily has been giving me grief so no Pop work last night, but back on to the tank tonight. "I'll just give it a quick colour sand on the areas that show, no need to do the rest - it's only a fuel tank" So that will be everywhere then.......  damn my ocd!!  After the first coarse cut its looking pretty good, Ill do the medium and fine cut tomorrow finishing off with glaze. No need to go over the top - it's only a fuel tank after all  |
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Some scotch brite pads later and a go on the polishing mop has returned them to as new condition. The polishing mop wax ought to keep them in good order for a while, but I will try to find some rubber boots for the rose joints as they have not fared well in the environment.
damn my ocd!!