Home › Forum › Ask A Member › Repairing cracked solder joints in 1922 Elto Light twin tank. › Re: Repairing cracked solder joints in 1922 Elto Light twin tank.
If I understand you correctly the cracks
are in the solder and not in the tank itself.
Clean around the area really well with
purple power, super clean, bleach white,
or some other water base dirt and grease
remover. You want to rinse it really well.
Probably be a good idea to do this several
times. Your looking to get rid of all the
dirt, gas, oil, and paint? Now you can
re-melt the solder two ways. One way is
with a heat gun. Blower setting on low and
not too close you blow the solder out. Your
looking to get the solder to flow back together.
You want the tank sitting level as possible
with the bung pointing straight up so it
doesn’t fall over and create a new set
of problems. You can also re-melt the
solder with a propane torch but don’t put
the flame directly on the solder join. You
should be able to get the solider to re-melt
by just heating the bung staying away from
the bottom and side seam. With some luck
and if you have gotten all the crap out
the solder will just flow back together.
A "Boathouse Repair" is one thats done without having tools or the skills to do it properly.