Inexpensive gas tank repair

I have a '99 Olds Intrigue that's used as a Stictly Stock oval track car. I have found a hole in the upper front of the gas tank. Has anyone had any luck with any of the two part epoxies that is sold for fuel tank repairs?

I have. I patched up a hole in a '76 Scirocco with something from the HELP! section of a parts house as a stop gap fix until I could swap the tank out. Problem is, it never leaked after that. Though, I only owned that car for 2.5-3 years, so who knows. Temporarily permanent, and all that jazz.

I'd be happy if the repair lasted a year. The car surely won't.

I don't know if I'd want to be in a track car with a patched fuel tank. That might make me a bit nervous. Especially with as much beating a oval track car will get.

Is it a plastic tank or a steel one?

steel tank. I've used JB weld to repair the tank of an old Harley and any beating and banging this car does couldn't compare to the bumps and vibrations that tank endured.

Inexpensive? Yes. Effective and safe for what you are doing? Who knows, but I don't think I'd trust it.

I fiberglassed a steel tank in my friend's steel after a thief drilled a hole in it for gas. Thought it would get him home, 8 years later it's still patched. Not sure if it's safe enough to get by in racing though.

JB weld, add some brass or steel screen to it for strength if the hole is bigger than 1/8".

I used seal-all on the bottom of my Audi 5000 tank, where the stock skid plate trapped dirt and mud next to the tank and the tank rusted out. It was intended to be a temporary fix but since I couldn't find a tank that wasn't rusted it ended up staying in there for over a year and a half until I sold the car.

I've also used that product on a brass fuel float in an old Stromberg with a pinhole leak that I couldn't find a replacement for. It's been 4 years and still working. Great product, and for the cost I'd put a couple layers of it over whatever jb weld or what ever else you decide to use just in case.

My Caprice (steel tank) has had a JB Weld fix for the 5 years that I've had it, and likely at least 8 years before that from what I know of the car's history. I didn't even know the patch was there until a few weeks ago. It's on the very bottom of the tank, too, so always submerged in gas.

I've used Seal-All for 25 years and have at least one customer car with a repair that's at least 20 years old. I prefer a "proper" repair, but I'm always amazed what Seal-All can do.

Carl

Years ago by dad backed up into a parking spot and the re-bar that they used to secure the concrete bumper was sticking up far enough to puncture the tank. I cleaned the surface around the hole and used the 2 part epoxy sold for patching fuel tanks and there was never an issue.

while not inexpensive, it sounds like the perfect time to move up to a much safer fuel cell...

Depends on what caused the leak. On older steel tanks, it is most likely rust. Not readily repairable.