Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
Moderators: dirtonly  /  dmantx  /  hosehead

The lower bolt holes on my tail tank have cracked out of the surrounding tank shell.  Is there someone I can send my tank to or someway to effectively repair these areas or does a guy need to buy a new tank shell?

We have one that's perfect except the lower left side insert got ripped out.  Hate to just junk it.  I'm thinking about cutting a wedged shape piece of aluminum, drilling a hole and tacking a nut on it and positioning it down in there so it lines up.  Have to drill the hole all way thru the shell first to know where to put it.  Can put a small screw or two thru from the outside to hold it in place.  Can cover it with something to elminate any rubbing on the bladder.  I also wonder if Maxim's new upper tank mount would be enough to hold the tank with only 3 bolts in it?

We had one repaired back in 2011 that had the nut torn out of it on the lower left rear location. We took it to an automotive body shop that used a plastic welder and welded it all back together after pushing the nut / bung / spud, whatever you want to call it back into the shell. It held up fairly well through the end of the year. We replaced it in 2012 with a new shell but still have it as an emergency backup should something happen.  It was hard to get it lined back up in the chassis. I am sure that ripping that thing out hurt it a little in the alignment neighborhood, but once in there it survived fairly well. I would try this if money is tight before I forked over $300.00 on a new shell. They have become ridiculously expensive.  This repair cost us $75.00.

In fairness the shop that did it for us had been making similar repairs to Midget shells for a couple of years prior to our taking ours into them, but it is possible. They also backed the nut with a lot of welded material so that we could sand it smooth to protect the bladder. I am sure that you can find someone who can do this.

Never hit stationary objects!

on the flat side of the shell, perpendicular to the danaged insert cut with a hole saw approx 21/2 hole. replace the insert, securing with round head machine screw and nut. Cover with silicone to portect bladder and silicon the plug you cut with the hole saw back in place. 

I removed my bladder, took the broken free threaded bung and cleaned it and the shell inside, used an epoxy on the threaded bung housing and placed it back into position, and put a bolt from the outside through a spacer to squeze the insert inplace while the epoxy dried. reintstall the bladder, and it has been great for two seasons!