Hello Last week-end my 308 GT4 suffered a serious fuel leak, due to a leak in the right tank. Any idea if a tank is something reaparable or if it's necessary to change it. If I need to change it, any idea where to find one not too expensive ? Thanks and best regards Olivier
The gas tank is made out of thin-gauge aluminum so it can be repaired (a specialized machine/fabrication shop, dealing with aircraft repairs would be the best place to check first) and I would believe that would be your only option, as OEM/NOS tanks probably don't exist anymore and if they do, they would cost a small fortune. Please note that the tanks are covered in an insulating material which would need to be removed in the problem area, prior to repair. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Many thanks for your very quick answers !!! I'll try to check with my garage tomorrow how important the damage to the tank are. Olivier
The coating is nothing special. They put the same stuff on my 348 tank. It's called "rocker shoots" and is that same type stuff the spray on the rocker panels for truck so that they don't get all scratched up, then they just paint it silver. I have been taking my sweet time cleaning it off my tank, and what I have found removes it the easiest is plain old break cleaner. But make sure you use a respirator, because the break cleaner fumes are nasty. The stuff has a gritty feel to it once you have it off. It feels like they put sand, or some sort of abrasive in the coating. Be sure to use a plastic putty knife to remove the coating so as not to scratch the aluminum.
Spray Shurtz..........ernie means "Brake cleaner" I'm sure... I agree with all the posts get it removed ans see if they can repair it...what caused the hole??
No idea what caused the "hole". And still no diagnosis for the moment. I am waiting my garage's call... The only thing I can say is that before I filled the tank, there was NO problem, and that after I completely filled the tank, the leak began and was very serious !!! Olivier
What happen in my tank was, the spot welds that hold the baffle in place broke and pulled out. One of them left a small hole where the gas was leaking out. I don't know if it is the same case with your tank, but it could be?
Hello everybody I now have the verdict for my fuel tank : there is a hole, not at the bottom of the tank as I thought, but at mid-height of the tank. Impossible for the moment to see the importance of the hole, or if the whole tank is damaged at other places. Apparently the whole tank is covered by something like Blackson. Any idea of what I need to do or have done ? I am looking for a specialized guy in tank refurbishing but it's not easy to find... May be a coachbuilder ? Need of remove the whole Blackson cover ??? Is it possible without damaging more the tank ? Sorry many questions... Olivier
No, you do not need to remove the entire "Blackson" covering from the tank, just in the area of the damage. If it is a small hole, it can simply be welded up, or patched up if it is fairly large. It has already been mentioned earlier in this thread of where you can have it repaired, "RWDOMKR" suggested a good radiator-repair shop. I suggested an aircraft-repair facility. Ask what your garage's suggestion as to a place that can repair it. But before any repairs are made, find out what caused the hole in the first place. There is a serious problem here, because a hole just does not happen mid-way up on one of these gas tanks... Something must have hit it and hit it hard in order to puncture the tank. Take care of that before it makes more holes!
