Remember those movies where the hero heroically chewed gum, climbed out of the cockpit mid-air and plugged a hole in the petrol tank.....
This is on a 30+ year old petrol hover mower, one piece plastic tank, capacity next to nothing. Once there was a seal where a metal tube poked through to fit the gravity fed pipe onto, that seal is no more so the hole is marginally bigger than the metal tube and petrol leaks, or rather weeps, through. It doesn't need mechanical strength, the pipe is a casting with a bush on the inside, but I do need some kind of petrol proof gloop to seal up round the edges, only get-attable from the outside of the tank. A sort of petrol proof blu-tac would be ideal.
Back in the day (in my case the Hillman Hunter 70's) you would nod wisely and say "ah, you need the red hermetite or bobs patent blocking bodger for that job. It's on the same shelf as the exhaust bandage and the Barrs Leaks". Those memories have evaporated - so what to use? Chewing gum, ptfe tape, silicone bathroon sealant, epoxy glue, putty, plumbers mait ....? I don't want to put it all back together to find that my chosen sealant has dissolved.
Chewing gum petrol-proof?
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- (Donor 2025)
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Chewing gum petrol-proof?
Richard_C
Current:C4 Max Hybrid, C3 1.2 Auto
Past Citroens: Dyane (x2), 2CV, Visa, BX (x2), Xantia, Xsara Picasso, C4 Picasso,C3 (x2) C5 X7 Tourer, Synergie 1.9TD, C1
Others: Hillman Hunter, Cortina Mk1, Maxi, VWT2, Granada, SAAB 900, SAAB 9-5, R5 Gordini
Current:C4 Max Hybrid, C3 1.2 Auto
Past Citroens: Dyane (x2), 2CV, Visa, BX (x2), Xantia, Xsara Picasso, C4 Picasso,C3 (x2) C5 X7 Tourer, Synergie 1.9TD, C1
Others: Hillman Hunter, Cortina Mk1, Maxi, VWT2, Granada, SAAB 900, SAAB 9-5, R5 Gordini
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- Donor 2024
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Re: Chewing gum petrol-proof?
I've got a tube of Loctite 5940 that is petrol proof. I do leave it a while prior to exposing it.
Pete
Notice the BX is still top the list but sadly gone
Notice the BX is still top the list but sadly gone
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- (Donor 2025)
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Re: Chewing gum petrol-proof?
One of the JB Weld products will probably do. They claim to be 'petroleum resistant'
https://www.jb-weld.co.uk/jb-weld-guides
https://www.jb-weld.co.uk/jb-weld-guide ... m-jrkqrsdk
https://www.jb-weld.co.uk/jb-weld-guide ... m-jrkr8r9z

https://www.jb-weld.co.uk/jb-weld-guides
https://www.jb-weld.co.uk/jb-weld-guide ... m-jrkqrsdk
https://www.jb-weld.co.uk/jb-weld-guide ... m-jrkr8r9z
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Re: Chewing gum petrol-proof?
any sump sealant is fuel and oil resistant according the the labels on the tubes
Oh buggle
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- (Donor 2025)
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Re: Chewing gum petrol-proof?
Hi Richard, Give this one a try: https://www.rust.co.uk/product/epoxy-re ... te-pc-7-18
My plant engineer mate swears by it for sealing different material joints. Not tried it my self tho!!
My plant engineer mate swears by it for sealing different material joints. Not tried it my self tho!!

I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
I used to ride on two wheels, but now I need all four!
I used to ride on two wheels, but now I need all four!
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Re: Chewing gum petrol-proof?
I used something called Petro-Patch on my daughter's Fiesta. That was at least 20 years ago though.
"We All Face The Raven In The End"
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Re: Chewing gum petrol-proof?
myglaren wrote: 28 Jun 2019, 22:49 I used something called Petro-Patch on my daughter's Fiesta. That was at least 20 years ago though.
Still available but I doubt if it would work on a plastic tank.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=petro+patch
Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. (Albert Einstein)
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- (Donor 2025)
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Re: Chewing gum petrol-proof?
Thanks for all the suggestions. Will go off to my not-very-local car parts shop and see what they have. Happy to 'bodge' on a tiny lawnmower tank, low risk. The various epoxy putty products look like useful things to have in your toolbox anyway.
Richard_C
Current:C4 Max Hybrid, C3 1.2 Auto
Past Citroens: Dyane (x2), 2CV, Visa, BX (x2), Xantia, Xsara Picasso, C4 Picasso,C3 (x2) C5 X7 Tourer, Synergie 1.9TD, C1
Others: Hillman Hunter, Cortina Mk1, Maxi, VWT2, Granada, SAAB 900, SAAB 9-5, R5 Gordini
Current:C4 Max Hybrid, C3 1.2 Auto
Past Citroens: Dyane (x2), 2CV, Visa, BX (x2), Xantia, Xsara Picasso, C4 Picasso,C3 (x2) C5 X7 Tourer, Synergie 1.9TD, C1
Others: Hillman Hunter, Cortina Mk1, Maxi, VWT2, Granada, SAAB 900, SAAB 9-5, R5 Gordini