OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Restoring, Customising and Modifying Tech Talk Patching Metal Fuel Tank for mower?

Hi guys,

Just working on an old 4 stroke I found, figure I'd tear down, rebuild for practice, see if I can get running. The metal fuel tank had rust inside, so I filled with some vinegar and let sit.
Sometime later, I noticed a puddle of vinegar, I lifted the tank, noticed a tony pin hole leak. I took the tank to the wire wheel and cleaned up the whole bottom of the tank, only to find many tiny holes, some bigger than others. Not good. I figure I'd try to see if I could patch with solder, being a hole, I didn't expect much. Didn't work.

Besides chucking the tank, has anyone patched something like this, or know about patching holes in metal fuel tanks ?

Hi Widget, is that a Briggs tank, if so it is aluminium? If it is a Briggs I can't imagine how many of those I have sent to the scrap and I still have a pile here. Depending on your planned use and if you are not planning on selling it, I would try repairing it with JB Weld, it seems to be petrol resistant and I have used it a couple of times with good results

With a tank in that bad of a condition it is better to just replace it. You are dealing explosive fuel. Please don't risk it. Beside ass soon as you fix those holes more will appear.

And NormK that does looks like a Briggs metal fuel with is usually Tin with with a cast aluminum upper section for the carburetor mounting.

It does seems that those metal eating termites have your part of the world too.

Thanks guys. I'll look into JB weld, though I have a spare tank/carb here, might see if I can get that working. The mower is only B&S Rover (092508-5155-01), can't remember where I got it, but it was incomplete, that I stripped down (inc. casing), and trying to put back together with spares I have from another mower.

Shame about the fix though, was hoping there would have been an easy solution. Think too thin to weld, though I've seen videos of people patching with copper(?) and solder.

Solder or brazing sounds like the perfect solution. You can always try nail polish as used on plastic tanks, but brazing would be ideal.

To be brutally honest I would just turf it out and replace it with another. As AVB has so wisely suggested you are playing with an explosive liquid and it's just not worth the risk factor. If it was the last one on the planet then there would be some options to explore, ...................but a Briggs tank ?, they are as common as muck and as such simply replace it.

Very good advice from AVB.

Cheers,
BB.