Thread: What glue? - Whipper snipper plastic fuel tank split

Hi Chirpy,

Have yet to find a glue which will do the job. The only way I have managed to repair plastic fuel tanks is to heat weld the crack back together with a soldering iron.

If that doesn't work then it's a new tank.

Second the soldering iron method or heat gun with the plastic welding attachment.

Probably doesn't need to be said, but I will say it anyway. Empty the fuel out first, leave the lid off and vent the tank for a while before attempting to heat weld it up.

G'Day Richard,
We used to use Devcom Plastic Welder ITW Devcon | Plastic Welder
for all sorts of repairs in a maintenance dept on a large production line; not sure how it's go with petrol.
We purchased from Blackwoods, the engineering suppliers
ADHESIVE PLASTIC WELDER DEVCON 28GM (01393038) | Blackwoods.
Have a look at the website and MSDS sheets.
Cheers. Crowie

Hi Richard
Bet there is no replacement parts for it?
Plastic weld does work if done correctly but not always easy to do (hard to get correct rods), it can be harder if plastic is old like yours or so I have been told.Can try the phone book under Plastic welding.
Just repaired my son whipper sniper tank which had a hole near the filler. I use a lamenting epoxy and glass on both sides. Used to use the same method for repairing plastic motor cycle fairing for many years.
The problem is the cost of the resins when you only need spoon full of resin for the job
Do not use araldite as it will go soft and leak.
Got a photo of it ?
Do not know if it is worth posting it to me to fix it and posting back.... just a thought.

Russell

Would suspect its polythene and You could plastic weld with bits of the same plastic. Another method is to melt the plastic with a solvent. Now I have never tried this except by accident so please experiment first. Clean all the tank with metho etc and have a patch of the same plastic to fit the crack. Now paint both with ceramic paint thinners, give it a moment for the surfaces to melt then stick them together. Workshop I worked in used Chloroform but I think you would have trouble getting that.