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I have a Maruyama 2 cycle gas Hedge Trimmer - model HT2200 purchased approx 20 years ago new. Fuel tank started leaking and a replacement tank is no longer available. Does anyone know what I can use to seal the tank to prevent the leak?
Thanks

Correction on model # - it's a HT210 not a HT2200. Purchased in 1995! Still runs great except for leaking fuel tank. Sorry for the error.

The tank is HDPE
Cloudy milk bottles are HDPE
SO you can plastic weld the cracks
Then cut strips off a milk bottle and weld them to the fuel tank with a hot air gun

Most 4 gallon 5 gallon drums are HDPE as well so grab one from the trash at the back of the local resturant / car wash etc and practice on that.
Once you have put any goop on the tanks it can not be welded

Watch some of the You tube videos
If the clot says things like you can use Zip ties for everything the disregard it and find some one else
Only a few critical things
1) tank must be clean with a capital C
2) use only stainless steel wire brushes
3) heat only till it looks glassy or it will become soft and collapse
4) put it on, roll the air bubbles out then don't touch it till it gets stone cold and that can be well over 1 hour

is it the tank or the rubber plug at the end. Many use a 3 hole plug that has hoses in it.

What is it about Maruyama fuel tanks? They leak or at least mine did on my kick azz trimmer twice. New tank was $85.00 each. Finally said forget it and plastic welded it. Soldering iron with a flat tip and sealed her up. Running fine for a couple seasons now. Watch your heat as you go. Really is simple.

Normally you want the same plastic type if you are needing a filler rod. I used black nylon zip ties with good luck. Looks funny but doesn't leak.

Mine leaked twice at the main seam on 2 new tanks. Went all the way around it with a soldering iron. Think the iron temp was around 525F???

JB Weld also makes a plastic bonder formula.

Here's a review from their site.

"Saved a lot of money using this to repair pin holes and cracks on 3 fuel tanks on a riding mower, a chain saw and a string trimmer. All were HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene). Also worked on various rigid PVC and ABS items including the cracked case of a cordless tool battery pack. All repairs have lasted 3 months or more. I suggest you mark one side of the tube cap with an ink marker so you put the cap back in the correct position... I briefly put the cap on wrong and it got welded to the syringe. It has taken more than 15 minutes to set, but that's OK. Really excellent results!!!"

Thanks to all for the replys. I'll get some JB Weld Plastic Bonder and try it. Such a great machine except for the fuel tank.

with inflation by the time you get two more seasons on it the price of a new one will be double. Keep that in mind.

sgkent said:

with inflation by the time you get two more seasons on it the price of a new one will be double. Keep that in mind.

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Let hope, not naming names but we get a new president in a few years. This one drove this country into the ground on his first day in office. Every day since just gets worse. Nothing he has done actually benefitted the American public - We the people.

slomo said:

JB Weld also makes a plastic bonder formula.

Here's a review from their site.

"Saved a lot of money using this to repair pin holes and cracks on 3 fuel tanks on a riding mower, a chain saw and a string trimmer. All were HDPE (High Density Poly Ethylene). Also worked on various rigid PVC and ABS items including the cracked case of a cordless tool battery pack. All repairs have lasted 3 months or more. I suggest you mark one side of the tube cap with an ink marker so you put the cap back in the correct position... I briefly put the cap on wrong and it got welded to the syringe. It has taken more than 15 minutes to set, but that's OK. Really excellent results!!!"

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My result using this JB Weld is like most of their products was horrible here. I attempt to bond an ABS mower hood together. It claimed a 5 minute bonding time and even letting sit over night didn't work. I had taped it together after applying the JB Weld and the next morning started removing the tape and the hood simply fell apart. Then I went back to the Permatex Plastic Weld and bare got it together before things were already bonding. I will never buy the JB Weld product again.

As for the HDPE plastic tanks only plastic welding will work unless you can some that $300+ / oz Epoxy. But most of the 2 cycle tanks usually are leaking around the fuel lines and the grommets.

Like Star I am yet to find any JB weld product that is fit for anything other than a cheap bodge job to turn a profit or an emergency repair to get you home
However the warning was put out that once any sort of glue is used a proper weld is almost impossible .
It is Gasser tank so it is his decision .
I have done 5 JD petrol tanks with split seams , a couple of Murray tanks with wear holes from badly fitting bonnets , 15 JD hoods using the special JD filler rods, most were not pretty but they all held and about a dozen trimmer tanks that all worked except for two that were so brittle from sun exposure the tanks litterally fell apart but for those I managed to find a tank to almost fit then used some chain saw anti vibration rubber mounts as packing pieces.

IF Permatex would just come out with a JD green version they wouldn't need to make anything else. The cream matches the best so far as the black is really noticeable.

The main thing with the JD hoods is the UV damage which can't be repaired. It is just like the plastic rotted.

StarTech said:

IF Permatex would just come out with a JD green version they wouldn't need to make anything else. The cream matches the best so far as the black is really noticeable.

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I get my sticks from a mob in New Zealand
IT is a perfect match colour wise & the exact same chemistry polly carbonate that JD use ( or so they say )
However welding with plastic filler rods is a skill I am a long way from mastering and they don't make sheets for reinforcing the repair on the underside so you have to put great globs of it on there.
I saw some clips that used coarse stainless steel mesh as a reinforcement over the cracks but on mine it just never took .

I do plastic welding here to a point and agree it takes time to master it as you got to get full penetration without over heating it. You just can't do a surface repair. And over heating the plastic makes it extremely brittle.

As for the JD hoods I jsut got in the F525 mower where the customer has yet again busted the hood. The previous Permatex bonded areas are still in tack and that was done over five years ago. There are new breaks and nothing can be done for it as large pieces are missing this time.

Did you guys scuff up the areas and try to reinforce the split prior to using any epoxy? Total degrease a couple times with window cleaner? Just globbing it on and expecting a heavy mower hood to be brand new is reaching.

Might of gotten a bad tube or was so old sitting "outside" in the shop (hot and cold temps). I know thread locker has an expiration date on the bottle. Need to check some epoxy out for this. These hard smooth plastics are tough to mend proper.

Like painting a car. all in the prep work.