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05-02-2021, 11:19 AM
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#1
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Near Flagstaff AZ
Posts: 1,951
Year: 1974
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: "Atomic"
Engine: DD 8V71
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THIS is why you must vent your tanks...
This stainless steel fresh-water tank, blown up like a puffer fish, is an example of what happens if you don't vent your tanks. Hooking up a hose to fill the tank, with water at 50-60...or maybe up to 80 psi, without having the tank vented distorted this heavy stainless steel tank. You can tell where the interior baffles are welded in, which gives the tank it's tri-hump look. A simple vent would have prevented this.
Keep in mind that waste tanks must be vented too, because if you don't they'll vent back through the interior plumbing...forcing stinky bubbles through the P traps.
This stainless tank is in the bus we live in and it's now pretty much permanently locked into place, because the top is bulged between the frame rails. I just replaced the waste tanks, which were next to this fresh-water tank. Our next project will be to hook a vacuum pump line to the stainless tank and, hopefully, collapse it enough to be able to pull it out and re-weld a cracked bottom seam. That should be interesting and I'll post pics when we do it.
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05-02-2021, 01:13 PM
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#2
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Illinois
Posts: 23
Year: 2001
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: Freightliner FS-65
Engine: 5.9 Cummins
Rated Cap: 77
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Also, don't forget that psi is short for pounds per square inch. So if you fill a tank to 60 or 80psi you are exerting a huge amount of force on it. Each square inch of the tank is being pushed out on with 80 pounds of force- it adds up really quickly.
__________________
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https://www.instagram.com/justbetweenbus
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05-02-2021, 01:22 PM
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#3
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NM USA KD6WJG
Posts: 1,325
Year: 1991
Coachwork: Bluebird
Chassis: All American RE 40 FEET
Engine: Cummins 8.3
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Y'all missed the point. How else are you going to add capacity?
__________________
Why can't I get Ivermectin for my horses?
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05-02-2021, 03:12 PM
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#4
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2021
Posts: 30
Year: 2009
Coachwork: International CE
Chassis: CE
Engine: 7.6
Rated Cap: 26 seats
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Good luck to you. i would be skeptical of being able to pull enough vacuum if the seam is compromised. I hope it works, hate to see you have to cut it out piece by piece
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05-02-2021, 08:53 PM
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#5
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: pa
Posts: 2,509
Year: 98
Coachwork: 1. Corbeil & 2. Thomas
Chassis: 1 ford 1998 e350 4x4 7.3 2 mercedes 2004
Engine: 7.3 powerstroke & MBE906
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Nice hydrostatic test. how did the air normally get out when you filled it up...unless this was the first time..if air was still inside then you were really lucky. .Try a shop vac. To pull it somewhat back.
Thanks for sharing.
Johan
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05-02-2021, 09:01 PM
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#6
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,000
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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You could try Ye Olde Newcomen Engyn approach and feed it full of steam and then spritz some cold water in. Might go too far the other way but at least you could get it out then.
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05-02-2021, 09:47 PM
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#7
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Near Flagstaff AZ
Posts: 1,951
Year: 1974
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: "Atomic"
Engine: DD 8V71
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Thanks all - too many individual comments to address...well, individually...so let me try to get them all here.
This happened before we bought the bus. I knew the tank was puffed and planned to address it later...which is now.
The black and grey tanks were also not vented. Yuck.
The split seam is a small crack, about a 1/4 maybe? Unfortunately, it's right at the bottom on a corner and I can't get in there to weld it. If it weren't for that small leak, I'd just leave the tank as is and relish the extra volume s2mikon pointed out!
The crack/leak is small enough I think I can pull a vacuum okay. I have two large lab surplus vacuum pumps, so I can do better than the little A/C system pumps. We shall see, though.
I like musigenesis' idea... poof...then poof!
I did replace, and vent, the other tanks and installed a Shurflo macerator pump. So, progress.
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05-02-2021, 10:18 PM
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#8
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 785
Year: 2000
Coachwork: IC / Amtran
Chassis: 3000 / 33' Flat Nose
Engine: IC T444E / Allison MT643
Rated Cap: 72 Kids / 48 Adults
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When I saw the photos on my phone it wasn't clear how the tanks expanded, but yeah, that doesn't look good.
Just throwing this out there, if the vacuum trick doesn't work, and the steam/cold water doesn't, what about air bags to push at least one part of the top of the tank down enough to remove it??
I got the idea from watching them use air bags to remove dents in cars.
__________________
Steve
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05-02-2021, 10:32 PM
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#9
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Near Flagstaff AZ
Posts: 1,951
Year: 1974
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: "Atomic"
Engine: DD 8V71
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Simplicity
When I saw the photos on my phone it wasn't clear how the tanks expanded, but yeah, that doesn't look good.
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Yup...it blowed up nicely! If vacuum doesn't work, and rapid cooling fails, I'll probably resort to a BFH. But airbags might be an option.
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05-02-2021, 11:19 PM
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#10
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,000
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rossvtaylor
The split seam is a small crack, about a 1/4 maybe? Unfortunately, it's right at the bottom on a corner and I can't get in there to weld it.
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Some gorilla tape over the crack might help, or taping on a small strip of sheet metal so the tape doesn't get sucked through. For the steam the tape would also help since it wouldn't be pressurized steam (although maybe it would be - you do get up to some wild stuff).
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05-03-2021, 09:18 AM
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#11
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Auburn, WA
Posts: 785
Year: 2000
Coachwork: IC / Amtran
Chassis: 3000 / 33' Flat Nose
Engine: IC T444E / Allison MT643
Rated Cap: 72 Kids / 48 Adults
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JB Weld.
If you put a vent in, the pressure will never be that high. JB Weld is pretty amazing if you use the correct one and prep the area properly.
Of course, since it's your fresh water tank, chemical leaching may be an issue???
__________________
Steve
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05-08-2021, 03:27 PM
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#12
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 55
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Can you cut a hole in the floor below the seam?
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05-08-2021, 04:34 PM
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#13
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Oct 2020
Location: Near Flagstaff AZ
Posts: 1,951
Year: 1974
Coachwork: Crown
Chassis: "Atomic"
Engine: DD 8V71
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You guys with all your oh-so-easy, excitement-free solutions. Bah, humbug. How will I get to see the tank implode if I don't try the harder option?
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05-08-2021, 05:00 PM
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#14
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 7,000
Year: 2003
Coachwork: International
Chassis: CE 300
Engine: DT466e
Rated Cap: 65C-43A
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rossvtaylor
You guys with all your oh-so-easy, excitement-free solutions. Bah, humbug. How will I get to see the tank implode if I don't try the harder option?
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Fred Dibnah wants to see you try the steam thing.
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05-08-2021, 05:31 PM
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#15
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Mesa, AZ
Posts: 787
Year: 1993
Coachwork: 44' Newell Coach
Engine: 8v92T Detroit
Rated Cap: 2 adults and two pigeons
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I'd like to see the steam thing too!
Where would I get a custom made stainless steel tank? I have a peculiar design that I need to get the tank in the bus under the bed with a high capacity. I do not want to use a plastic tank due to trust issues with them.
__________________
--Simon
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05-08-2021, 06:21 PM
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#16
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Bus Geek
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Dawsonville, Ga.
Posts: 10,482
Year: 1999
Coachwork: Genesis
Chassis: International
Engine: DT466/3060
Rated Cap: 77
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bus'n it
I'd like to see the steam thing too!
Where would I get a custom made stainless steel tank? I have a peculiar design that I need to get the tank in the bus under the bed with a high capacity. I do not want to use a plastic tank due to trust issues with them.
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Google search "Custom Stainless Steel Tanks" , large list to choose from.
__________________
I Thank God That He Gifted Me with Common Sense
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05-10-2021, 11:57 PM
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#17
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Dec 2020
Location: Victoria BC
Posts: 32
Year: 2007
Coachwork: IC
Chassis: IC FE300 11 window
Engine: DT466E
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Its on its way to nice spherical shape.
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