The filler pipe on my new(!) F reg Nissan Sunny coupe is leaking, it\'s rusting away. None of the scrapyards have one so can I treat it with rust eater and bodge it by encapsulating it in fiberglass matting / steel mesh and fiberglass resin? It only needs to last a year or two. Failing that, any other ideas? It\'s uneconomical to pay dealer prices for another.
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Yes and Yes
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Sounds like a plan! Just don't sand or wire brush is so you create sparks, and try not to drop bits of GRP / whatever into the tank... It also strikes me that the funny huge jubilee clip exhaust repair thingy that Holts sell would do this job rather nicely, together with a smear of Gun Gum. Definitely petrol resistant then!
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I believe a repaired petrol tank/filler , if detected will fail an MOT as it is a safely critical issue but I am sure someone will confirm this shortley. Regards Peter
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I,ve always found 1/4" bitumen underseal solves MOT problems like this...
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Fibreglas is NOT impervious to petrol.. It soaks along the miniscule cracks.. and underseal is dissolved by petrol.
Petrol soaked fibreglass is one of the most inflammable thing known to man: once soaked it cannot be cleared of petrol (I had a 1967 Lotus Elan S3 so have some practical knowledge.. also 2 Mini Estates where the filler rusted..).
A replacement tank is the answer - no welsing is out of course..
Ever had a petrol fire due to leaking petrolf alling on the exhaust. I have and cannot recommend it.
This is BASIC safety stuff : your life could be at risk... save £50 and possibly kill yourself is the equation imo..
and as above any MOT tester will fail you at once: and quite rightly so.. a car in that state is like a moving bomb!
madf
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Thanks. Conflicting advice here then. I'm sure I've heard of fuel tanks made of fibreglass but of course it isn't very strong. I only meant the underseal to hide eg "rusty" brake lines from over-zealous testers, not as a sealer against fuel. The tank'sok it's just the pipe - this is joined to the tank by a rubber tube about 6" long. The pipe/breather alone is £150 from Nissan, can anyone recommend a cheaper / pattern supplier?
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If you can be bothered to remove the tank it is technically possible to repair it. Of course the tank will have to be then emptied and purged (normally with steam) to achieve a gas free state. A new filler pipe or fabrication could then be welded in.
It is a job for someone who has the competence to do it and if you have to pay market rates then it may not be an economic proposition.
Alternatively a product like JB Weld 'may be suitable' but I am not an authority on this.
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As the filler pipe is a separate part to the tank, can you not remove it and sleeve it with stainless steel, or get the filler cut off and welded to a new pipe which is custom fabricated at a metal engineers place?
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It won`t be a good idea to repair.Full stop.if a problem like yours.if you cannot get a replacement either get the replacement or scrap it.it really depends on how you value the car.if that is all that is wrong with it and you know there are several more years yet in the motor.I would spend it.come`s down to how much you like the car.and how much you value it?
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"The tank'sok it's just the pipe - this is joined to the tank by a rubber tube about 6" long. The pipe/breather alone is £150 from Nissan, can anyone recommend a cheaper / pattern supplier?"
Look at most Fords/Peugeots.. modern cars often have a similar arrangement. If the diameters and the shapes are roughly the same you could use one from a scrap yard..
(no guarantee it will not fail of course..)
madf
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