Dry side bulkhead gaskets

[dakar652]

just bought a tank from another member (I won't mention names because it was mostly my fault for not looking at the tank well enough before buying it) and there is a very large conchoidal fracture in the inside of the glass at the bulkhead for the return (although I plan to use it for a backup drain for a herbie system and run the return over the back of the tank if it doesn't leak).

my question is, the BOTTOM of the glass at the bulkhead (on the outside of the tank underneath) isn't chipped SO bad...just lite chips around the edge of the hole...can I run the bulkhead with the gasket on the dry side (flip the flange to the bottom as opposed to the top of the glass, and just seal the heck out of the top with aquarium safe silly-cone and be ok? the tank is a 60g RR deep blue professional, so there's not a TON of pressure going to be pushing on this bulkhead or gasket, but I just figured I'd ask before I even attempt this if it's just a stupid idea.

thanks in advance for any/all response/stories of experiences you've had with similar problems/issues.

Iron Mike
USMC

 

[delta]

yes you can. I ll just reiterate have the flange on the same side of the gasket.

 

[dz6t]

Just to make sure you only have one side of the bulkhead with a rubber gasket

 

[dakar652]

so, last night i finally got around to doing a test run on the dry side idea...it had a very very slow leak to it...like 1 drip every 20 seconds. i really really don't want ANY drips at all, seeing as how this is going in my living room, but do you think using silicone on the fracture at the wet side before i cinch down the nut on the bulkhead will stop the leak 100%? should i silicone down a small panel of glass/plexi and redrill a hole, or will this create more problems?

really hoping i didn't throw away the money i spent on this tank. really kind of pissed at the member i bought it off of. i'll try to post a picture of the fracture so you can see what i'm talking about.

any advice is welcome and appreciated.

 

[JohnK]

"dry side". Do you have the bulkhead oriented as described in the original post here? (nut inside the overflow and exposed to water, Flange AND gasket on the outside, bottom of the tank)

If the gasket is on the nut side of the bulkhead it will leak as you describe.

 

[dz6t]

Can you post a photo of the fracture and the bulkhead orientation? A photo beats a thousand words.

 

[dakar652]

<a href="http://s290.photobucket.com/user/dakar652/media/IMG_20150216_1856482551.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll262/dakar652/IMG_20150216_1856482551.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_20150216_1856482551.jpg"/></a>

 

[dakar652]

 

[dakar652]

zoom in to see the fracture on the top hole...yes, i cleaned the inner/outer surface before placing the bulkhead...yes, the gasket is on the flange side...i can post a few more pics when i get home tonight and try a second attempt while 'centering' the gasket/bulkhead as much as possible.

so...yes...the thread/nut side is IN the overflow...the flange/gasket are now on the bottom surface of the tank. i glued a length of pvc with a cap on the end of it to test its ability to hold water before i go filling the tank up.

 

[dakar652]

why don't they make bulkheads to fit better in the drilled holes? there's just too much play. i looked EVERYWHERE for a bulkhead that measured as close to 1.5" as i could to no avail...they're all just under 1 3/8"

 

[dz6t]

Is that a custom made tank and DIY holes?

 

[dakar652]

no sir...deep blue 60g cube...pretty sure they temper it after it's drilled, so drilling a larger hole is not an option.

 

[JohnK]

Are the bulkheads well centered in the holes? If not, maybe try to find just the right size o-ring to fit around the bulkhead and inside the glass (so that the oring holds the bulkhead centered)

 

[dakar652]

Are the bulkheads well centered in the holes? If not, maybe try to find just the right size o-ring to fit around the bulkhead and inside the glass (so that the oring holds the bulkhead centered)

YOU! You got a gift you...always thinkin'!

That's what i'm talking about...now where to find that big/thick of an o ring...i work in a junkyard, so i might be able to find something kicking around. needs to be thicker than normal though probably.

keep the ideas coming, please....might need all the help i can get to make this work.

Mike

 

[dz6t]

May be sealing off one hole with a piece of glass and silicone?

 

[dakar652]

trying to do a herbie siphon drain...so i really need the two holes to function. as a last resort i could delete a hole and do a standard durso, but this is going in my living room and i really don't want to have to listen to that flushing sound while trying to watch a movie or something.

 

[P-Nut]

I would seal one hole with a piece of glass top and bottom (if possible).

Then look in the deep blue website, I'm sure you can drill the back of the overflow and place a bulkhead there.

Most deep blue tanks can be drilled. Even the bottom of their 40B can be drilled. They make excellent tanks.

 

[dilligaf29]

you might be able to put one of these around it to center it
http://www.harborfreight.com/382-piece-o-ring-assortment-67554.html

 

[ro_nicu]

1. go to home depot, pick up a sheet of 1/4in plexy
2. come home and draw the bottom of that overflow on the sheet, make sure you draw it about 1/2 in smaller on all sides, now cut it nicely and file / deburr the edges

3. get some black RTV silicone from Grainger
4. put a large blob of silicone on the plexy
5. put the plexy (silicone down in the overflow) and press until the blob gets mostly pressed out from in between the glass and plexy, amke sure there are no air pockets uder the plexy and the silicone is really thin, almost transparent
6. wipe the extra silicone that got squeezed out and smooth all the silicone around the edges of plexy with a wet finger
7. wait 2-3 days for the silicone to fully cure
8. grab a hole saw the size of the hole in the glass and drill the holes in the silicone (use a hole with a center drill, start from the dry side so you get the centering drill hole than switch to the wet side so you don't rip out the plexy
9. deburr the holes
10. install new bulkheads with the seal on the wet side, look for the bulkheads that are made of thick black plastic not the thin ones (don't ask me how I know about the thin ones not being too reliable), silicone gaskets are preferable as well, they degrade less in time.

ENJOY.

 

[ro_nicu]

P.S. I see you're in Worcester, I can cut the plexy for you if you don't have access to a bandsaw.