cooling tank repair

[Bullelkklr]

OK - so I inadverntly set the exaust on the plastic cooling tank for a second and burned a small hole (pencil tip size) in it.

I put some epoxy on it and crossed my fingers that it would hold - it did not. I used regular 30 minute 2 part epoxy..maybe I should have used the kind for plastic....

Has anyone had luch repairing a plastic cooling tank (not that it matters - but this is on a 96 summit)...new tanks are 160$ - I will check ebay, but was hoping to use the sled this coming weekend....

 

[Rod in Wasilla]

It depends on the plastic, but I've used heat on a plastic container (a 15 gallon drum) to patch/weld a crack before with good results. Using a heat gun on low with a reducer tip worked the best for keeping the distortion to a minimum. You want to heat it slowly so you don't just burn the surface while the inside stays hard. Once the area was heated to "just" soft (almost melting) all the way through, I smeared the plastic into itself to make the seal. Just be careful that you don't overdo it and make a bigger hole. I've also heard of people using a soldering iron to do the same thing. They use the hot iron to spread/smear some molten plastic over the hole. Again, be careful not to poke a big hole in it with the iron. Oh, and clean the area and any tools you'll be smearing the plastic with to avoid particulate contamination.

 

[Eggy]

My wife hit a tree and pushed the pipe back into the coolant tank. The seam on the pipe burned a long split type hole into the tank. My buddy had one of those small pocket butane torches in his tool kit. We cut a sliver of plastic off of the ski, used it as a filler rod, and welded as you would metal with oxy/acetylene...worked like a champ.

She rode 2 more full days with a bungee cord holding the hood on and didn't loose any more coolant.

 

[Bullelkklr]

I think that I have it sealed up - but I got cooling fluid in the jugs....so I am going to bust it down to try to find the leak....this machine is my nemesis and she will not conquer, I shall prevail.........