I need some help/advice/opinion about a repair I had done to my early 90's Mustang 930A. It had a leak, hydraulic oil coming from the reserve tank (tank behind the seat). The shop I took the machine to repaired it with a fiberglass patch. The couldn't find a replacement tank new or used and it was cracked around the fitting. The tank wasnt metal so it couldnt be welded. I feel uncomfortable with the fiberglass repair and the bill is $1950. Is a fiberglass patch typical for this type of thing and if so should I ask for more than a 30 day warranty on the repair ? The shop typically issues a 30 day warranty. I didn't authorize the repair and probably wouldn't have because my own personal experience is hit and miss with these types of repairs, however i am not a pro when it comes to epoxy type patches. The bill covers muffler replacement ($500 part + $'s in labor for light modification due to inability to locate a replacement new/used), which caused the crack according to the mechanic, purging and bleeding hydraulic system as well as the tank repair. Thanks in advance for any help
Yair . . . . JoeS52 Folks here will need to know what the tank is made from before venturing an opinion. In my experience a lot of these type of repairs are quite subjective and depend entirely on the design of the patch and the skill and care with which it was carried out . . . as always pictures would help. Cheers.
I'm not sure what the tank was made out of and the people at the repair place only told me that it wasn't metal and therefore couldn't be welded. I can see where you'd need to know to weigh in with an opinion. The service rep told me the high cost was due to the labor involved to prep the tank for the repair/patch. My initial thought is to require a warranty beyond the 30 days they typically offer, something like 6 mos to a year.
I agree it would help to know what the tank is made of, but fiberglass can be used to repair many types of material as long as the proper prep is done. If they did a good job you'll probably never have an issue, but if they just threw things together and didn't properly prepare the area to be fixed there will be problems. Is this repair shop known for their work with fiberglass? Have they done this type of repair before? Did they explain what prep and work needed to be done? Are they a reputable business?
Picked up the Skidsteer last week from the repair shop. They would only warranty the fiberglass repairs for 60 days. He said he patched the tank in 2 spots and that the cause of the repair was a hole in the back of the muffler that put heat to the tank. Fiberglass repair to tank, muffler and flex pipe $1850. I used the machine Saturday for 4 hours and the tank didn't appear to leak.
How old is this machine (early 90s) if parts that fit are not available. I would not be concerned with the repair if properly done. I'm surprised the tank was not simply plastic, many are on skidsteers. The cost seems crazy high for a muffler and a patch but I don't know what was all involved. Years ago I patched a old white metal gas tank built into a old super vibrating chainsaw with fiberglass and it lasted as long as the saw which was some years later. I got laughed at when I did it but never had an issue with it. Edit, Price seems to equal the value of a near 25 year old machine. I hope the rest of it is in good shape.
There aren't any 2k machines that I've seen in my area that are operable. I did try a few places for new parts as well as a few salvage yards for used parts. I hope to have the same experience with my machine as you did with your chainsaw. The thing that gets me is they didn't tell me ahead of time that that was the plan because given the choice I wouldn't have opted for the fiberglass. If it fails, I'll be updating this post for sure.
I've done some fiberglass work and used it for some odd repairs. Often times its stronger than the original product. I smashed the gauge cluster on my tl130 a year ago. The dealer wanted nearly $900 for a replacement. I rebuilt the shell and boards with fiberglass and now have a gauge cluster that is far tougher than the original plastic. Not to sound like an *** but if you are so opposed to the fiberglass and replacement parts aren't available what would be your choice???? Often when repairing equipment that doesn't have an off the shelf parts supply you have to get creative. I wouldn't be concerned about a fiberglass patch if the rest of the tank was so susceptible to heat that it melted from exhaust temps. John
I think an "all fiberglass" tank would be fine, but the concern I see, is if a plastic (injection molded) tank was repaired with fiberglass, the bond may fail.
Yair . . . I agree with digger doug's #9 post . . . the problem may be the bond. I have repaired alloy tanks and plastic tanks by cleaning well, applying release agent (PVA) and then laying up a fibreglass patch which is popped off, trimmed and drilled for a close spaced grid of self tapping stainless screws. In affect the surface of the tank is used as a mould and the actual repair is effected by a layer of Permatex or suitable sealant sandwiched beneath the perfectly fitting patch which is mechanically fixed to the tank with the screws. Such repairs can look extremely neat and they certainly work. Cheers.
And to add to Scrub's excellent post...the homebuilt aircraft crowd build complete new tanks (for fuel), and this method has been used for years. They start carving up Styrofoam to the shape they want, easy to make it fit with all sorts of curves and corrugations etc. They then glass over the foam, including the filler, drain and any other opening fittings glued right in.(tack them on the foam) When cured, pour in gasoline, melting out foam. If I was going to attempt a hydraulic tank (with the oil returning HOT) I would consult west systems for the proper epoxy.
I had heard of that process and considered doing just that for a fule tank I was thinking about for a sidecar project. Just need to make the foam internal mold a little smaller to account for the thickness of the fiberglass and make sure you use a fiberglass that will work with gas+alcohol that we get these days.
Khansen, yes, and remember the "mold" is just styrofoam, and can be hacked off and glued on at will to get the desired shape. Alcohol gas, poke around the interweb and I'm sure you'll find an answer, IIRC it was solved by a switch to a different epoxy formulae.
Just a follow up on this from a few years ago. The fiberglass repair has held up to this point. Probably put 250-300 hours on the machine since fixed.
Nice to hear it worked. I haven't had any tanks that are plastic, but have heard good things about plastic welders. Amish, up in PA do a lot of plastic welding...
You know that sounds very strange to me. I'm not knocking anyone's beliefs but for a group that for their own reasons tend to shun so much of modern technology to be doing work like that just strikes me odd. Not to get too far of subject but: I recall a bad storm several years ago that ripped the roof off a two story house farm house near here that a Mennonite family owned. Drove by around 8 in the morning and there was a crowd getting started went by about 4 pm and they had new roof framed and sheathed and half the shingles on it.