Spare tire bracket

[Gogar]

It seems the bracket that holds my spare tire to the gas tank has come off.

So, stupid question, I guess. Should it be tacked back on, or epoxied, or Elmer's glue, or what?

I remember hearing something about welding and gas tanks, but i can't remember exactly what it was . . . . .

[Gogar]

Wednesday bump. I think I"m just gonna get some krazy glue.

[MattAlpha]

Best solution is to remove the tank and drain it using the bottom drain plug. Let air out for a few days. Strip the outisde paint after re-installing the drain plug and capping the vent line and filler tube off, then weld the spare tire mount back on. Preserve the entire outside of the tank. It will look brand new again, and you won't have to worry about that spare tire mount breaking off again and potentially let that spare float around your trunk while your driving.

Second solution. Preserve the area where the spare tire mount broke off and paint it. Sell spare tire to someone else that needs one. Much easier and you'll save you car some pounds.

-Matt

[Gogar]

Geez Matt. Thanks for the reply. JB Weld it is.

[Zeke]

I don't think JB or many of the common store bought epoxies are going to take any torque from the cinch nut, much less the strain of the tension. A used tank would be one solution if you really want this thing. I used a cinch strap across the tire in the '71 S. I was able to place a few things on and in the rim, like tools, rage, etc. and cinch them all.

Don't weld on a tank that has anything in it except water. This includes air. I don't seem to agree about sealing it off either. I don't know, maybe I shouldn't have gone to that welding school.

[MattAlpha]

Milt,

Good point about sealing it off. I should have been more clear, I meant capping/plugging so that debris didn't enter the tank during the stripping and painting.

I would recommend active ventillation through the tank while welding. I thought this was obvious, sorry for not being more clear.

Water scares me in a fuel tank, though we use it for ballast in our fuel tank on our warships. I've seen the insides a few of these tanks and they are pretty. Given we do use sea water and we have great fuel purifiers down stream in the fuel system that cleans the fuel before it gets into the engines.

-Matt

[Zeke]

Well, in reply, I didn't realize you were on top of things as you are. I would do the welding, still with the water, then send the tank out to the radiator shop for full treatment. Perhaps a flow of air would be beneficial, but a lot of flowing air on either side of the welding process doesn't help. I understand we are only attaching something to the surface, so the air won't blow through the weld. All these threads that involve safety must be clear. And we are now.

This is when a used tank starts to make sense.

[Gogar]

Thank you guys.

Milt, I thought the same thing about epoxy, but the cinch nut creates tension between the wheel and the bracket, not the wheel and the tank. So i'm hoping . . . Still, you're probably right that it will just pop off after a little while anyway.

Thanks for the welding info; that's kind of what I was asking about in a roundabout way.