Hole in Gas tank

[STSCSS]

Well if it isnt one thing its another! On the way to the Memorial Day parade Boat decided to spring a leak in the gas tank. As you can see by the pictures its about the size of a half dollar. The reason why It did not let go before was because of the collection of rust and rocks (see pic) inside the tank above the rust spot was doing a great job of plugging and protecting the rust spot.
Used a temp patch to get her home, now comes the task of plugging the hole till I can find a new one.
Any suggestions?

 

[Westech]

Same problem with our M37..... same spot too! We are going to install a 12 gallon fuel cell with a sending unit.
M37 Gas tanks are huge bucks!

 

[glcaines]

Don't give up on your old tanks! Many radiator shops will repair fuel tanks for a reasonable fee. If most of the tank is still in good condition, get it repaired.

 

[nattieleather]

Don't know how close of far away they are but I understand that this company and the process is very good. Gas Tank RENU - USA

The link gives you the dealer in your state, but you can click the tabs at the top of the page to go to the rest of the site. I plan on using the local rep to me for my tank.

There is also the supposed S-10 gas tank that is plastic and suppose to fit almost perfectly. I haven't looked into it just read about it.

 

[3dAngus]

For a temporary fix, one that might last forever, file down, sand clean, and put a small piece of screen over it, fill with JB Weld. It is gas proof, and if done in heat (meaing on a hot day), it might just last forever. It fixed a broken chunk of transmission casing on my dump truck. Refilled with transmission fluid the very next day, and it held forever.

The screen will help support the epoxy as you put it on. Just make sure it is clean, and not 30 degrees outside. It's gonna be 103 here Sunday, so I'm looking for something to glue together.

 

[Jimma]

I have used the JB weld to fix a crack and a hole in a transmission casing on one of my farm tractors. It worked great and did not leak. It may be worth a try if no other option is readilly available or cost effective.

 

[supermechanic]

Tiger Hair makes a good repair.
The stuff made by Bondo, not the stuff on the outside of a tiger.

 

[STSCSS]

I used the JB quick patch and a copper plate to fix the hole and it is holding gas quite nicely.
Couple of tips
Empty the tank (i think thats why the first patch failed)
Clean the surface and rough it up with 80 Grit sandpaper
Use the actone to get rid of any grease or oil on both the tank and the copper plate
Coat the entire surface of the plate with a thick coat of JB weld so that it will flow up into the tank (I did not take the tank off) and into the hole.
Press hold for the 4 minutes it takes to set
coat the edges again
Most of all do it on a hot day, the JB weld seems to hold better and cling tighter.

 

[3dAngus]

Goog job. I think if it were me, I would put another coat on those seams and make it seamless. It will make it much more sturdy and reliable in a shock and vibration condition.
You should not see the seams.