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Darnit, fresh water tank busted - solutions?
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woodlandfarms
Posted 2019-06-20 1:29 AM (#6543)
Subject: Darnit, fresh water tank busted - solutions?


Regular

252525
OK, I probably did this but in the end it was very fragile, but when removing the drain plug on the fresh water tank I heard a crunch and then it started leaking. I have not dropped the tank but am comfortable in the knowledge I am screwed.

So what are the solutions. I did s search here and didn't find anything, but that doesn't mean there isn't a long discussion on this, it just means my mac struggles with searching on this site.

This all sets back my brake resolution. I wanted the water system checked and then was going to go back to the brakes.

Hating my life.
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LCAC_Man
Posted 2019-06-20 7:03 AM (#6544 - in reply to #6543)
Subject: Re: Darnit, fresh water tank busted - solutions?


Elite Veteran

5001001001002525
Location: Oceanside, CA
Which one (upper or lower)? you can have new ports plastic spin welded on. Starting on this picture and a few after it show my efforts removing the upper tank to have it repaired http://www.fmcowners.com/mbbs22/photos/show-album.asp?albumid=127&p...
the only think in my entire fresh water system that I didn't have to replace was the water heater. Every single other pipe, valve, pump, toilet, faucet, hose, etc... was junk from being frozen, even the brass drain valves for the system were split through their cast housing.
Just gut it all and start with new.

Edited by LCAC_Man 2019-06-20 7:07 AM
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woodlandfarms
Posted 2019-06-20 7:55 PM (#6546 - in reply to #6543)
Subject: Re: Darnit, fresh water tank busted - solutions?


Regular

252525
I guess you would say the lower, the one behind the bumper. Can I ask how you did the plastic welding? Did you consider just making a metal tank or something similar?

As for the plumbing, yeah, mine was cracked stem to stern. Not sure how the original was set up but mine was all copper with all flare fittings. Everything was ruptured as well. Just putting the finishing touches on things and I should be buttoning the plumbing up over the weekend.
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BigRabbitMan
Posted 2019-06-20 9:16 PM (#6547 - in reply to #6543)
Subject: Re: Darnit, fresh water tank busted - solutions?



Expert

100010010025
Location: Cottage Grove, OR
A short term option would be to drop the lower tank and then just plumb it to use the upper tank that is under the passenger seat until the bottom one can be repaired or replaced. I would lean to replacing it with a SS tank as the plastic in these tanks is very old.
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andy1canada
Posted 2019-06-20 11:29 PM (#6548 - in reply to #6543)
Subject: Re: Darnit, fresh water tank busted - solutions?


Elite Veteran

500100100
Location: Victoria, BC. Canada
Carl,

I went through the same crap you are going through when I bought #509 then imported it up here into Canada. Yep, I sucked another one up here north of the 49th. Gotta keep an eye on us Canucks, eh!

It, too, had the same forward 38 US gal lower tank behind the front bumper that was later dislocated in 75'-76' models in favor of the AC unit after they moved it off the roof.

That tank in #509 also leaked but a repair seemed doable and I decided to learn how to do plastic welding. Wasn't a real big deal to weld and it could be an option for you, too. I went with the hot-iron (read cheaper) method vs the hot-air method, which is apparently superior to the hot-iron method.

Two things you need to determine:
- is your tank is reparable, or, junk?
- then you need to determine the correct type of plastic welding rods to use - so it sticks.

Don't get too bummed-out about the 'brakes' thing; I was too, for a while, especially after driving #509 north about a thousand-miles from Santa Cruz. I headed north on this 'white-knuckle' circus after a 'pit-stop' at a so-called 'Authorized FMC Service Center' in central California (whereupon I was relieved of about $2400/USD) for brake work which did NOT solve my problem. The coach would literally do a lane-change to the right every time I hit the brakes. Imagine that in 6-lane rush hour traffic doing 70 mph through Seattle. Turned out they had the wrong combination of master-cylinder and H-vacs. As well, over 1/4" of play in the front right wheel (loose spindle nut) didn't help matters either.

If you, or anyone else for that matter, decide to hang in there and get your FMC roadworthy, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do what I did after my hair-raising ride in #509 - learn all you can about FMC brake systems and do the work yourself; it's really not that hard to learn and there's lot's of good people on here who can help you with it.

Seriously, if I learned it, anyone can!

Keep us posted what you end up doing.

Good luck.

Terry
#846
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woodlandfarms
Posted 2019-06-21 12:10 AM (#6549 - in reply to #6543)
Subject: Re: Darnit, fresh water tank busted - solutions?


Regular

252525
Thanks for the encouragement. We are just south of you around the Portland area. I get up to BC now and then so will say hello next time. I will get it working, and honestly the machine has a grea deal of promise (the PO had done a TON of work, it just appears that it sat for way too long and was briefly mis handled). I can solve the brakes, I just have never dealt with a vehicle of this mass. Wi will drop the tank once I finish the plumbing.
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woodlandfarms
Posted 2019-06-21 1:04 AM (#6550 - in reply to #6543)
Subject: Re: Darnit, fresh water tank busted - solutions?


Regular

252525
Stephen, just saw you posted as well. Great idea. At least it would be something in the short term. We have tons of metal people up here, and I bet i could get a tank whipped up (I can tig as well, but just a bit scared as I have not had to do anything water tight).
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LCAC_Man
Posted 2019-06-21 6:49 AM (#6551 - in reply to #6543)
Subject: Re: Darnit, fresh water tank busted - solutions?


Elite Veteran

5001001001002525
Location: Oceanside, CA
I took my tank to a local plastic supplier that also did plastic welding, having a couple cracks/patches welded on and three new ports was $100 I think...I see you have an earlier coach so you lower tank is a lot more accessible than the lower tank of a later coach but has been more exposed to the elements...like Stephen/Terry mentioned, be sure it's worth saving first, if the plastic has gotten too brittle it will just fail again.
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