How to fix my leaky bladder?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,424
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From: Lakeland FL
How to fix my leaky bladder?
I drained the gas tank in my '81 a year or so ago and didn't notice any problems with it at the time. I sealed it with a garbage bag and some tape and stood it on end for a while, then eventually moved it to a shelf where it sat flat for a while.
I'm finally ready to put it back in and noticed that the bladder in the tank is cracked in one corner; it's a pretty big crack. I can see the metal tank through the crack. This bladder is about 1/4" thick plastic. I can only imagine that while the tank was standing on end, the plastic dried out and cracked from the weight of standing on end. It has never been dropped and the metal is not damaged in any way.
I've seen kits to repair and seal metal tanks but am not sure if this is a viable solution for me since this tank has the bladder in it. Has anybody ever repaired one of these tanks?
I see where finally there is a replacement tank available; there wasn't for a long time. Would I be better off to just buy a new tank for $250 rather than try to fix this one? Or can I reasonably repair my original tank? If I repair it, would I then have to constantly worry about the bladder cracking in another place later down the road? Does anybody know if the reproduction tanks have a bladder in them?
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Thanks
I'm finally ready to put it back in and noticed that the bladder in the tank is cracked in one corner; it's a pretty big crack. I can see the metal tank through the crack. This bladder is about 1/4" thick plastic. I can only imagine that while the tank was standing on end, the plastic dried out and cracked from the weight of standing on end. It has never been dropped and the metal is not damaged in any way.
I've seen kits to repair and seal metal tanks but am not sure if this is a viable solution for me since this tank has the bladder in it. Has anybody ever repaired one of these tanks?
I see where finally there is a replacement tank available; there wasn't for a long time. Would I be better off to just buy a new tank for $250 rather than try to fix this one? Or can I reasonably repair my original tank? If I repair it, would I then have to constantly worry about the bladder cracking in another place later down the road? Does anybody know if the reproduction tanks have a bladder in them?
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Thanks
Pro
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 653
Likes: 0
From: Dickinson (Houston) Texas
Just curious, where did you find a replacement tank?
I have a 78 that has the same problem, but have not found any replacement tanks for 78 and newer C3s.
www.bigdoggarage.com
I have a 78 that has the same problem, but have not found any replacement tanks for 78 and newer C3s.
www.bigdoggarage.com
Safety Car
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 3,758
Likes: 3
From: Surrey
Ditto, who sells new tanks for '81's??? does anybody sell the bladders? My '81 tank doesn't have a bladder in it at all & it works fine. If it ever starts leaking then I'll coat the inside with some resin from a repair kit, but as it is the tank is just a plain steel tank, just like millions of other cars have/had. I guess a PO found that the bladder was split (or collapsed?) & just pulled it out.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 16,100
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New item at Ecklers...
http://www.ecklers.com/product.asp?p...dept%5Fid=1280
....and THIS for bladder leaks....
http://www.ecklers.com/product.asp?p...dept%5Fid=1280
....and THIS for bladder leaks....
Last edited by rihwoods; Feb 14, 2007 at 10:10 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2005
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From: Arkansas
Race Director
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Rich
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
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From: Aussie expat in Saudi Arabia
Cool price. Mine's ok too but handy to know that they aren't that expensive. Far better to put a repro in rather than manhandle a 44 gallon drum into the back and use that as a fuel tank...
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: one night in Bangkok you are never lonely
I think if ShinodaVette tank is good he can just remove the old cracked bladder an be good to go.
Race Director
Joined: Feb 2005
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Agree...some have just pulled the bladder out..(think GM started that in 1975.)...but good idea to clean inside of tank after,as well....
Rich
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,424
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From: Lakeland FL
The interesting thing is that the bladder is what the screws screw into that hold the sending unit to the tank. The holes in the steel part of the tank are not threaded and aren't deep enough to thread if I wanted to. I don't see a way to pull the bladder out and still be able to screw the sending unit to the tank. I'll shoot pics later and post them.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
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From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
The interesting thing is that the bladder is what the screws screw into that hold the sending unit to the tank. The holes in the steel part of the tank are not threaded and aren't deep enough to thread if I wanted to. I don't see a way to pull the bladder out and still be able to screw the sending unit to the tank. I'll shoot pics later and post them.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,424
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From: Lakeland FL
Ditto, who sells new tanks for '81's??? does anybody sell the bladders? My '81 tank doesn't have a bladder in it at all & it works fine. If it ever starts leaking then I'll coat the inside with some resin from a repair kit, but as it is the tank is just a plain steel tank, just like millions of other cars have/had. I guess a PO found that the bladder was split (or collapsed?) & just pulled it out.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Omaha NE
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
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Another thing that can happen is the bladder shrinking. I heard once of a tank on a '76 that could hold only 13 or so gallons because of this.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
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From: Lakeland FL
I ordered a new tank from Mid-America and decided it just wasn't worth trying to repair this one. They have them in stock; mine's already shipped and should be here Tuesday.
If I busted out the bladder I'd want to seal the tank inside which sounds like a headache and could potentially cause problems if sealant separated from the tank later. All the sealant kits stress that the kit could fail if the tank wasn't properly prepped; I don't want to take the chance. Plus I'd have to figure out a way to attach the sending unit. The options for that weren't that great either.
I've put too much time and money into the vette to deal with fuel tank problems so I just bit the bullet and bought the repro one. I'll post details on it when it gets here.
If I busted out the bladder I'd want to seal the tank inside which sounds like a headache and could potentially cause problems if sealant separated from the tank later. All the sealant kits stress that the kit could fail if the tank wasn't properly prepped; I don't want to take the chance. Plus I'd have to figure out a way to attach the sending unit. The options for that weren't that great either.
I've put too much time and money into the vette to deal with fuel tank problems so I just bit the bullet and bought the repro one. I'll post details on it when it gets here.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,424
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From: Lakeland FL
Had some people asking for an update on this thread so I thought I'd post the results. I got the tank from Mid-America fairly quickly. The tank looks great and came with the necessary bolts and rubber gasket to install the sending unit. There's no bladder in the tank; its all metal. The bolt threads are built right into the tank instead of the bladder like the old tank. Unfortunately I didn't get any pics of the inside of the tank before attaching the sending unit but here are the pics of the tank mounted on the frame:
So, the good news is that there is finally a quality replacement gas tank for the 78-82 models.
So, the good news is that there is finally a quality replacement gas tank for the 78-82 models.