Pinhole in my air tank

[combat32]

Went to town to get gas for my mower today, upon my return home (and after cool down) shut her down in the driveway and heard air escaping, crawled under the truck and looks like I have air escaping from a tiny pin size hole about 6 inches in from the drain cock, time for a new tank I guess.

No noticible drop off in pressure while driving, any thoughts?Anyone else blow a hole in their tank, or do I have other problems?

 

[rsites]

new tank

Very common issue with the tanks. Most don't drain them as they should when done driving and the condensation at the bottom rots them out. Memphis Equipment sells a brand new one for about $120. Just replaced one last year myself. Tank does not include any fittings you may need, just the bare tank with plastic plugs in the holse.

 

[jrou111]

I have a pinhole leak in one of my trucks. It drove home from Redstone just fine too. I'm just going to take some rubber and a big hose clamp to stop the leak. I'm not going to pay $120 for a friggin air tank.

 

[Ferroequinologist]

Take it off, tack weld it up. or weld in place.

It will last awhile longer yet depending on your welding skills and how rotted the tank is.

 

[combat32]

Kind of sucks, just got it tagged and really started driving it a lot, when I first got it it had a lot of water in the tanks when I first drained them, I was trained in the Army to always drain them when you park it for the day and I always do so.Think I'll replace this one, time to call Memphis I guess, back when I had an M715 I think I put a couple of Memphis employee's kids through college!

 

[gimpyrobb]

120!? OUCH! Go to a Peterbuilt or Kenworth dealer. I have gotten good prices there.

 

[FreightTrain]

well,if the tank is compromised with that pin hole then the entire tank is compromised.It won't just rust straight through at one tiny spot.Your riding around with a Grenade under your butt!When an airtank explodes it is energetic!

 

[Chevytruck]

well,if the tank is compromised with that pin hole then the entire tank is compromised.It won't just rust straight through at one tiny spot.Your riding around with a Grenade under your butt!When an airtank explodes it is energetic!

i bet you would know how energetic it is... ::

 

[DanMartin]

If you have a pinhole, you probably have a paper-thin spot on the tank. For safety sake, replace it with a new one. Do not attempt to repair it...you will only delay the inevitable blow-out.

I agree that $120 may be expensive for a tank, but it's NOS and will bolt right in and look stock. Other off-the-shelf tanks may work (and may be identical if you're lucky to find the right one) for less money, so please consider a replacement rather than a repair. Also check for parted-out deuces on this site...you may get lucky and get a good used set for cheap.

Remember...your brakes depend on air. If you lose a tank, you have no brakes immediately. Something to think about next time you are going down a grade with a curve at the bottom.

 

[FreightTrain]

oh yea.had a 20 gallon tank blow the fitting off the end one time right over my head.Tank took off like a bottle rocket and if it wasn't for the 1/2" air line in the end it would have gone though the wall.It broke the straps holding it to my press and slammed into the floor so hard it threw sparks,put a big dent in the end and knocked a chunk out of the concrete.That was the 100PSI released from a 1" pipe.Imagine what that kind of energy would be like if all the air was released at one time through a rupture!

 

[jrou111]

I think some of you haven't thought this through. It's isn't going to explode like a bomb. If so, how come it didn't blow up from the first pinhole leak? Especially since the smaller the hole, the higher the velocity, the larger the hole, the higher the volume of air escaping.

Go and fill up an air tank to 120psi and then shoot it with a rifle. It doesn't explode unless the pressure is too high (like from a fire) or if there is fuel inside (like propane)

And you CAN stop a deuce with no air pressure. Heck, I drove one of mine off base and 20 miles and it didn't have any brakes.

 

[WillWagner]

Figure out the tank area in inches, then multiply by the pressure in the tank and that's how much force is in the tank, not just the 90 to 110 registering on the gauge.

 

[tjcouch]

My thoughts . . . replace the tank . . . if the $120 is too much I am sure you can come up with an adequate tank for less that will work fine - as long as you are OK with it not the authentic.

A bit of JB Weld would likely get you home if you had a problematic hole whilst on a road trip.

To go a bit off topic (ok, alot)

My Jeep has an air ride suspension and the first time I flexed her out a main vinyl air line touched the exhaust . . . well, you know what happened next. Some JB Weld allowed me to wheel for the rest of the day and got me home until I could replace the line. . . . . I keep a tube in all of my vehicles . . . . and a bunch of extra hose and couplers in the Jeep - lesson learned.

 

[Divemaster920]

With a rupture the release is FAST...It may be LOUD but nothing to worry about. If you have extra money replace it...if not do a quick repair. An air tank is an air tank.

 

[drgreg]

You can test the area around the hole with a hammer and an awl. If you can punch thru the tank should be replaced. Don't do this on a pressurized tank.

 

[JDToumanian]

Not thinking this through? Is FreightTrain a liar? Weld a paper thin tank? (Why not try JB Weld or paper mache instead?)

I think we may have some Darwin Award contenders here. Here's the Google results for the query "air tank explosion". Just for fun, count the deaths... You'll tire long before you reach the end:

Google

Compressed air represents tremendous potential energy. If it didn't, air tools wouldn't work very well.

As for the original poster's question, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned take-out tanks.... Buy the dry tank (which would likely be rust-free) off a scrap truck and use it as your replacement wet tank. $20, problem solved.

 

[tomesee1]

welding on any tank is not to smart the best is to use jb weld or even tiger hair body filler weve used them both and they hold good

 

[ctmustang]

TNJ MURRAY has like new take offs for $25.00

 

[jrou111]

Not thinking this through? Is FreightTrain a liar? Weld a paper thin tank? (Why not try JB Weld or paper mache instead?)

I think we may have some Darwin Award contenders here. Here's the Google results for the query "air tank explosion". Just for fun, count the deaths... You'll tire long before you reach the end:

Google

Compressed air represents tremendous potential energy. If it didn't, air tools wouldn't work very well.

As for the original poster's question, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned take-out tanks.... Buy the dry tank (which would likely be rust-free) off a scrap truck and use it as your replacement wet tank. $20, problem solved.

Most of the links in that google search were relating to oxy tanks and fires. The rest were from over pressure.

Like I said, if it's already got a pinhole leak, it's not going to explode.

 

[Srjeeper]

Just had the very same experience with one of my tanks. Eastern Surplus, TNJ Murray, Saturn Surplus or just someone parting out a truck can get you a tank for under $120.00. They are out there, just take some time to look around.