Low Viscosity Epoxy

I'm looking for a low-viscosity epoxy or other super-strong adhesive. I need something that will flow pretty well to cover the bottom of an irregular container and seal it. Would be nice to get something that is fuel safe and capable of withstanding higher temperatures (200 F or so). If you guys have any suggestions let me know.

Another option would be thinning some JB weld - the manufacturer says that's ok. Does anyone have any experience with that?

Thanks!

How about something like Eastwood's gas tank sealer kit? It comes in motorcycle size if whatever you need to seal is not as big as a typical gas tank. Not sure if that stuff is an epoxy or not - never used it myself.

JB Water Weld is a 2 part clay epoxy designed for use with oil and gasoline. It is thick though, so would probably have to be thinned if you dont have access to ram the surface flat.

Look for potting epoxy. Pours about like elmers glue.

Contact the guys who make WEST SYSTEM epoxy. In addition to the general consumer stuff, they do have specialized, not well-known stuff. And they introduced a low viscosity exposy last year. Parent company is the Gougeon Brother, Inc., Bay City, Michigan, ph# 517-684-7286--so says the can of adhesive filler I'm holding.

MASS Epoxy, (google them) is supposed to be good for low-flow epoxies, too. I have no experience with them, but, I've trusted my boat to West System Epoxies and products.

Ok, well I've done some more reading about JB weld and it sounds like the best option at the moment (and I can pick some up this evening). I'll try thinning it with acetone to get it to run a little better.

I'll post the results when it's done.

Thanks for the input.

Gas tank sealer like Kreem is made to do exactly this.

Why not remove the part and have it properly repaired? Just a thought...

Raze wrote: Why not remove the part and have it properly repaired? Just a thought...

Yeah I thought about it. It's part of an intake manifold and there are some very thin pieces of aluminum right near the leak. I'm worried that taking it apart and having to re-weld that area will be a nightmare and that we might end up melting off those thin aluminum pieces.

I can post some pics in another day or two, along with the results.

If it's just for sealing, and not for strength, you can cut most epoxies with alcohol. Try a bit first to see how it reacts, but I've cut many different epoxies, when using it as a fuel proof paint for RC planes. Yes, it's weaker, but it will likely be strong enough for what you need.

why not denture cream?

JohnyHachi6 wrote: I'm looking for a low-viscosity epoxy or other super-strong adhesive.

You can heat up epoxy to thin it, but It also causes it to set quicker.

Two thoughts:

1) Here at the Ridgway Colorado Railroad Museum (www.ridgwayrailroadmuseum.org) we have used a special very thin epoxy to saturate dry rotted wood for strength in cosmetic restorations of 100 year old railcars. This stuff is like water and is made for working on wooden boats. I forget the name, but I know you can find similar products by googling - try something like wood restoration epoxy. I expect to use this stuff on old window sills in a historic building this summer.

2) My first job after graduate school was in a US Geological Survey rock analysis lab, and one of the things we did was prepare thin sections of rock. Without going into a lot of detail, one step was to glue a flat piece of rock to a glass microscope slide. Classically we used a material called Lakeside cement, which was very brittle and a PITA. Then a special epoxy came out with the optical properties we required, so we used that. To make it thin enough to seep into porous rocks like sandstones, we thinned it. If I remember (that was - ahem - 45 years ago), we used either xylene or alcohol (probably alcohol), and it worked fine. You might try this, because by varying the mixture, you can get the thickness you want.

Thanks for all the tips. I ended up mixing up one package of JB weld (all of both tubes) then thinning it with about a tablespoon of acetone. I mixed it for about 4-5 minutes and poured it over the seam I needed to seal. I let it sit for about 12 hours then put it under a halogen lamp for another 12 and it was all set. Seems to have worked great - I'll try to remember to update this after some long-term use, but I think it'll hold real well.

If it is just to seal and not for strength... why not thick paint or primer?

mad_machine wrote: why not denture cream?

Because Racecar