hatcity Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I bought a 100 gal. aux. fuel tank. Does not have a drain plug.Question: can I weld a nut on the outside, then drill into the tank, install proper size bolt with gasket/o-ring to seal?Presently has some gas in it. Would fill with water above location.Thanks, Ed Quote Success is only a stones throw away.................................................................for a Palestinian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slpwlker Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 What I was told when I was taking welding in Highschool. Take a hose and put it in the tail pipe of a gas car and the other end in the tank. The emmisson from the gas engine will kill,destroy or unable the Fumes to ignigte. Did this on a gas tank I had to cut into and Braze a new sending unit in. didn't blow myself apart. Think it had to be done for min an hour Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyGunner Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 What I was told when I was taking welding in Highschool. Take a hose and put it in the tail pipe of a gas car and the other end in the tank. The emmisson from the gas engine will kill,destroy or unable the Fumes to ignigte. Did this on a gas tank I had to cut into and Braze a new sending unit in. didn't blow myself apart. Think it had to be done for min an hourI have always been scared to try the exhaust trick to keep stuff from blowing up when you cut or weld it because how do you really know that there is enough gas to keep stuff from blowing up? I am not much of a gambler so I am too chicken to try it. Quote The problems we face today exist because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by the people who vote for a living.The government can only "give" someone what they first take from another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slpwlker Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I have always been scared to try the exhaust trick to keep stuff from blowing up when you cut or weld it because how do you really know that there is enough gas to keep stuff from blowing up? I am not much of a gambler so I am too chicken to try it.It does work. just do it for like an hour or so then you can take the hose out of the tank and do as you want. I had my helmet and jacket on when I did it just incase it got lively but never had a problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeavyGunner Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I know the science behind it is sound, you are using carbon monoxide to displace the oxygen since it is heavier thus leaving no oxygen behind to create one of the 3 needed items to make a boom or fire (fuel, oxygen, ignition source). It does work I am not going to try it though. Quote The problems we face today exist because the people who work for a living are outnumbered by the people who vote for a living.The government can only "give" someone what they first take from another. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
41chevy Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Personally I would take it to a radiator / gas tank shop and pay the 35 or 45 bucks for them to put in a drain Bung. SAFER .... but here it the Grumman Aerospace Method.The water method would probably work easiest. I would suggest that you buy a "bung" and the drain plug nut for it. Flip the tank bottom up, clean the area you want to put the drain in, drill the hole to fit the bung, fill the tank with water until its topped and over flows for 20 or 30 minutes or longer. Have a good clean surface and weld in the bung. The open hole in the bung will give a "pop" when you start to weld (MIG I assume) Do 8 tack welds on the on the Clock ( at 12,6,3,9 and 4 additional in between) than fill in with weld. Paul Quote "OPERTUNITY IS MISSED BY MOST PEOPLE BECAUSE IT IS DRESSED IN OVERALLS AND LOOKS LIKE WORK" Thomas Edison “Life’s journey is not to arrive at the grave safely, in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘Holy shit, what a ride!’” P.T.CHESHIRE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lmackattack Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I guess you could do as you said. if your worried about the exhaust gas in the tank trick.....My advice is to rince that tank out with soap/degreaser and water. let the hose run for about 30mins so that its pretty flushed out and clean. now stand the tank on end and drill the tank for your drain. put the cap on the filler neck and then Fill the tank with water through the drilled hole so that the water level is just below that hole. the water will take up most of the volume in the tank and reduce the risk of a big bomb. this is what I did when I welded my PTO hose fittings on my Tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 I've welded and patched several gasoline, and diesel tanks over the years with an oxy/acetylene torch, mig, and tig welding. If a diesel tank, fill it almost full and weld it up. If gasoline, empty the tank, dump two or three pounds of dry ice into it, wait for the dry ice to start melting, (about 10 minutes), then grind, bore, or whatever other prep is needed and weld it up. You can also allow a CO2 tank to bleed into the tank to displace the oxygen content. I've never had one blow up but have always let the dry ice have an hour to work before continuing.Not telling you it is right; just the way I've had success. Rob Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fxfymn Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 And if you are really a "belt and suspenders" type borrow, rent, or buy an explosive vapor meter to check the tank before you work on it. The local FD has them if you know someone there who would be willing to come by and check it. Quote Money, sex, and fire; everybody thinks everyone else is getting more than they are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 And if you are really a "belt and suspenders" type borrow, rent, or buy an explosive vapor meter to check the tank before you work on it. The local FD has them if you know someone there who would be willing to come by and check it. We have an oxygen content meter with remote sensing at work that is quite neat. We have a lot of manhole and confined space type work and oxygen content is absolutely needed to be known before entering, (OSHA required). Life cannot be sustained below 17%. I think the little meter, (ExTech) was only a couple of hundred dollars. If you were to slip the sensor into a tank through a bung in close proximity to where one wishes to weld, the welder would know right away if there was enough oxygen to support combustion. Nobody has mentioned that when welding on tanks, you don't want positive pressure in the vessel. In fact you want a constant source of replinishment of non combustible vapor. Don't seal the vessel up tight, allow the insulating gas to "flow". This is why I mentioned the melting of the dry ice, which is C02, or a constant bleed of the gas from a cylinder. The gas needs to flow readily in the area of the welding to overcome any trace oxygen that may enter this welding zone. Rob Quote Plodding along with no job nor practical application for my existence, but still trying to fix what's broke. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatcity Posted May 25, 2012 Author Share Posted May 25, 2012 Appreciate the responses.Sooooo, I should just say ef it.I'll just pump out as much gas as I can, dump some diesel in and let it slosh around. Then pump the stuff out. Tank is only for "cane season when we first get rolling, Power out and I have fuel available. 100 gal should last a few daysThanks again, Ed Quote Success is only a stones throw away.................................................................for a Palestinian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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