I am in the process of removing the engine on my 22. Yesterday I pulled the fuel tank to better get to the clutch compartment and undo some things in there. The tank lays in a tray that has some type of padding that collects water. The tank was almost rusted thru on the outer edges (out of sight) and pretty badly rusted all across the bottom. Any idea of what type of padding would work and not collect water?   Lots of sand blasting in my future.    Thanks  Grant. 

I have used 1/8" thick rubberized cork gasket material on some of my tractors.

The latter bigger tractors had rubber very similar to what truck mud flaps are made of.


Just thinking here, if wire brushed to clean steel would epoxy material be air tight so rust would not grow under the epoxy again?

Have you considered section of fire hose? Tough as all get out.

Epoxy -- I used a product at one time as a fix on an AC MODEL M that had a cracked block - water jacket had major leak, brazed previously and still leaked.
I wire brushed the area with hand brush, applied the epoxy with wooden paddle while the tractor was still full of water. Kept some of the epoxy on a piece of cardboard to watch the curing process. As it neared cure - and the water jacket leak was forming blisters, I pushed the epoxy (blisters) together with rubber gloved finger as it set up. Solved that leak!
That was many years ago - certainly there are some better products now on the market that should solve many of those problems.

Maybe the Fiberglass treatment would do same thing?

Experiment on a piece of like material, see if it bonds well and resists the effects of the modern fuels. These new fuels have some strange properties when it comes to compatibility.

Good Luck

Cat used to sell 9H3493 lining for under D7E starting engine gas tanks, nla. And 9H3487 pad for on top of the tank and under the strap, nla. I think the lining or padding was like flat inch wide oil lamp wick or furnace door gasket material. Could also use a strip of belt pulley belt material.

the materail under the tank was/is asbestos

get a fuel tank sealer kit to treat that fuel tank. por15 make a good one its not cheap but works well. if the tank has holes rather than pin holes a new bottom or new tank is the only answer. most fitting were sweated in with solder and can be removed by heating with a torch.

as for packing under the tank get some insertion rubber any good industrial supplies or irrigation shop will have it as a main use is gasketing on pump flanges and pipelines. avavilable in several thicknesses to make thicker pieces layer it bonding with bears contact adhesive or tarzans grip etc

trainzkid88 --
When those fittings were soldered in, the tank was new and never had been filled with a flammable/combustible material.
Even using a hot "soldering copper" can be an ignition source, without flame present.

Torch and gasoline/fuel tank --- NOT ON YOUR LIFE OR MINE! All it takes is a mixture that is within the flammable range and an ignition source.
Various methods have been used, sometimes they work, sometimes they fail - and Failure is not an option.

Yes - it has been done and some get away with doing so, some find an early end to life or injury too. Same thing with cutting the ends from Drums or containers.

Stay Safe -
CTS

The welder says he fills the tank with CO2 and does not have a problem. I think the idea of (after the repair) epoxying a thick rubber to the bottom of the tank sounds good. As long as the glue holds, water cant get between it and the tank. I suspect that it will be much more than pinholes. A few days of rain, so I wont get to it right away.

Thanks all, Grant.