Well, I got my Scrambler running, only to find out that my tank is leaking next to the rear mount! So, I am in need of a tank... anyone have a spare?
-Dave
715-977-1228
CL77 Gas Tank
Dave,
How bad is the leak? Might be far cheaper to repair than to obtain a new tank. If it is a pin hole or slightly larger I would use a small dab of JB weld or equivalent, then strip and seal the inside of the tank to prevent re-occurance. If the metal is not too thin you could weld in a patch. Good filing/sanding and paint will conceal all repairs especially if it is by the rear mount. Just a thought. Good luck! Ron Ron Cribbs
1966 CL77 1965 CB160 1974 Triumph T150V Tank repairThere is a product called "Kreem" available from most M/C shops that I've been using for years with great results. Priced normally between 25 and 30 dollars, it's a 3 part treatment that will strip, clean and seal the inside of your tank. A little warning though, if you have no patience, you will get poor results! I've always gone a little farther than the instructions to get good results. You'll have to come up with something to seal the petcock hole and gas cap opening before you begin. I've used aerosol caps jammed upside down into the gas cap hole, but some bikes you need something that will fill the inside of the petcock nipple so that the final coating wont prevent the siphon tubes from going back in.
First, you need to clean the tank with a detergent (I use dishwasher powder) to remove the petroleum residue. This lets the etching agent be more effective. I then use a piece of thin walled hose with a half inch inside diameter and a piece of wire slipped through it so that I can bend it so it will go down into all the hidden corners of the tank. This lets me siphon out all the chunks of rust that won't normally pour out over the lip that most tanks have inside the openings. Those little chunks can be a frustrating problem with the final coat! Now you start to follow the instuctions that came with the product. Seal the petcock nipple and fill the tank as full as you can with water and the first bottle in the package. You'll want to use a plastic wash tub or something similar to keep the tank in, this etching agent is an acid, and we already know it's going to leak! This is a 24 hour treatment, so if your leak is so bad that it all runs out, you'll probably want to use the JB weld or epoxy on the outside of the leak after you sand the area. Use the siphon again to drain it, more chunks will have come loose. After you've drained it you need to remove the moisture left in the tank with the second part of the product. Warning! This stuff is flammable to the point of explosion! M.E.K. or methylethylketone will absorb all the moisture but don't use it in a poorly ventilated area or around an open flame! I had one customer who called and wanted the number for the manufacturer so he could tell them to stress this even more so! It seems he underestimated the safety of using it in his laundry room, where his GAS powered water heaters pilot light came on and set off the vapors! He was lucky he hadn't been rendered unconscious by the vapors, or he would have gone up with his laundry room! Also, if your using a plastic wash tub, test it with a little of the M.E.K. to make sure it wont dissolve. Now, the final step. Hopefully by now you've removed all of the offending rust and the moisture that could cause it to pop up again, and have some seals for the openings(don't use wooden dowels or anything else that might absorb the coating or you'll be in for a real problem when you try to remove them!). The third part of the product is a plastic coating. Pour about half of it in, seal it up and roll it around so it coats all the surfaces. You'll want to let it sit for awhile right side up, roll it again, then leave it upside down. This way you get an even coat and it doesn't just pool up in the bottom. You'll have to drain the excess back into the bottle, and then let the tank dry with the cap off. After a half day, I repeat this process for a second coat, and even a third. The instructions say 24 hours to dry, but I always give it a week for extra hardness, and I haven't had it fail yet! After it's dry you'll need to clean up the excess around the openings. An Exacto blade, some sand paper and perhaps a Dremel tool with a tapered grind stone. You can now also clean off any JB weld or Epoxy that you may have used on the outside. With a good paint job on the outside, you should now never have to worry about rust or leaks again! Re: Tank repairthis was a very informative guide. thank you so much for the product name and information.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||