Does anyone know a source for the port water tank on an Hunter 34 '84. Mine is cracked at top and per Peggie Hall they cannot be permanently repaired. I have used silicone but it will not hold the pressure.
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3M now makes a glue.
Ron: 3M now makes a glue for Poly. I have NO idea how effective it is. You can find it on the 3M web site. You may be better of just ordering a new Ronco. If you cannot find one that will fit from their catalog, you can have them duplicate the one you have. http://www.ronco-plastics.com/
Ron: 3M now makes a glue for Poly. I have NO idea how effective it is. You can find it on the 3M web site. You may be better of just ordering a new Ronco. If you cannot find one that will fit from their catalog, you can have them duplicate the one you have. http://www.ronco-plastics.com/
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RON MILLS
....and if it doesn't everyone want to know.
Ron: If it works thats great, if it does not everyone will want to know too. I would contact 3M tech support and ask them what they think. I do not know much about these type of tanks but I have seen a Poly Welder. It actually melts the Poly together (they claim stronger than the original material). So you other option may be to check with a shop in your area and see if they think it can be welded!!
Ron: If it works thats great, if it does not everyone will want to know too. I would contact 3M tech support and ask them what they think. I do not know much about these type of tanks but I have seen a Poly Welder. It actually melts the Poly together (they claim stronger than the original material). So you other option may be to check with a shop in your area and see if they think it can be welded!!
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Best option: replace the tank
By the time you do all that's necessary to get it out of the boat to work on it, you've done 90% of the work to replace it and eliminated ALL concern that any repair might fail. And at best, the odds are 50-50 that it will, because the stress factors that split tank will still be putting pressure on any mend. It's always cheaper and easier to do any job right the first time than it is to do it over. Replace the tank.
By the time you do all that's necessary to get it out of the boat to work on it, you've done 90% of the work to replace it and eliminated ALL concern that any repair might fail. And at best, the odds are 50-50 that it will, because the stress factors that split tank will still be putting pressure on any mend. It's always cheaper and easier to do any job right the first time than it is to do it over. Replace the tank.
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Bob Howie
Cracked Tank repairs
I think Peggie has a good point on replacing the tank. My experience with polypropylene tanks is that age deteriorates the matrix and when they start cracking they continue on a downward spiral toward total failure. A friend would listen to me on this until the tank in their Nauticat 44 dropped 250 gallons of water into their bilge one night after the tank, which had started cracking, finally failed -- of course, under the load of about 1,700 lbs of water. However, you might be able to affect a repair since your problem is on top of the tank and apparently nowhere else. First thing you have to do is stop the crack from spreading. To do this, drill a hole on each end of the crack so that the crack terminates in the hole. This is called "stop drilling" and the theory is the crack cannot "jump" across the hole. You can use any small drill bit, it doesn't have to be a particular size, but generally, the larger the better. Then, you care going to have to bond a piece of poly or styrene "band aid" style along the course of the crack. 3M 5200 might be good for this; tight bond, waterproof; just a thought. Instead of clamping, you can put weight -- open-end wrenchs will do as long as there is good contact pressure -- on the "band aid." Now, this is no guarantee that this will works, but it's just an idea on how to approach it. Again, tho, the new tank is a better, more permanently reliable fix. Good luck.
I think Peggie has a good point on replacing the tank. My experience with polypropylene tanks is that age deteriorates the matrix and when they start cracking they continue on a downward spiral toward total failure. A friend would listen to me on this until the tank in their Nauticat 44 dropped 250 gallons of water into their bilge one night after the tank, which had started cracking, finally failed -- of course, under the load of about 1,700 lbs of water. However, you might be able to affect a repair since your problem is on top of the tank and apparently nowhere else. First thing you have to do is stop the crack from spreading. To do this, drill a hole on each end of the crack so that the crack terminates in the hole. This is called "stop drilling" and the theory is the crack cannot "jump" across the hole. You can use any small drill bit, it doesn't have to be a particular size, but generally, the larger the better. Then, you care going to have to bond a piece of poly or styrene "band aid" style along the course of the crack. 3M 5200 might be good for this; tight bond, waterproof; just a thought. Instead of clamping, you can put weight -- open-end wrenchs will do as long as there is good contact pressure -- on the "band aid." Now, this is no guarantee that this will works, but it's just an idea on how to approach it. Again, tho, the new tank is a better, more permanently reliable fix. Good luck.
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Peggie Hall/Head Mistress
Two things, Bob
Plastic tanks are made of polyethylene, not polypropylene. 5200 will not bond to polyethylene. Whether any of the new materials that claim to actually will for very long remains to be seen.
Plastic tanks are made of polyethylene, not polypropylene. 5200 will not bond to polyethylene. Whether any of the new materials that claim to actually will for very long remains to be seen.
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Bob Howie
Chemical faux paus
Well, one of those polys! What can I say? Maybe I was thinking of polypropylene line, which ain't worth much either, in my opinion. Fact is, they are typically made to be replaced, not repaired -- reminds me of some marine a/c units -- and I prefer not to make jury-rigged repairs, so replacement makes better sense to me. Here's one; I've got an aluminum tank in the ol' 78h30. It's in good shape; probably heavier than it's worth, but its built-into-place underneath the port seatee. I borescoped it recently and there's no corrosion or anything -- it's isolated from any metal-to-metal contact -- so guess I will keep that. Thanks for the chemical clarification.
Well, one of those polys! What can I say? Maybe I was thinking of polypropylene line, which ain't worth much either, in my opinion. Fact is, they are typically made to be replaced, not repaired -- reminds me of some marine a/c units -- and I prefer not to make jury-rigged repairs, so replacement makes better sense to me. Here's one; I've got an aluminum tank in the ol' 78h30. It's in good shape; probably heavier than it's worth, but its built-into-place underneath the port seatee. I borescoped it recently and there's no corrosion or anything -- it's isolated from any metal-to-metal contact -- so guess I will keep that. Thanks for the chemical clarification.
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