NEWS PARTS JEEP & 4x4 ATV & UTV

Gas Tank Welding and Ivory Soap

8696 Views 12 Replies 5 Participants Last post by CJDave, Mar 20, 2000

CJDave

Discussion Starter · Mar 18, 2000

/wwwthreads_images/icons/tongue.gif After reading through the thread from Chuck about the fuel tank welding, I have this comment: If it is a life or death situation, and the tank HAS to be welded, yeah, go ahead....fill it with dry ice and go to it. If it isn't a life or death situation, leave it alone because it could turn out to be SUDDEN death. When I was a kid I worked in a wrecking yard with some genuine, depression-era, Grapes-of-Wrath Okies, and I learned a lot of tricks from them, NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH WAS using a bar of soap to seal a punctured gas tank. Somehow, the soap reacts with the fuel and seals up the crack. I saw this work several times, and a bar of soap will always be standard equipment in our Jeep "necessities" box./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif I have always wanted to get a tape recorder and go around interviewing genuine, depression-era Okies to get their roadside auto repair stories BEFORE everyone dies and that part of American history is lost forever. These were resourceful, determined folks; great Americans; who used innovation in place of cash to make it through difficult times.

CJDave
I never believe any statistics unless my moonguys /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif made 'em up themselves.

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· #2 · Mar 19, 2000

I was born and raised in OKlahoma. (and now hiding out in colorado)
I remember one time way back in the Ozarks we had forgot matches for the campfire. Never did forget the beer though, strange huh? We took a fuel line off the jeep, soaked a rag with gas. jumper cable to batt. Rubbed two clamps together like the indians said do with the sticks and Voila!! instant campfire!!! There's just something about an Okie and a jeep together.
Len
67 Jeepster

Lenny in Colorado Springs
67 V6 & 3 speed
69 Buick 350/Turbo 400 project

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CJDave

Discussion Starter · #3 · Mar 19, 2000

/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif Quit it Len! My doctor says not to laff that hard./wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif My moonguy /wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gifcrew cracked up when they read that post and now I can't get any work out of them./wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gifI can just see a plains indian slide down off his horse.....unstrap a Jeep can of gas....get out the jumper cables and a Die Hard, and presto! a campfire is going./wwwthreads_images/icons/laugh.gif

CJDave
I never believe any statistics unless my moonguys /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif made 'em up themselves.

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· #4 · Mar 19, 2000

Its like an indian friend of mine said that his brother said that he could
make him a ginuine[sp] hide scraper with a car sring. As my friend was laffing
told me he didnot know car springs went back that far in time./wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

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CJ7Taz

· #5 · Mar 19, 2000

Being close to Oklahoma and the Ozarks, I've heard a lot of these things. One question I have is, as
Allan Quartermain asked in The Lost City of Gold when the guy breaks the stone bench with his head,
"How does somebody find out that they can do that?" Did the first guy with the soap trick just decide
that a piece of soap was the easiest thing to carve to make a plug for the hole in his tank?

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CJDave

Discussion Starter · #6 · Mar 19, 2000

/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif Yes, Ron. He did that just after he used bacon rind for con rod bearings, and oatmeal to seal up the radiator leaks. (Cowboys actually use horse**** instead of oatmeal in radiators)/wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif

CJDave
I never believe any statistics unless my moonguys /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif made 'em up themselves.

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· #7 · Mar 19, 2000

Actually, to seal up radiator leaks you should crack two eggs and put them into the radiator. I have no clue where I remember this from, and I've never done it, but its something that I've heard. Anyone have any comments on this?

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· #8 · Mar 19, 2000

There is another way to fix a leaking tank without welding. I've used it on motorcycle tanks and you put the stuff in and slosh it around. They have used it
on aircraft tanks for years.

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· #9 · Mar 20, 2000

CJDave....
Would tha be Ivory? Dove? Irish spring, probably, considering the holiday and all....but seriously....does it matter which soap one uses?

-Mike

1998 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4x4 Laramie SLT Sport Plus--5.9L 360, auto, 3.92s, antispin, BFG A/Ts.

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· #10 · Mar 20, 2000

Why wouldnt it be feasable to have a alunimum gas tank made? Or one made from 1/8 inch steel plate?something a little more rock
resistant. Or even 1/8 steel everywhere except bottom and use 1/4 there? I remember a long time ago a friend had a old 60's IH 4x4
truck we hauled fire wood out of the woods on,we had a motorcycle gas tank strapped to the roof top and siphon fed to the carb,hey it worked
might also get ya out of bad fuel pump situation,Jerry can strapped to windshield,length of hose feeding the carb.LOL.
speaking of that old IH truck,it had a manual lever beside seat to lock the rear end(i think) maybe t case but seems like it was the rear

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109

· #11 · Mar 20, 2000

I learned a lot of "tricks" like the soap one from an Wagoner, Oklahoma native. He grew up there during the Great Depression and later moved to Philadelphia after serving in WWll and Korea. Full blood Cherokee. He used to build dune buggys in a rented neighborhood garage with us kids looking over his shoulder all the time. He would run them over in New Jersey. He had a 1974 Jeep Cherokee with Quadratrac that was just AWESOME off road in the sand or snow. He passed on a few years ago and I wish I had taped all the things he said. He probably had forgotten more than I will ever know about Jeeps and cars in general. He was a good man and a good Jeeper.

Naturally, he was the first person I showed my then new Cherokee XJ to after I drove it home from the dealer./wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

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059

· #12 · Mar 20, 2000

JB Weld held the bottom of my gas tank for 4 or 5 years. Filled a rock hole, and the tank still ahd some gas whemn I did it

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CJDave

Discussion Starter · #13 · Mar 20, 2000

/wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif We have a neat little setup that I found army surplus......it is a Jeep can lever-operated spout like the army used, and instead of the flexible pour spout, it has a hose fitting. It can be used for feeding fuel to ANYTHING. You can literally stand a Jeep can on the hood and siphon to the carb. It has a built-in vent, and even has a protective cover over the stem when it is not being used./wwwthreads_images/icons/smile.gif

CJDave
I never believe any statistics unless my moonguys /wwwthreads_images/icons/crazy.gif/wwwthreads_images/icons/wink.gif made 'em up themselves.

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