Hole in the fuel tank...help!!

[FDDreamer]

Okay, first things first - I\'m sorry for bombarding this board with new topics! I promise I will stop soon! :chat

I\'m looking for a bit of advice from the mechanically-savvy owners out there! My car has a hole in the fuel tank, and I really need to get it patched up ASAP. I drove it for a couple of hours home and felt a bit ‘funny’ afterwards, and my brother took the car for a 20 minute drive over the weekend and also complained of a headache afterwards. The smell of petrol inside the car is very strong and I’m reluctant to use the car as much as I’d like because of it. Obviously it’s also costing a lot to run (so far I’ve driven it around 150 miles and put in over £50 of jungle juice). It isn’t leaking fuel per se, as in there are no puddles on the floor, and apparently the hole is near the top of the tank.

So, I was wondering what my options are? What kind of repair job is best and roughly how much should it cost? I appreciate it’s hard to say with the limited info I’ve provided in mind, but any ballpark figures would be great. I don’t want my garage to rip me off because they see it’s an old car and therefore go down the ‘oooh car’s like this are difficult, we’ll need to replace this and replace that etc’ road. I’m hoping the hole can simply be ‘covered up’, by means of a bit of metal or one of those clever chemical sealers â€" is this realistic?

Thanks for any hints and tips guys. :Thumbs-up

[Archbish]

Get a replacement fuel tank from Jimmy\'s or RX Motors, and swap it in.  Can\'t be that difficult - esp for a garage!!

[SmbFD3S]

Fuel tanks usually corrode from the inside, which is why it\'s better to fill them up rather than leave them half full as the moisture inside rots them... Chances are if there\'s a hole already you\'ll need to replace the tank as the inside of the tank will be shot...

[David Nock (RIP)]

I would start filling only to half way immediately. That\'s what I\'ve done for last 6 months!
Follow this link all the way to the end. http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43133&highlight=petrol+tank
I think you said 1984 car so should be a 1st Gen Series 3. Are wheels 14 inch?, Series 2 was 13 inch.
Wherever you obtain from, be aware that S1,S2 and S3 tanks may have differences.
The common problem spot is inaccessible with the tank in place. The standard solution to this problem on most cars is to replace IF you can get hold of a new tank.

[shaunwil]

Somebody else got a good deal on a brand new fuel tank not too long ago. Do a quick search for it and hopefully it will help. I have a tank in the garden if you wanted to come and pick it up but I\'m a bit of a distance away ! Not sure what state it is in, probably not too good.

Swapping tanks over isn\'t too hard. Drop the tank, pull the lines off and bung the fresh one back on. There is only 2 straps holding it in place and 2 small bolts in the filler cap.

Shaun

[David Nock (RIP)]

Somebody else got a good deal on a brand new fuel tank not too long ago. Do a quick search for it and hopefully it will help. I have a tank in the garden if you wanted to come and pick it up but I\'m a bit of a distance away ! Not sure what state it is in, probably not too good.

Swapping tanks over isn\'t too hard. Drop the tank, pull the lines off and bung the fresh one back on. There is only 2 straps holding it in place and 2 small bolts in the filler cap.

Shaun

That was me Shaun £173 from JCT 600 in Wakefield. That\'s the link to it.
You have to transfer the filler pipe, the fuel sender and the dip tubes across to the replacement tank and the screws are not too forgiving. (Bloody rusted solid on the sender system). Need to be drilled out and new ones put in. Also gaskets will probably need making if they break up.

[mpk490p]

as above really you have a gen1 s3 and the tanks are different to the s2 and s1 versions, new is he way to go, taking mine off this week to check it so we may need to order 2!!!

Mark

[FDDreamer]

I see...thanks for the information. I\'m hoping that I\'ll be able to find a used replacement from another car, I\'ve just sent quick message to Jimmy\'s and I\'ll let everyone know if I have any luck.

I also stumbled onto this link, which explains one method of fixing the tank. Does this sound feasible?

http://www.ehow.com/how_2079121_repair-hole-gas-tank.html

And here is another discussion on the relative merits of these \'products\'. I\'m quite tempted to try a relatively cheap temporary fix until I can afford to replace the whole thing, not sure though?

http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/hole-fuel-tank-help-97395.html

[Daisyduke]

Hi there all,
 
I\'m new to the club as I have just bought a lovely 1984 FB 66k (apart from leaking tank,everything works and it\'s all original !!). I have ventured into the Rotary car side after 15 yrs of being on the rotary motorcycle darkside and wow what fun have I missed out on? Anyway, I am planning to remove my tank tomorrow and have a look at the damage. I will let you know how I get on as I plan to repair for a start & not to replace.
:driving

[syebba]

Blimey all these RX7\'s with leaky tanks,no wonder their so bad on juice!

[danny_m94]

lol yeh turns out after all the rotary is a far more economical engine that a piston deisel engine its just mazda make crap petrol tanks

[David Nock (RIP)]

Crickey, behave, these tanks are 24 years old and exposed to road dirt at the back, particularly at the filler area. It\'s a good picture though - Mazda never knew the tanks were leaking and the fuel consumption has always been better than a piston car. I like it!

Seriously, you guys who are going to repair, you have to take the tank off to repair it so if you can obtain one why not fit a new tank and be sure of it?
I know it cost £173 or whatever but off that comes the price of a repair kit and if you\'re going to use any paid labour it\'s surely not economical to repair?
I have a Series 3 tank in South Yorks for free, it came off my scrapper, looks rusty but might be OK. Who wants to take a chance on it? I haven\'t pulled the tank on my runner yet - the one that leaks - when I get that off I can compare just how good the scrapper one is. But as said, anyone want it?

[FDDreamer]

I\'ve spoken to Jimmy\'s and RX Motors (who both replied the same day - impressive) but the upshot is a new one from Mazda is £700 and there are no \'used\' examples around at the moment. A lack of demand means that an ali copy is not on the cards currently, although this may change in the future. RX Motors suggested welding (mentioning it is usually the top that goes on these, as I believe is the case on mine) and that sounds like a plan to me!

So, while I realise this is probably a bit like asking \'how long is a piece of string\', does anyone know (roughly) how much a garage would charge for welding the tank?

David, the deal you got (£173) - was that a one-off or is it still available? Depending on the price of repair (and if I can actually find anyone to do it!) I may opt for a replacement instead. Decisions, decisions.

[David Nock (RIP)]

Check out the thread, from memory Mark at JCT 600 said he would attempt to assist any club member. Ring Mark at Wakefield. they are full Mazda Dealers and the tank is Mazda part FA 54-42-110 for the 1984/85 series 3.
I know he supplied a guy in Barnsley for about £180 and that was after me.
You\'ve got carriage to Colchester but crickey, the Romans marched it from there to Doncaster!
Many people will shy away from petrol tank welding, thats why the \'swirl-the-mixture-round-and-it sets-inside-your-tank\' fixes are popular with classics.

[FDDreamer]

Great, thanks so much for the info David. I will call them first thing in the morning. The temporary chemical-based fix is rather tempting as well, and it almost seems like something I might be able to have a crack at myself. My brother works at a garage and so I may see if he can arrange for the car to be put up on the ramps so we can have a peek at the problem. From your earlier comments I don\'t know if we\'ll be able to visually identify the problem area, but I think it\'s worth a try.

From your perspective, how effective are the mixture-based options?