CRACKED FUEL TANK!!!

asgates · **Posted:** Sun Aug 06, 2006 11:27 pm

so my buds and i went trail running tonight. we went through a mud hole and as i went through, a large rock kicked up and put a 2 inch crack in my gas tank! :evil:

Gas spewed out all over the place. luckily my friends had the idea of using a t-shirt and stuffing it into the crack to slow the leak.

i guess this shows that KJs need a fuel tank skid plate.

dirtykj · **Posted:** Sun Aug 06, 2006 11:39 pm

Oh, but they DO have gas tank skid. You can either get OEM one, or Kilby's, if they still have any left in stock.

jpzkj · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 12:00 am

Bar Soap can be used to plug a gas tank.

Sounds like yours might have needed a HUGE bar of soap !

Kilby Skid is near bullet proof....you would have never even had to worry today if you had one ....it would have only gotten a scrape in the paint most likely. They are 70 pounds of soild steel...

http://www.boulderbars.com/kilbyskids.htm

The Stocker might have been ok...probably would have gotten a dent in it but your day wouldn't have gotten cut short and that T-Shirt wouldn't be in the trash can right now. The stocker would probably have to be removed and pounded out for next time though.

Good luck

unixxx · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 12:48 am

Explain this bar of soap thing further :twisted:

corwyyn · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 12:57 am

unixxx wrote:

Explain this bar of soap thing further :twisted:

You take a bar of soap of your choice and rub it in the opening where the gas is leaking out. The gas causes a chemical reaction in the soap which turns it into something on the order of JB-weld; not sure exactly what it is but it really works. Zest was my Dads' fav brand, but pretty much any plain bar soap will do. I'll see if I can google some info and post a link.

Should probably add this to the 'trail essentials' list

kolesy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 1:00 am

Quote:

You take a bar of soap of your choice and rub it in the opening where the gas is leaking out. The gas causes a chemical reaction in the soap which turns it into something on the order of JB-weld; not sure exactly what it is but it really works. Zest was my Dads' fav brand, but pretty much any plain bar soap will do. I'll see if I can google some info and post a link.

Get the heck out!!! Thats pretty frickin cool. I have never heard that one before, on the plus side now your trail bag will smell zestfully fresh! <-- lame I know

corwyyn · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 1:14 am

corwyyn wrote:

The gas causes a chemical reaction in the soap which turns it into something on the order of JB-weld

OK, I might have been in error. Not sure if the gas actually reacts with the soap, that may be something I am recalling incorrectly from my childhood. But you CAN use bar soap to temporarily fill cracks or leaks in gas tanks. If anyone has more in depth info chime in please. I like to learn new stuff too!

unixxx · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 1:40 am

Did a Google search and couldn't find much, but apparently it does work because soap isn't gas soluble. However, it is water soluble so don't try crossing that stream after doing it. Maybe fill the crack with soap and then put some duct tape over it as waterproofing?

Cowcatcher · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 2:33 am

Probably won't work with E85 then huh!

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:41 am

Regarding the gas tank skid - This is why we promote everyone to get skids (all four of them!) if you plan to go off-road, even when you think it will be a simple trail.

Skids before a lift.

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:02 am

egg in the radiator I've heard of, but I've never heard of the soap-in-the-gastank...

Good to hear you spotted it quick and were able to drive out ok.

This should probably serve as a call to arms for anyone that doesn't already have a tank skid to go out and get one. This could be YOU spewing gasoline out on the ground and begging for a fire.

Bullet · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:52 am

Quote:

egg in the radiator I've heard of, but I've never heard of the soap-in-the-gastank...

WHAT????

VTNomad · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 11:14 am

That's an old MacGyver trick, and it actually works. I saw it tested somewhere on TV...Mythbusters maybe. The egg cooks, expands and plugs the hole in the radiator.

Once the hole is plugged, you have to add more coolant...urine.

asgates · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 1:02 pm

Quote:

You take a bar of soap of your choice and rub it in the opening where the gas is leaking out. The gas causes a chemical reaction in the soap which turns it into something on the order of JB-weld; not sure exactly what it is but it really works.

i never knew that. good thing to put in my trail kit.

Quote:

This should probably serve as a call to arms for anyone that doesn't already have a tank skid to go out and get one. This could be YOU spewing gasoline out on the ground and begging for a fire.

you said it!

my current t-shirt fix is still holding up. its going in to be replaced tomorrow and i'll have it back in a few days. the part that amazes me about all of this is that my INSURANCE IS GOING TO COVER IT!

dirtykj · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 1:34 pm

VTNomad wrote:

Once the hole is plugged, you have to add more coolant...urine.

OK, you made that part up ... come on :-)r

If someone were to do this last part for real, I hope she/he finds a suitable "transfer vessel" to fill the radiator with, instead of trying any interesting balancing act. Ouch.

Trodo · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 1:37 pm

The bar of soap thing is real, I rubbed the bar on my old diesel tank that had a crack above the 30 gal. mark. Always worked.
You can also use the bar of soap on a squeaking drive belt or fan belt to silence it.

asgates · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 2:06 pm

Trodo wrote:

You can also use the bar of soap on a squeaking drive belt or fan belt to silence it.

wouldn't that just make the drive belt slip?

JFortier777 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 3:11 pm

This thread requires pictures!!!!!

dirtykj · **Posted:** Mon Aug 07, 2006 4:38 pm

JFortier777 wrote:

This thread requires pictures!!!!!

Not the pee part! This thread is useful without pictures!!!!!

jpzkj · **Posted:** Tue Aug 08, 2006 12:25 am

I've also been told that pepper / cinnamon will also seal a small radiator leak.

I just keep a couple of tubes of radiator fix in my trail bag...one copper one aluminum. Never know when someone in your group will need something and won't have it.

Which brings me to another point.....AS ONE OF THE TWO LOST KJWEST SAFETY OFFICERS I'd like to point out that...

If everyone in your offroad group has 1 quart of oil / diff fluid / brake fluid / radiator fluid/JB weld / Bar Soap...ect If someone has a MAJOR brakedown you guys can pool your resources and get that person off the trail. Which is better than having to carry all that stuff yourself. A well equiped group is very capable when there is a problem.

CRACKED FUEL TANK!!!

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