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Like most 00 cars, under my gas door rusted out. massive hole. i used some steel mesh and bodyfiller to fill it and it actually looked good. after a winter it has separated on the one side and soon its going to pop like a plug.

when i took it to a shop few years ago they said they had to drop the tank to weld that spot, wich translates to more money.

i now have my own mig setup and want to get that spot patched. am i ok to weld under the gas cap door? i plan on plugging the filler neck and doing a few tiny tacks to hold the peice in, just not sure about the spot. As terrible as this might sound, is it THAT big of a deal to be that close? guy at the shop made it sound like without dropping the tank it would level the building...

Thanks,

I pulled my filler neck out when I had mine fixed, just be sure to cap the big hole in the top of the gas tank.

Grapes wrote: As terrible as this might sound, is it THAT big of a deal to be that close? guy at the shop made it sound like without dropping the tank it would level the building...

It's definitely smart to be careful welding near your fuel tank or fuel lines. I knew a family-owned exhaust shop where I grew up that exploded and burned from welding hitting part of the fuel system. Killed the guy and burned the place down. Better to be careful than to be dead, I'd think.

Back the car up on some ramps.
This helps for a couple things:
1. Allows access for somewhat easy removal of the tank -I'd play it safe and get new tank straps just in case. They aren't overly expensive.
2. Put's the area you want to weld up so you don't have to bend over so far and if you have a stool or something to sit on the area will then be almost right in front of your face.

Also, make sure if you do take the tank off, like was already mentioned, make sure to seal it and make sure the area is well ventilated so there are no fumes in the air to ignite.

olblueeyesbonne wrote:Back the car up on some ramps.
This helps for a couple things:
1. Allows access for somewhat easy removal of the tank -I'd play it safe and get new tank straps just in case. They aren't overly expensive.
2. Put's the area you want to weld up so you don't have to bend over so far and if you have a stool or something to sit on the area will then be almost right in front of your face.

Also, make sure if you do take the tank off, like was already mentioned, make sure to seal it and make sure the area is well ventilated so there are no fumes in the air to ignite.

The 2000+ has a plastic tank that is sandwiched between the body and the rear subframe, so the only way to remove it is to drop the rear subframe... definitely no easy task.

I would say that if the filler neck can be removed it would be fine as long as there is a good shield around the opening to the tank.

Also don't try and drop the tank just after you filled up for the week....it's not a fun experience.