Hold my beer....I'm goin' in!

[Snaggletooth]

Ok....I've decided my gas tank is going to have to be dealt with. The bike had been stored for nine years before I bought it. The PO had run it once in a while and it had been in a heated garage all that time and the tank had been kept full (according to PO). The tank was checked as one of the first things during my inspection. Very little rust to be seen when I bought it.

 

During the two winters I have owned it the bike has been kept in an unheated garage and the fuel treated with Sea Foam and Stabil during storage. Run it a bit every week and top off the gas with fresh. During the summer months I keep it topped off every few days unless I'm on the road then I'll let down to the last bar.

 

But as luck may have it the rust is getting worse and getting to be a problem. It's clogging my fitler (3rd one) and getting into the carbs now.

 

So here is my game plan after a lot of research on products. I'll say this is what I'm using and continue on unless you can convince me I'm going about it the wrong way.

 

I'm pulling the tank and starting out with a alcohol and steel brad and BB cocktail to scuff up the interior and break up the rust. It's not heavy rust by any means but it's there. It surprised me from the looks of the tanks interior that I'm even having a problem this severe.

 

Following that will be a soak with BEHR # 911 Concrete Etcher, a phospheric acid to break down the rest of the rust.

 

The final step will be a treatment with Phenol Novolac Sealer from Caswells. Seems like a decent product for the coating.

 

The tank is solid and no leaks or weak spots. Once I got the tank flushed out and found an inspection mirror that would fit inside I found most the rust problem in the lower end.

 

So any advice or comments on the products I'm looking to use?

 

Thanks

 

Mike

[Squidley]

You sound like you have yourt plan and as long as the products are intended for what your wanting to do with them Do it

[Snaggletooth]

Hey Brad!

 

Getting used to the heat yet? The drawl taking effect yet? Ya tried the grits? Ok, I'll quit now.

 

After a couple of visits to local shops that do tank repair and reconditioning I decided to avoid having to lean on lamp posts downtown at night to pay for their services. I spent a lot of time on several......a few.....er.....a LOT of bike web sites over the last few days reading posts on rust problems. All these products have been used on bike tanks with apparently a lot of success. I weeded out quite a few products that were either too risky or had a lot of failures after treatments.

 

Don't worry about the grits. They are ediable.......really they are.

 

Good luck down there.

 

Mike

[Bubber]

Try a local radiator repair shop to see about them flushing it.

Are you intending to repaint it?

You mentioned an acid wash so I assume you are.

 

Every hear of Prem (sounds like cream)?

 

Bubber

[wes0778]

Take a look at this. I have a buddy that restores old Simplexes among other things and he swears by it. Not very much prep needed!

 

http://www.por15.com/Fuel-System-Restoration/products/12/

[KarlS]

POR 15, I used it on a 1979 CX500 that had been setting for 11 years with fuel in it. Get the whole kit, cleaner, prep and sealer. The first time I "thought" I had it cleaned and only used the sealer and it pealed off inside. The next time I used all 3 like I should of the first time and it worked great.

[Yammer Dan]

The "Blue Beast" ended up rusting out on me. Got lucky and grabbed a great one off E-Bay.

[DragonRider]

I have used a product called Kreem, got it at my local M/C shop, it has everything you need to do the job and last time I bought it, it was about $35.00 for everything, but that was a few years ago and it might be a tad higher now........worked real well, used it on several bike restorations that I did

.http://www.kreemproducts.net/wolthuis.aspx?productid=17&size=iconhttp://www.kreemproducts.net/c-6-combo-packs.aspx

[Pappa Bear]

Brad, You guys will have to hook up with somebody down ther and go get some Boodan, probably didn't spell it right. I was down in Beaumont for Hurricane Ike and was told by a guy from louisiana not to get it in texas but in louisaina! I didn't care for it but some swear by it with a 6 pack of your fav icy colds, good luck down there.

[cecdoo]

Hey Brad!

 

Getting used to the heat yet? The drawl taking effect yet? Ya tried the grits? Ok, I'll quit now.

 

After a couple of visits to local shops that do tank repair and reconditioning I decided to avoid having to lean on lamp posts downtown at night to pay for their services. I spent a lot of time on several......a few.....er.....a LOT of bike web sites over the last few days reading posts on rust problems. All these products have been used on bike tanks with apparently a lot of success. I weeded out quite a few products that were either too risky or had a lot of failures after treatments.

 

Don't worry about the grits. They are ediable.......really they are.

 

Good luck down there.

 

Mike

 

Guys on the suzuki board I frequent swear by this stuff http://www.evaporust.com/evaporust.html Good luck, Craig

[BigBoyinMS]

One comment on using the phosphoric acid... It doesn't actually remove the rust but instead converts the rust (iron oxide) to iron phosphate that still has to be removed with the BB's or other physical method. I found that out the hard way. I had a tractor gas tank that had rust and thought the concrete etch would be the way to go. I'm still filtering that stuff out! LoL But it does come out easier than the rust would.

Using a high pressure wand after the acid may possibly get it all.

[camos]

I have heard the epoxy gas tank sealer from Caswell Electroplating works better than Kreem. I have never used either, just passing it on.

[Snaggletooth]

Thanks for the comments and suggestions guys. Every thing mentioned has been read up on and studied.

 

Kreem is a popular repair but there are so many negative comments on the long term problems I kind of backed away from it. I would have to assume that most to problems were the after affect of improper use but ya never know.

 

The reason I want to try the BEHR #911 is the factor that it appears to be stronger than the Evaporust by a long shot. One of the guys I worked with used a full gallon of Evaporust on a 2.5 gallon tank that was in about the same shape as mine and had little results to speak of.

 

The POR15 is still in the running as I haven't ordered my other products yet. Sounds good and less complaints than on other products at least.

 

The Phenol Novolac from Caswells is the epoxy you mentioned. Very good comments on it everywhere.

 

And Bubba, I'm hoping for the best. I'm going to try to do the inside of the tank only. LOL! But then again ya never know. At least it's a 1st gen and my new paint job would not be too obvious.

 

Even considering the old battery charger and steel rod in the tank trick at this point.

 

Thanls again.

 

Mike

[stuckonstupid]

Not that I've ever used anything else, but I have used POR15 on three different tanks and it worked great.

 

1) A little advise: I used bolts and metal BB's to loosen the rust.

 

2) After using the phosphoric acid, rinse well and get the tank dry as fast as you can. I used a propane torch and attached a shop-vac to the inlet. Once you etch the tank with the acid it will rust very fast if you leave any water in it. Dry it quickly.

 

3) The actual painting of the inside is best done with no air bubbles in the paint/epoxy. I shook the can one time and had craters in the epoxy when the paint/epoxy dried. Don't shake the can of epoxy.

 

4) I used a bathtub stopper for the big hole and cut a piece of flat tin and drilled hole for the screw holes and sealed with silicone. Good Luck

[Cougar]

I have had Kreem in my tank for almost 4 years now with no problems

and I have cross sectioned the last 6 filters I have used since then.

totally clean inside them.

[ame=http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?t=524]Etching and Sealing a gas tank - VentureRider.Org[/ame]

good luck on what you decide!

Jeff