HDPE Fuel Tank Repair with a Tech-Bond PTFE Tech-Patch Kit

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Moses Ludel's Road and Trail Ready at YouTube

2 жыл бұрын

High Density Polyethylene or HDPE is a common material in modern plastic gas tanks. Tough and flexible, these tanks are resistant to corrosion but can tear or scratch. When trail tree debris scraped our unprotected Jeep Cherokee fuel tank, the tank was critically close to leaking. Scrapes and strap abrasion are common with HDPE automotive fuel tanks.
Typical of the industry, the vehicle manufacturer has discontinued offering replacement tanks for the Jeep XJ Cherokee models. Currently, there are no aftermarket poly tanks available for 1997-2001 Jeep Cherokees. A well-crafted, high capacity aluminum aftermarket tank with skid plate is available but costly. The usual path for most owners and shops is a "good used" tank.
In researching repairs on polymer plastics, we discovered the Tech-Bond Solutions website and KZfaq videos. Tech-Bond kits are available for automotive fuel tank repairs. Due to the flexibility and smooth surfaces of polymers like HDPE, LDPE and polypropylene, repairs cannot be effectively made with "epoxy" or "glue". (Popular plastic repair kits state flatly that they will not work with HDPE.) Tech-Bond's patented Polymer Bonding Process is a molecular and polymer bonding system that creates the lasting bonds needed for fuel tank repairs.
This video coverage is the detailed account of how we used a Tech-Bond Solutions PTFE (Teflon®) Poly Tech-Patch Kit to make a lasting repair on the Jeep fuel tank. The advanced materials used in the process, including the specially treated fluorosilicone (FVMQ) patch with an embedded PTFE strip, are designed for flexibility, reasonable pressure resistance, fuel compatibility and anti-corrosive properties.
See the steps we took to repair our original equipment "HDPE/LDPE/EVOH" Jeep plastic fuel tank. The work was performed with the tank in place, similar to a backcountry repair. For remote overlanding, packing a Tech-Bond poly repair kit would be sensible. When accessorizing your 4x4 for off-pavement travel, a metal skid plate is a must. We're getting one.
For more information and how-to visit www.4WDmechanix.com and forums.4WDmechanix.com.

Пікірлер: 14

@DocHoliday-to6kp Ай бұрын

Very Helpful, Thanks for sharing your fine work.

@RoadReadywithMosesLudel Ай бұрын

You're welcome...Glad this helps. These products are unique, which caught my attention originally. The concept and method of application are entirely different than what most of us have tried without success. Saving the Jeep fuel tank was big. These tanks are either obsolete or costly. When a replacement tank or upgrade is not available at a reasonable fare, we turn to used tanks that are a crapshoot. This route is certainly worth a try. I carry a Tech-Bond Solutions "kit" with my off-road tools. If we never need to make a repair on our own vehicle, we may be able to help others on a trail or remote backroad.

@EmilyTienne Жыл бұрын

Well explained.

@RoadReadywithMosesLudel Жыл бұрын

Thanks! I had searched for a reliable, scientifically based product for bonding these plastics rather than "gluing" them. The fuel tank repair has held up without a hitch. Glad you found the coverage useful.

@aayala302 Ай бұрын

I just used an A patch repair on my tank. Can you tell me how long until gasoline is introduced to it?

@RoadReadywithMosesLudel Ай бұрын

The instructions should detail the full curing time. 24-hours would be plenty in normal temperatures and atmospheric conditions. As I recall, the partial cure times are discussed in the instructions...If in doubt about when to safely expose the patch to gasoline, Tech-Bond Solutions has details and an email contact address at its website. They will respond.

@johnbrooks5485 Ай бұрын

How has it held up after a year?

@RoadReadywithMosesLudel Ай бұрын

It's held up very well, no leaks or issues. Tech-Bond Solutions does a lot of work with plastic tanks, it's their niche. The Tech-Bond website and their KZfaq videos go into detail about the process. (This is way beyond glues or epoxy products that will not bond these plastics.) Steps take a while and require close attention...A new larger tank like this can be expensive and hard to find. I'm glad this worked for us. Most folks wind up in a recycling yard taking a chance on a used tank.

@tyjay6752 8 ай бұрын

So I can use a PTFE patch on an HDPE tank?

@RoadReadywithMosesLudel 8 ай бұрын

So, this is a "kit" from Tech-Bond with all of the materials that we used in the repair. Details on the kit are available at the Tech-Bond Solutions website. Instructions come with the kit as well. Here is the link to information on fuel tank repairs and the kit: tbbonding.com/repair-a-gas-tank/

@tyjay6752 7 ай бұрын

@@RoadReadywithMosesLudel Sorry, what I meant is that I wasn't sure if it was fine to use an PFTE patch on an HDPE tank rather than an HDPE patch (I don't know much about plastics), but then I noticed that the title does just say that it's a PFTE patch on an HDPE tank.

@RoadReadywithMosesLudel 7 ай бұрын

I understand your surprise. Tech-Bond has many plastic fuel tank customers. The company provides a lot of information at the website, including details on how molecular bonding is much different than plastic epoxy or "glue" repairs. As an update, my tank repair has worked well and held up. I would consider carrying a kit on a remote four-wheeling trip.

@alexatienza2392 3 ай бұрын

where to purchase this item?

@RoadReadywithMosesLudel 3 ай бұрын

The website for Tech-Bond Solutions is: tbbonding.com/. Tech-Bond Solutions also has a KZfaq channel: kzfaq.info/love/uVmMaSceoqNT5Oi32-JptQ. Both sites have more information on the product and company. The website has a store and cart.