| Author | Message | ||
| Kenneth Munford (Sapponyeagle)
Registered Member Username: Sapponyeagle Post Number: 6 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 75.196.148.101 Rating: N/A |
Hey folks, I have an 05 Eagle that I removed the saddle tanks to repair some holes. What is the easist way for me to check for pin holes. I don't have a fancy garage, I work in my drive way Thanks Ken | ||
| Paul Lawry (Dreamscape)
Registered Member Username: Dreamscape Post Number: 261 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 209.183.55.44  Rating: N/A |
I would use some shop air and a bottle of soapy water. Others might have a better idea though. | ||
| Laryn Christley (Barn_owl)
Registered Member Username: Barn_owl Post Number: 419 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 72.66.161.19  Rating: N/A |
Nothing finds small leaks better or less expensive than soapy water. A word of caution: Use only the lowest of air pressure on your fuel tank. My father tried to prime a diesel car one time using air at the tank, and it turned into a very expensive tank replacement. | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 430 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.75.253 Rating: N/A |
Ken, Laryn is sure right! A high concentration of dish soap in water is absolutely the best. Fuel tanks are not made for any pressure, so do not use more than 2 or 3 pounds!!! Beware of explosive vapors in the tank while welding, a tank that has been "empty" for days will still have enough vapor in it to explode when heated. Also, in the same vein, use nitrogen or tri-mix to inert the tank. Carbon monoxide + carbon dioxide, (using exhaust to inert the tank) will work, the tank won't explode while you're welding. However, from experience, the weld will crack quickly due to hardening from absorbing the wrong gasses. Regards, George | ||
| Jack Campbell (Blue_goose)
Registered Member Username: Blue_goose Post Number: 79 Registered: 5-2007 Posted From: 71.100.207.86  Rating: N/A |
I had a leak in my tank on the passanger side. The leak was where the bottom cross bar crossed the tank. It has been a while, but I think we found a double layer of metal in the front of the tank. We had to cut that away and repair under it and then replace the metal. What a job, took two portapowars to push it back in place. Been at least 10 years now so must have fixed ok. Lots of luck Jack | ||
| Kenneth Munford (Sapponyeagle)
Registered Member Username: Sapponyeagle Post Number: 7 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 70.211.202.252 Rating: N/A |
Thanks guy. I've already removed the tanks and cut out the bad metal and welded in the new. I just need to make sure there are no pin holes to lose the liquid gold through. | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 1113 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.48.228  Rating: N/A |
Spray the outside with foot powder. Splash a little fuel around the inside. Any pinholes or seep spots will show up on the dry foot powder. | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 318 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 208.100.193.82 Rating: N/A |
Fill the tank with water, and hook up a hose that is 2 ft above the top of the tank NO HIGHER! If it holds water with a 2 ft head , your'e in fat city. FF | ||
| Kenneth Munford (Sapponyeagle)
Registered Member Username: Sapponyeagle Post Number: 8 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 70.208.131.105 Rating: N/A |
FF I'm not sure I understand how you want me to hook up the hose. Could you give a little more info so I can see it in my mines eye? Thanks Ken | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 432 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.75.253 Rating: N/A |
Ken, What Fred is saying is to fill the tank with water, apply the fill cap, which must be water tight. Then connect a hose to one of the outlet fittings, with all other fittings blocked off, and hold the hose vertically above the tank at least a couple of feet, with the hose full of water. That will give "head" pressure, at .44lb/foot. Not a bad idea, I think I would use 3 or 4 feet more hose to get a little more pressure. You certainly won't blow up the tank with this method, the only problem with this is you end up with a wet tank. We all know what water does to Detroit injectors. HTH, George | ||
| Kenneth Munford (Sapponyeagle)
Registered Member Username: Sapponyeagle Post Number: 9 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 75.197.23.171 Rating: N/A |
George,The outlets on my tanks are on the top of the tanks,will this still work? | ||
| FAST FRED (Fast_fred)
Registered Member Username: Fast_fred Post Number: 321 Registered: 10-2006 Posted From: 208.100.193.196 Rating: N/A |
Doesn't matter where the holes are , they must be plugged to test the tank. Also doesn't matter where the 2 ft pipe connects to the tank, only that it is above the tank, ABOUT 2 FT. These tanks were never designed to be pressurized like marine tanks , so be cautious . FF | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 433 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.75.253 Rating: N/A |
Ken, Fred has it right again, I'm just responding to your post. It doesn't matter where on the tank the connection is, the idea is just to get SOME pressure in the tank. You only get .44 of a pound of pressure per foot of height, so I would get about six feet of hose full of water above the tank, which will give you 2 1/2 pounds of pressure. That will find leaks, and won't bulge the tank. Happy hunting, George | ||
| Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Registered Member Username: Kyle4501 Post Number: 414 Registered: 9-2004 Posted From: 65.23.106.193 Rating: N/A |
Doesn't diesel have a lower surface tension than water? Wouldn't that let diesel leak out a hole that water wouldn't? Besides, with my luck, I'd spill water all over the tank making a huge mess & also difficult to find any small leakers.  I've had great success by pluging the outlets, stuffing a rag in the fuel fill around a air hose (to prevent too much pressure buildup in tank) & then I put in low pressure air while spraying soapy water on the questionable areas. Easier to address the pinholes if you find any. | ||
| marvin pack (Gomer)
Registered Member Username: Gomer Post Number: 243 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 76.4.151.87 Rating: N/A |
ya'll are working hard fer nutin guys. Take da tank, fill your pool with water and put in some liquid soap, put da tank in thu pool with all openings plugged like they do at thu radiater place, put a air hose on her and see if ya have any bubbles. If ya don't see bubbles ya got'er. See not so hard ??? Oh only 5-10 # pressure.LOL Gomer | ||
| Don Evans (Doninwa)
Registered Member Username: Doninwa Post Number: 120 Registered: 1-2007 Posted From: 208.81.157.90  Rating: N/A |
Gomer, You must be a big boy or have a bunch of hefty buds if you kin hold a hundirt + gallons of air under them there suds that ain't even beer!  Don 4107 with no leaks, yet. PS. If it was me, I would plug it up as tight as possible and hook up the compressor with a regulator set for a couple pounds and go to work with the bubble solution. If you see any bulge from the pressure it is time to back off!!!! | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 435 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.75.253 Rating: N/A |
Don, You sure got that right! A gallon of water weighs 8 1/2 pounds, so a hundred gallon tank will displace EIGHT HUNDRED AND FIFTY POUNDS, (minus the weight of the tank) of water before it can be pushed under. That's 6 people pushing down a little less than 150 pounds each, which sounds like the story about a monkey and a football. And they're trying to look for bubbles at the same time? Dish soap and a COUPLE of pounds of compressed air is still the answer, and he doesn't have to dry the tank out afterwards either. A guy brings his talking dog into a bar and tries to sell the act to the bartender, who wants a demonstration. So the owner asks the dog "What's over our heads?" The dog answers "Roof." "What does sandpaper feel like?" The dog answers "Rough." "Who's the greatest baseball player ever? Dog answers "Ruth." Bartender throws them both out of the bar, and the dog asks his owner, "Should I have said DiMaggio?" The moral of the story? Keep the water out of the tank, keep the tank out of the water, and keep the air pressure low. G | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 1118 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.48.228 Rating: N/A |
Spray talcum or foot powder from a spray can on the outside and a little fuel oil splashed around inside will be the easiest. That fuel will wick out of places water might not and show up right away on the powder as a dark spot. can't miss ANY kind of seepage instead of water and air pressure. But as Fred says... do it their way. Wait!, thats not quite what he says. | ||
| marvin pack (Gomer)
Registered Member Username: Gomer Post Number: 244 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 76.4.151.87 Rating: N/A |
hey I did not say to put water in the tank,I said put the tank in the water, it will float and when you are taking a dip in da pool with the soap, you can inspect the tank, get a bath and have fun LOL See not hard at all gomer | ||
| john w. roan (Chessie4905)
Registered Member Username: Chessie4905 Post Number: 1119 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 71.58.48.228 Rating: N/A |
Yeah, till the wife says...WHERE DID THAT GREASY RING COME FROM ON THE POOL??? RIP Gomer. | ||
| wrench (Metricwrench)
Registered Member Username: Metricwrench Post Number: 24 Registered: 9-2006 Posted From: 99.201.205.102 Rating: N/A |
A shop vac will not push more then 1.5 psi on the exhust side with plenty of volume to cover any lost, soapy water will do the rest on the outside. wrench |