|
Post by Doug Hoffman on Mar 8, 2009 22:00:24 GMT -5
I'm ready to put the gas tank cover back on the tank on an XL-12. Manual says to use Homelite Cement 22788. Makes no mention of a gasket. I looked up the cement and didn't find a source, but did find a place that crossed it to 3M 847 gasket adhesive. I'm concerned about using this stuff to seal a metal to metal contact. I was at the parts store and they recommended making a gasket and using a non hardening gasket sealant that is oil and gasoline resistant. What have you guys used to seal up the tank and how did it work? I just don't want to add fuel and find it leaking out all over the new paint. Thanks, Doug
|
|
|
Post by lesorubcheek on Mar 9, 2009 9:36:24 GMT -5
I've used this stuff to seal a 150 fuel tank. First step is to make sure you have both mating surfaces as flat and true as possible. The ole' "emory cloth on the table saw" trick is great for this. After both surfaces are as flat as possible, I use a bit of acetone for cleanup, then lightly coat both sides with the Permatex Aviation gastket sealant. Its gas/oil reisistant and so far is working great for the 150 tank. I will say that if a gasket is avaiable, I personally prefer to use one. Seelant is great stuff, but it makes seperation at a later date a bit tougher. Dan
|
|
|
Post by Doug Hoffman on Mar 9, 2009 21:11:16 GMT -5
I tried another search and the only result was this thread. I would definitely be interested in reading the thread if anyone knows where it is.
I have gasket paper, so I guess I'll try to make a gasket and then use the sealant they recommended. I'll put the cover on, let the sealant cure and then fill the tank and see what happens.
Dan and OldZip, thank you both for your inputs.
Doug
|
|
|
Post by MCS on Mar 9, 2009 21:46:47 GMT -5
Before you go and try to cut and punch a gasket, think about Homelite's decision to build the tank they way they did and how many years it has lasted. There must be a reason for this design. Do paper gaskets compress after awhile and start to seep? Maybe they found that the close proximity of the cylinder caused problems with heat. For what ever reason, they felt this was a good way to do it. I would find an appropriate sealant and use it. The tank has lots of screws so if the surfaces are smooth and the right stuff is used it won't leak. Before using any abrasive and flat surface, I'd get some gasket remover and try that first. I have a Super XL that leaks gas but it won't be until summer before I look into it.
|
|
|
Post by Doug Hoffman on Mar 10, 2009 20:37:37 GMT -5
Before you go and try to cut and punch a gasket, think about Homelite's decision to build the tank they way they did and how many years it has lasted. There must be a reason for this design. That is a good point. I didn't think about all that heat right there. I believe that I'll order some of the Permatex sealant that Dan recommended and give that a whirl. It says it's good up to 400 degrees. I'll be sure to update with results, but it might be a couple weeks. Heck, I wasn't looking forward to cutting that gasket anyway ;D
|
|
|
Post by polardoo on Mar 14, 2009 6:50:41 GMT -5
Another sealer that works nicely is Hondabond 4 or Yamabond{same product} It was used as a 2 stroke case sealer on their motorcycles and is a nice gray color.
|
|
|
Post by Doug Hoffman on Apr 5, 2009 8:51:03 GMT -5
I just wanted to provide an update on how this went. I used the Permatex aviation sealant that Dan suggested. So far, no leaks. I let it cure for several days before adding fuel. The tank has been full of fuel for about two or three weeks now with no leaks. I guess the real test will be when I crank it up and run it for awhile. If I remember then, I'll provide another update. Thank you for your help! One thing that I would do differently would be to seal the tank first, then paint. Common sense? Maybe. Didn't think about it before.
|
|
|
Post by MCS on Apr 5, 2009 9:01:53 GMT -5
Nice Blue. Who's paint did you use Give us an update on the tank repair. RBW says this site will still be active for another 25 years
|
|
|
Post by Doug Hoffman on Apr 5, 2009 21:43:33 GMT -5
Nice Blue. Who's paint did you use For good or bad, I tried out Car Quest's Limco paint. The color is called Ice Blue Metallic. They loaded it in a rattle can for me. I was really surprised at how well it sprayed. I'm just hoping that it holds up to the heat. I took in the air box cover and used the underside of that to match things up. It was really close, but not exactly spot on. I have a newer blue XL-12 and it seems to have a darker blue paint, but I like the way this color looks.
|
|
|
Post by mikem on Apr 28, 2009 16:14:26 GMT -5
I just wanted to provide an update on how this went. I used the Permatex aviation sealant that Dan suggested. So far, no leaks. I let it cure for several days before adding fuel. The tank has been full of fuel for about two or three weeks now with no leaks. I guess the real test will be when I crank it up and run it for awhile. If I remember then, I'll provide another update. Thank you for your help! One thing that I would do differently would be to seal the tank first, then paint. Common sense? Maybe. Didn't think about it before. Doug, Have you had a chance to run the saw and evaluate the seal ? I will have this job to do on a similar saw in a couple of weeks. Thanks
|
|
|
Post by MCS on Apr 28, 2009 17:15:47 GMT -5
How about a bit of trivia When Homelite brought out the XL-1xx series saws, the XL-101 and XL-102 had gas tanks that were epoxied together - NO SCREWS At least Homelite was honest about it. They provide a new tank but the owner had to pay the labor - even if the saw was a few years old.
|
|
|
Post by RandyMac on Apr 28, 2009 18:43:56 GMT -5
Nice Blue. Who's paint did you use Give us an update on the tank repair. RBW says this site will still be active for another 25 years I hope I will be around to get the 25 year update. I agree, nice blue, great job. I've never seen that whole assembly before, interesting, having it clean and pretty is a plus.
|
|
|
Post by lesorubcheek on Apr 28, 2009 19:59:02 GMT -5
Yes sir, beautiful paint job! I do hope it'll work out well with no future leaks. By the way, I heard about the Permatex over at Magnus's site, and I think it was Magnus himself who reccomended it. It does seem to be some good stuff.
Dan
|
|
|
Post by Doug Hoffman on Apr 28, 2009 22:23:34 GMT -5
Hey Guys, I have not gotten around to finishing this saw yet. It is mostly put back together, but the carb repair kit is in the mail. The clutch shoes should also be on their way. We're in the process of buying a house, so time has been a bit tight. I was hoping to have some time this weekend to finish the carb and install that. The tank is still full of fuel with no leaks. I did have one scare a couple weeks ago. Since the carb is not installed, the fuel line is just sitting open inside the air box. I had moved the saw around a little then sat it back down on some cardboard on the work bench. A day or two later, I smelled gas in the garage. I knew it was either my Willys Jeep (that has a history of leaking every fluid ever put into it) or the saw. I noticed the cardboard was wet right where the saw was sitting. I was devastated; wondering why it started leaking after no problems for a few weeks. Long story short, I found that some fuel had slopped out the end of the fuel line and into the air box when I was moving it around. Then, it dripped down through that little hole, down the side of the cylinder head and pooled at the base of the saw. It sat in it a couple days and now I have peeling paint on the bottom I meant to put some plastic over the end of the fuel line and secure it with a rubber band or something to keep fuel from leaking out, but didn't get around to it. I guess that is a lesson learned! So, I still don't have an answer on how well it holds up once the saw is running, but will provide that once I finish it up (I have absolutely no timeline on that). But, it's been holding up great for over a month now with no leaks. I'm sure I'll be starting another thread on this saw when I try to start it and it won't. ;D
|
|
|
Post by MCS on Apr 29, 2009 8:09:09 GMT -5
Long story short, I found that some fuel had slopped out the end of the fuel line and into the air box when I was moving it around. Then, it dripped down through that little hole, down the side of the cylinder head and pooled at the base of the saw. It sat in it a couple days and now I have peeling paint on the bottom This brings up an interesting thought Is some paint more resistant to gas than others? Look at all Old Zips (and other Homelites) sitting around that still have pretty decent blue paint left on them. I can't imagine they didn't have some gas spilled on them at least a hundred times.
|
|
|
Post by lesorubcheek on Apr 29, 2009 8:47:50 GMT -5
This brings up an interesting thought Is some paint more resistant to gas than others? Look at all Old Zips (and other Homelites) sitting around that still have pretty decent blue paint left on them. I can't imagine they didn't have some gas spilled on them at least a hundred times. I haven't experimented too much here personally, but, the general understanding from similar discussions over at AS is that its not as important which paint, but moreso how dry the paint is. Paints like 2-part epoxies are gonna dry much faster than a spray enamel. Curing the paint at a moderately high temperature (150 - 200 F) over a period of a few hours seems to give good results according to some of the members discussions. I've built a drying booth and use the heat gun to get the temps up to close to 150. Haven't done much testing yet to see just how gas-proof this is gonna be though. Only painted a couple of saws so far and haven't done alot of gas-proof testing. I've been extra careful not to spill any in case the test would fail! I'll bet somebody on here can fill us all in on the real solution to this problem. It'll be great to hear other's experiences. Dan
|
|
|
Post by mikem on Apr 29, 2009 9:54:37 GMT -5
I have read if you repaint and replace decals, you need to apply a coat of protective poly-urathane,clear coat or something to prevent fuel from destroying the decals. Would a clear coat top coat eliminate the need to bake the enamel ?
|
|
|
Post by Doug Hoffman on Apr 29, 2009 20:18:09 GMT -5
Excellent tip, OldZip. That makes perfect sense and I'll be sure to crack that gas cap before I have any more spills. I got the carb kit today, so hopefully the saw will soon have a carb installed again.
I do have a clear coat on this saw. I used a Rustoleum Lacquer, but it doesn't say anything about being petroleum resistant - apparently it is not. Although I never used any heat to cure it, it had been at least a few weeks between painting and when the fuel spilled.
|
|
|
Post by uncleb on May 6, 2009 19:52:55 GMT -5
The two original EZs I have do not have a gasket - looks like the tank cover is sealed with the permatex product. I lightly filed the high spots from the mating surfaces and used the anaerobic gasket maker on one - no leaks after several months. I did let it cure for a month or so. I'm not taking the second one apart - inside is clean.
|
|
|
Post by mikem on May 25, 2009 14:20:06 GMT -5
I have been following this thread with interest because I have a leaking tank on a SXL. What I discovered may be of help to other forum members with this problem. When I got the tank split(cover off) I decided to "lap" the two case halves using 600 grit aluminum oxide sandpaper & water on a flat surface. The first side went well with the entire mating surface coming clean & shiny. The second case half came clean with the exception of about an inch section on the bottom of the tank between two screwholes. More sanding(lapping) with no improvement. I screwed the case halves back together(no sealant) and discovered a gap in the mating surface of about .035 I decided to try a repair which meant building up the bad spot in the case. I roughed up the area with a file, cleaned with acetone then put a light coat of BelZona(Industrial equivilent of JB Weld) on the low spot in the case. Let it sit for 4 hours and back to lapping with sandpaper and water on the table. Took awhile but all the areas around the case edge are flush and shiny and I am sure a light coat of Permatex Aviation will fix the problem. Appears to me there must have been a casting error made at production. I am surprized that the original sealant held as long as it did. Must have been good stuff !!
|
|