Author Topic: Fuel tank repair (Read 558 times)

donbj · « **on:** November 07, 2020, 02:05:57 PM »

I found a 2100 husky and it runs good but came with a bit of fuel seepage in the seam at the bottom of the handle, and needs a bit of love in other areas as well. Is there a way to repair this metal? Most likely magnesium. The fellow had another handle/tank piece that came with it so that's an option as well as it doesn't leak.

Another winter project!

Thanks for any suggestions.

Iwawoodwork · « **Reply #1 on:** November 07, 2020, 06:27:59 PM »

I had a 2100 with the same issue, the local saw shop said no permeant fix maybe JB weld or some form of adhesive sealant, clean well, rough up an apply, then hope for the best. The way it was made with the two halves of the case bolted together, over years of use the vibration wore the case surfaces where the mated together and they would then leak

Real1shepherd · « **Reply #2 on:** November 08, 2020, 10:52:15 AM »

OK....been down this rabbit hole personally. I was cleaning out my oil tank with compressed air(BAD IDEA) and I heard the tank POP. I split the tank. Soooooo.......cleaned all the original adhesive completely off both halves....chem-ed the seam, then followed with water to wash the chem off and dried completely. I used a commercial epoxy that was gas/oil resistant(many tiers above JB Weld) and clamped the two halves together and let cure a WEEK @room temps.

Result was a perfectly sound tank assembly that lasted for six months of hard use and started leaking AGAIN!:(

I don't know how Husky did it at the factory....i.e., how they prepped the surfaces and what product they used to bond the halves etc.....but I suggest you don't go down this rabbit hole. It may even have something to do on a molecular level with virgin magnesium......dunno.

Then I got paranoid because of the scarcity of 2100/2101 parts and bought tank assemblies that weren't leakers. What I wound up with is a bunch of tank assemblies where the PO's had stripped out threaded holes, gobbed back in JB Weld and re-threaded the holes. So at some point I'll get those messes all cleaned out and the proper threaded steel inserts back in there.

I'm not saying you can't fix this issue....just that I couldn't and will not recommend a fix.....six months of hard use and leaking again was a bitter pill to swallow. This wasn't an issue with the original 2100/2101, so there were never a lot of tank assemblies floating around with dealers. This makes the availability of spare tanks even more dicey today.

Most likely as these saws aged, throwing them around in the back of pickups made the bond for the tank halves fail. In my long decades of use with the 2100, I don't find it a 'use' issue.

Kevin

donbj · « **Reply #3 on:** November 08, 2020, 08:58:51 PM »

Well you gave it an honest try that's for sure. I wonder if there may be some sort of heat process at the factory when assembled.

Here's a photo of the new toy and spare tank/handle. May be best to take your advice and test out the spare tank and install that.

Quite the saw for sure.

btulloh · « **Reply #4 on:** November 08, 2020, 09:45:13 PM »

A lot of that plastic stuff is put together with an rf welding process. Hard to replicate at home. Some people use a low temp soldering iron and strips from a milk jug as a filler. Easy to mess up and melt a hole though. Seems iffy at best for all the time invested.

donbj · « **Reply #5 on:** November 08, 2020, 09:51:19 PM »

Quote from: btulloh on November 08, 2020, 09:45:13 PM

A lot of that plastic stuff is put together with an rf welding process. Hard to replicate at home. Some people use a low temp soldering iron and strips from a milk jug as a filler. Easy to mess up and melt a hole though. Seems iffy at best for all the time invested.

This is not plastic, it's magnesium. Must be some miracle fix out there somewhere

donbj · « **Reply #6 on:** November 08, 2020, 10:47:47 PM »

Quote from: Real1shepherd on November 08, 2020, 10:52:15 AM

OK....been down this rabbit hole personally. I was cleaning out my oil tank with compressed air(BAD IDEA) and I heard the tank POP. I split the tank. Soooooo.......cleaned all the original adhesive completely off both halves....chem-ed the seam, then followed with water to wash the chem off and dried completely. I used a commercial epoxy that was gas/oil resistant(many tiers above JB Weld) and clamped the two halves together and let cure a WEEK @room temps.

Result was a perfectly sound tank assembly that lasted for six months of hard use and started leaking AGAIN!:(

I don't know how Husky did it at the factory....i.e., how they prepped the surfaces and what product they used to bond the halves etc.....but I suggest you don't go down this rabbit hole. It may even have something to do on a molecular level with virgin magnesium......dunno.

Then I got paranoid because of the scarcity of 2100/2101 parts and bought tank assemblies that weren't leakers. What I wound up with is a bunch of tank assemblies where the PO's had stripped out threaded holes, gobbed back in JB Weld and re-threaded the holes. So at some point I'll get those messes all cleaned out and the proper threaded steel inserts back in there.

I'm not saying you can't fix this issue....just that I couldn't and will not recommend a fix.....six months of hard use and leaking again was a bitter pill to swallow. This wasn't an issue with the original 2100/2101, so there were never a lot of tank assemblies floating around with dealers. This makes the availability of spare tanks even more dicey today.

Most likely as these saws aged, throwing them around in the back of pickups made the bond for the tank halves fail. In my long decades of use with the 2100, I don't find it a 'use' issue.

Kevin

Been doing some google research. I see magnesium can be welded by a few different methods. Might be tough to get to where it's needed though. Might be worth exploring possibilities with a good welder.

btulloh · « **Reply #7 on:** November 08, 2020, 10:52:53 PM »

Quote from: donbj on November 08, 2020, 09:51:19 PM

Quote from: btulloh on November 08, 2020, 09:45:13 PM
A lot of that plastic stuff is put together with an rf welding process. Hard to replicate at home. Some people use a low temp soldering iron and strips from a milk jug as a filler. Easy to mess up and melt a hole though. Seems iffy at best for all the time invested.
This is not plastic, it's magnesium. Must be some miracle fix out there somewhere

Oops.

sawguy21 · « **Reply #8 on:** November 08, 2020, 11:05:30 PM »

I have welded magnesium/aluminum cases with gas and special rod and flux but it took considerable practice. Many years ago so don't ask me how.

donbj · « **Reply #9 on:** November 08, 2020, 11:12:38 PM »

Quote from: sawguy21 on November 08, 2020, 11:05:30 PM

I have welded magnesium/aluminum cases with gas and special rod and flux but it took considerable practice. Many years ago so don't ask me how.

Thanks Sawguy21. I certainly won't attempt that one myself, but it gets more interesting as a possibility.

realzed · « **Reply #10 on:** November 09, 2020, 01:58:31 AM »

I'm sure a very good TIG welder could find a way to repair it - but I'm sure it would take someone pretty talented with the proper filler rod which may not be easy to obtain - and just as sure - the cost might end up being pretty prohibitive to even bother depending on who and how..
Could be it wouldn't even need a filler as just running an arc to fuse the seam material together might do it, in which case it could be fairly simple for an experienced TIG'r.
I Googled 'TIG welding Magnesium' and immediately a video of a repair to a Husqvarna chainsaw case came up.. Go figure!

Real1shepherd · « **Reply #11 on:** November 09, 2020, 10:06:25 AM »

Yeah, it can be welded. That may be an option given the scarcity and cost of another tank assembly.

But I'm of the camp that somehow those tank halves can be prepped and a permanent adhesive can be found. The trouble is though......you have to put the tank back in service and really use it hard over a long period to claim success. If I hadn't used the saw six months to see failure, I would have proclaimed success. And people making shelf queens of these saws, or only using them occasionally can boast even less.

Kevin

donbj · « **Reply #12 on:** November 10, 2020, 12:55:20 AM »

Quote from: Real1shepherd on November 09, 2020, 10:06:25 AM

And people making shelf queens of these saws, or only using them occasionally can boast even less.

That's me!

! If they can get the job done once in a while I'm good. I love the history of these things and just want to keep em runnin. Did some carb work on the 44 this afternoon, the thing digs pretty good!

I should put a video of my 65 doing its job. Thing runs like new!

Real1shepherd · « **Reply #13 on:** November 10, 2020, 08:04:36 AM »

There's always gonna be two schools on this;one, you make the saw run again to preserve it from a parts bin or the landfill. And two, you make the saw equal to its factory release in work-ability. And I guess all points in between in actual fact.....especially if you can't get the OE parts.

Kevin

steele109 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 10, 2020, 08:42:22 AM »

You could red coat the tank and it will seal it.I have sealed few tanks with it and so far they have all held.You just have to clean it good before you start.

Real1shepherd · « **Reply #15 on:** November 10, 2020, 12:33:59 PM »

That's a possibility....lots of guys have done it successfully.....not specifically on the 2100, but other saws.

It might get tricky on the 2100/2101 because the tanks are connected via the manual oiler. In fact, if that bottom O-ring on the manual oiler is compromised or missing, you'll get gas mix in your bar oil tank. This happens a lot as these saw get tinkered with and passed around. That O-ring is really hard to find too.

I'd sure check with someone who has successfully tank sealed a 2100/2101 before I tried it......

Kevin

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