What happens if you use a pressure washer....

[heinkeljb]

In preparation for putting new wheel brake cylinders in, I thought I would pressure wash Lurch so I would be working on clean bits....

I used a petrol driven power washer and of course it was empty. Fill the tank up, but then realise it is pouring petrol on the floor! Errr, where's that coming from and how do I stop it?

Put a container under the washer whilst I undo the nuts and bolts holding the tank on. Turns out the fuel hose has split! Don't have the right size, so off to the local Farmers supply shop - purchase suitable hose, return and fit. Re-fill tank with clean petrol. Things after that go smoothly as would be expected, getting wet in the process is to be expected!

Dispose of the petrol in the collecting container into a suitable, sealable container to use for cleaning parts as some later date.

Next day, go out to carry on taking things apart, but get met with the smell of petrol. Surely it should have dissipated over night? Did I sill more than I thought? Ah! there is a little stream of petrol coming from the bottom edge of the petrol tank! Quick, put a container under it to catch it. Find enough green petrol containers to be able to drain the tank. I think it was nearly full.... Drain less than 5 litres form it!

So now instead of taking wheel cylinders off, I am taking the petrol tank off! Discover the bottom of the tank has had some plastic metal smeared over it and the power washer had caught an edge and peeled it off, exposing the pin hole.
Cleaned the plastic metal off to discover another repair under that.

Made up a repair section and welded it in. Still have to clean up the welds and check there are no holes being hidden.

Cleanup welds, weld a new section of the double layer area of the tank which faces the front wheel. Then get some tank sealant to put inside to cover up the current tank sealant which doesn't like the ethanol in current petrol.

John

[AustHaflinger]

I think you ran over a Chinaman in a previous life.

I also have a wiff of petrol from my Haff - some petrol varnish under the tank but no wet stuff. When I run the current tank down to empty I might paint the bottom half of inside of the tank with tank sealer to be on the safe side - should be able to do it get to it through the fuel filler hole without having to remove the tank - I will need to double check all the fuel line unions in and around the tank though.

Garry

[jhon]

Aye, when you own a Haflinger there is always something needing done!

Frustrating for you, but it could have been so much worse - a tank leaking like that in an enclosed space is a real fire hazard.

Nice job on getting the profile in the metal patch, that must have taken a bit of time.

[heinkeljb]

Profiles a bit wonky, but then if you don’t have access to a Hugh hydraulic press and the original mounds you are left with hitting things with a hammer!

Still have to clean the welds up. Check I haven’t made any holes doing that. Weld another section on to match up with the double layer bit. Clean that up. Seal the inside of the tank having cleaned it as best as I can now I only have access thigh the filler hole again. Then I can paint it and refit!

More hours of work!!!!

John

[Julian B]

When I run the current tank down to empty I might paint the bottom half of inside of the tank with tank sealer to be on the safe side - should be able to do it get to it through the fuel filler hole without having to remove the tank

When I did mine (with POR-15?) I removed the tank so that I could swirl the sealant around as per the instructions; it is sufficiently easy to remove the tank from the body that IMHO it is worth doing so in order to do a "proper job" with the sealant.

[heinkeljb]

Gary,

Just remember the tank is baffled so you won't be able to hand paint the ends as all you will paint are the two baffles... As said taking the tank off is, in comparison with some other jobs on the Haf, not that difficult.

If you do take it off to put sealant in it, you will need to make sure you have a suitable gasket for the fuel sender as that will have to come out. Also you will need to put a piece of wire or something similar down the fuel pickup tube unless you want that "sealed" up s well!

Maybe your petrol varnish is from a small leak from the tank drain plug?

John

[AustHaflinger]

Thanks for the information. I have used the Por product a lot and am pretty familiar with the process and its limitations. I will just do the minimum that is needed to get the job done but I admit it may mean a full removal job but we will see.

Cheers

Garry

[heinkeljb]

As always! Cleaning up the front edge to get ready to weld on the second protection layer and it has opened up a few more pin holes! So cut out a suitably sized bit of old tank.
Then got asked to baby sit, so welding in the patch panel will have to wait until another time.

Will post a picture of the welded in patch when it's done.

John

[heinkeljb]

Next stage in tank repair, patch welded in and rust converter applied.

Tomorrow, fill with some petrol to see if there are any leaks! Then buy some tank sealer to coat the inside to deal with the internal areas which have been affected by the heat from the welding outside.

All in all, an expensive exercise, but cheaper than buying a reproduction tank!

John

[AustHaflinger]

All this and you didn't manage to blow your self up

Well done.

Garry

[heinkeljb]

Not even the smallest flame!!! Tank emptied properly, left without the filler cap or the sender unit or drain plug over night. Was able to cut metal with metal cutting blade on an angle grinder with no problems. Same with the welder.

Hopefully when I test later, there will be no leaks so I can get on and finish!

John

[AustHaflinger]

Hopefully when I test later, there will be no leaks so I can get on and finish!

John

Ever the optimist.

[heinkeljb]

Testing only showed one pin hole which, was sealed with a quick spot of weld.

Then the second skin layer could be welded on. Needs the welds cleaning up and painting whilst waiting for the tank sealer to arrive.

Hopefully the tank sealer will arrive shortly.

John

[AustHaflinger]

Great stuff - an you didn't manage to blow your self up.

We just had a case of a guy getting major burns when the tried to cut up a 44 gal drum to make a BBQ and the angle grinder sparks ignited the gas in the drum even though it had been left for a couple of days to air. The ignition did not explode the drum but there was a big whoose of flame.

[heinkeljb]

Tank sealed with stuff from Kreem.com. Just have the antirust on the sender unit to dry and the weather to be suitable when I have time and I can re-fit the tank to Lurch and fill it with fuel!
Then to find time to get an MOT which I need for all of a few weeks until the 20th of MAY when the rules change which mean any vehicle of 40 years or older no longer requires an MOT to be used on the road.
Still need to apply for Road Fund licence (Road tax) even though it is free. Also still need insurance!
I'll post a picture this evening as haven't copied the picture to the PC yet.

John

[Julian B]

Then to find time to get an MOT which I need for all of a few weeks until the 20th of MAY when the rules change which mean any vehicle of 40 years or older no longer requires an MOT to be used on the road.

#Thread_drift

My Haflinger's MOT runs out on 28th April, and I was just reckoning not to use it until after 20th May*** (if that is the official date of the change in regime?). Or does a vehicle need to have a valid MOT as at 20th May to fall in line with the new rules?

AIUI a SORN is only needed if you are not taxing a car?


*** Not a difficult task since I haven't used it since the Dutch Treffen last May !!!!!

[heinkeljb]

SORN is only to do not taxing the vehicle for the road.

My understanding of the change in MOT rules is that after the 20th of May any vehicle of 40 or more years does not require a valid MOT certificate to be used on the roads as long as it qualifies as being roadworthy / insured against third party claims / has valid Road fund licence (road tax) which, for vehicles of 40 years or more is free, but still has to be applied for!

So don’t used the Haf on the road between 28th April and 21st May and get the other two things sorted and all will be well.....

John

[AustHaflinger]

We dont have MOTs where I live as long the vehicle remains registered and if it runs out you have up to a year to reregister - only after the 12 months or when ownership changes do you have to get a MOT - so my last MOT was back in 2012 and my Haf is now safer than it was then.

Garry

[heinkeljb]

Petrol tank back in place, no leaks as far as I can tell, so will see if I can get it MOT’ed tomorrow (Saturday). Fingers crossed. Let’s hope the brakes work well enough for the MOT mm to give it a pass. I really would like it for next weekend to be able to got to the haflingerandpinzgauer club’s Treffen and the the following weekend to go to the Dutch Treffen!
Still have to book everything if it passes.

John