I have a bare-bones 93 YJ Jeep Wranger (S Series). The plastic fuel tank cracked last month at about the 2 gallon mark. I cannot afford a new fuel tank ($600 + labor) and cannot track down a used fuel tank for my model. Is there a way to repair/patch plastic fuel tanks for older model vehicles. I’ve checked online and read about repairs using everything from two-part apoxy resins to something called plastic welding. What will actually work? Please help. Thanks. -93YJWrangler
It’s difficult to know what can work not knowing what plastic is used for your tank and what will adhere to it. You may want to experiment a little with PVC water pipe cement. Quite a few years ago we bought a new motorhome with a large hole shattered in the gray water tank. We bought the motorhome from a dealer a hundred miles away and did not want to go back for warranty work as we had bargained the price down quite a bit; did not leave a happy dealer. I repaired the plastic tank with a few layers of PVC water pipe cement and fiberglass cloth.
Clean off an area away from the crack and try some PVC or CPVC water pipe cement and a small piece of fiberglass, leaving a tab of the fiberglass to use as a place to grab to try to rip it off. If the water pipe cement does not powerfully adhere to the tank then obviously don’t use the PVC-fiberglass.
You could also try this:
Personally I would not want to be driving around in a car with a patched plastic fuel tank.How much shopping have you done for a new one? There’s such a big aftermarket for these rigs I’d be very surprised if you can’t find a cheaper one out there somewhere. You may even be able to have a local off-road/4x4 shop (maybe even a jeep specialist) make you a brand-new metal tank for cheaper.
I have repaired the plastic gas tank in my dodge dakota with a repair kit from my local automotive parts store. Like a Checker or Autozone. They should have something that you can repair the tank with. This is assuming that the crack is not to large.