MG T-ABC

After I put most of my TC back together and put a gallon of gasoline in my nicely painted petrol tank, I was greeted by a heavy gas smell in the garage this morning. Turned out that there was a very slow drip from under the side panel. You could see it coming trough the paint as soon as you wiped it dry. Because of lots of tiny pinholes I used a slushing compound in 1981 that fixed the problem. It took 40 years but I guess the ethanol in the gasoline finally managed to eat some away of that. My question is: Can I re-slush over the old layer or am I hooped and I will be looking for a new tank?

Josh de Zwart
Calgary, Alberta

A good quality paint remover should remove the old liner which is what I've done (Naturally watch the outside of the tank) Slosh it around in the tank for a day and then hose it out with water. Get it all out, clean with lacquer thinner and then recoat with a modern hard epoxy tank coating. Caswell make a good product that I've used on my motorcycle and TC tanks.
Charlie

Sorry to say, I have never had any luck with slushing compounds. Ultimately they fail and now the problem is worse than ever as you have the task of attempting to remove the failed compound.

The best solution is to cut out the bottom of the tank, that will give good access to remove the failed liner, and weld on a new bottom without relying on a chemical seal. You could take it to a radiation shop to have it boiled out; Be REALLY certain no fumes remain from the remover or gas before welding on it. Or you can opt for a new tanks and be done!

I also used the Caswell 2 part epoxy about 6 years ago, after hearing of all the slushing failures. No sign of any failure with the epoxy, and all my fuel filters are very clean when I check them. Keep in mind the 2 part Caswell is fairly thick after you mix it and pour it in, and there is a lot of surface area to cover inside. Generates a fair amount of heat, but it did not damage my paint. Unfortunately I do not recall how much I used, but it was no small amount. They claim it is specifically formulated to hold up to ethanol fuels.

As Mark says find a radiator shop to solder (not weld) on a new bottom for you. They can boil out the tank and solve your problems for you. I had to do a bit of soldering on my tank and it can be done at home with care after soaking the tank out well with dishwashing detergent for awhile to get rid of the fumes.