Replacing petrol tank. How difficult and where to find?

[clamberer]

Ran over some metal debris which pierced my petrol tank. Will be a write off if claimed through insurance, and expensive to repair at a garage. So:

Is replacing the petrol tank on a 2wd Octavia 2 hatchback a straightforward DIY job? any pitfalls? (old tank is already empty via the hole!)

And does anyone have any pointers on finding a second-hand tank? there are a few diesel ones on ebay but not petrol. I've put out a request on breakerlink but no joy.
Is the petrol tank the same as those used in any petrol Golfs, A3s or Leons etc? as these may be more common with petrol engines than Octavias. Or are they all different, possibly due to different filler neck locations?

Mine is a 2008 1.8tsi engine, though assuming all 2wd petrol engined mk2 Octavia hatchbacks have the same tank?

I found this Audi A3 tank, would this fit or is the filler location different?

Edited 8 July, 2023 by clamberer

[MikeTheThinker]

Here's a LINK to the parts catalogue for your car showing the assorted options for a fuel tank for a 2008 Octy.  If you can work out which one is correct for your car you can then go to skoda-parts.com and search on the part number.  The detail entry will include a drop-down showing all the Skoda vehicles that use that part.

 

[Guest]

Evacuate the tank with a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher, weld the rupture... or use 2 part epoxy putty fuel tank repair.

[MikeTheThinker]

4 minutes ago, MicMac said:

Evacuate the tank with a carbon dioxide fire extinguisher,

Thanks @MicMac, you have just solved a related problem for me

 

I have several (redundant) gas cylinders that I wish to decapitate and use as open heavyweight drums.  I've left them inverted and open to atmosphere for several weeks and had been going to fill them with water before attacking them with a whizzer.  Your CO2 suggestion will be so much easier and a great deal less messy!

 

Edited 9 July, 2023 by MikeTheThinker

[Guest]

@MikeTheThinker

 

I dare say a good purge with an air line would suffice, the smell of mercaptan is very odorous and will linger longer than the actual gas.

 

Remember butane is lighter than air so cylinders should be allowed to vent upright and as you know propane is heavier than air and needs venting inverted, presumably both orientations will be necessary for mixed gas cylinders.

Edited 9 July, 2023 by MicMac

[MikeTheThinker]

7 minutes ago, MicMac said:

the smell of mercaptan is very odorous

Unfortunately I now have a challenged sense of smell from Covid - a friend says I have a deaf nose - so I'm disinclined to trust that sense in this situation - hence the interest in the purge options.

 

9 minutes ago, MicMac said:

@MikeTheThinker

Remember butane is lighter than air so cylinders should be allowed to vent upright and as you know propane is heavier than air and needs venting inverted, presumably both orientations will be necessary for mixed gas cylinders.

A timely reminder.  Once upon a time I was an industrial chemist working on explosive hazards and flammabilities but that's a loooong time ago and I had forgotten to think about addressing the contents differently.

[Guest]

@MikeTheThinker

 

Actually I am incorrect, both gases are denser than air so venting cylinders should always be done inverted... my bad.

Edited 9 July, 2023 by MicMac