Please help! What's a quick fix for a pinhole leak in a tank? I'm leaving in an hour!

[3 on the Tree]

So I told 2 friends of mine that we would go on a trike off road adventure today and they are on their way to my house as I type this. I am going on my '86 Big Red and I offered that they could ride my '81 and '83 200's. I just took them out of the shed after a long winter's nap and found that all the fuel leaked out of the '81 via a pinhole at the bottom of the tank!

I don't want to call the trip off and disappoint them. What is a quick fix that I can do? I think I remember reading here somewhere that in a jam you can use a crayon for a get-you-by. Is that true? If not, what else will work?

[Grizzlypeg]

My dad used to use a bar of soap in an emergency. There is putty or epoxy available at auto parts stores for a quick temporary fix.

[BigO]

iv used candel wax on one of my street bikes

[rdlsz24]

JB Weld holds for a while

Rob

[honda200x1987]

Yes JB WELD but get the one that dries fast,it will stop the leak for a good day or so.

[shadix518]

They do make a putty you can out on there to stop the leak and it should hold very well. but make sure you get the one that says for metal tanks if you have a metal tank and plastic tank if you have a plastic one. had to do that on a work truck when someone punched a screwdriver thru the tank to steal our gas and it sealed and held until we changed the tank like 2-3 weeks later.

[harryredtrike]

if you use an epoxy or other method make sure the area is super clean,use brake cleaner to get it really clean,for a metal tank

[ATC-Eric]

Quick steel from any autoparts store. works great

[atctim]

I have had JB weld on two of my gas tanks for a few years now - still going strong! Works excellent for pin holes!

[3 on the Tree]

I'm sorry guys I jumped to conclusions. After a closer inspection, it's the petcock that is leaking. I installed a NOS pet cock last season and it appears that I didn't put enough thread tape on it. Problem solved, time to ride!!!

[rdlsz24]

Nice! Have fun riding. I'm guessing you guys are getting the same crappy storm as us?

Rob

[bonkers_200s]

Jb weld will work but, I've been told that gas will coagulate the quick dry version of it. I don't recommend it but when I was a kid, I used a self tapping screw and a piece of make-a-gasket in a moped I had with a leaky gas tank.

[Grizzlypeg]

I wonder if anyone has ever tried a hot glue gun? That stuff hardens real fast compared to epoxy. Maybe gas proof?

[Pafrig]

use a hard drive magnet.
if the area around the leak is flat.