No, seriously, my tank is REALLY toast now (pics!)

[tbrand69]

Alright, so I was trying to figure out a way to plug up the tank so I could fill it with stuff to remove rust. I was prodding with a screw driver when it slipped and PUNCTURED A HOLE IN THE TANK.

Perplexed, I did a little more poking and behold:

The entire filler hole would shift up and down when I pumped it a little bit, and I just kept prodding away. The metal surrounding the filler hole was so thinned and weakened that it took almost no effort to tear it up.

So now I REALLY need to buy a new tank. Woo-hoo!

Tommy

 

[Thumper88]

Wow...holy crap dude....

 

[koolaid_kid]

You may want to consider replacing that...

 

[Charlie G]

Step away from the pipe.....

 

[robertbarr]

You may experience paint adhesion issues in the area surrounding that filler neck. Consult a competent automotive finish expert for guidance.

 

[tatu]

A bit more poking and it might get worse.

 

[Guest]

Too late now, but if your replacement tank is also rusty:

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/cbsaunders/gs/evaporust_tank.pdf

 

[SVSooke]

Come on,that will buff right out!

 

[jwhelan65]

Not a problem..

 

[Guest]

I don't think my tank is as bad as yours, however there's evidence that air has vented up through the paint through some very small porus holes.
Someday I may decide to address the issue, but luckily I have another pristene tank that has been Por-15'd in my closet should this tank get to the point where I can't use it.
I believe the problem began from water collecting under the cap and rusted the area. I was unaware of the problem until after the tank had been repainted, the first time it bubbled up I thought it was just a bad paint job, so it got repainted and bubbled up again. At least the visible damage is under the cap.

 

[tbrand69]

Bawhahaha! You guys are hilarious. There's a couple tanks on eBay that should work just fine, and after reading BassCliff's de-rusting guide I will definitely get ahold of some EvapoRust.

But just to clarify: will an 'E' tank fit my 'L' model? I don't see why not. Would the larger tank interfere with the 'L' seat configuration?

Tommy

 

[tbrand69]

Bump!

Anybody mount an 'E' tank to an 'L' model?

 

[Larry D]

It won't fit.
You could make it fit with a little fabrication, the mounting points are different between and "L" and "E".
It would just be best to get the proper tank.

 

[tbrand69]

It won't fit.
You could make it fit with a little fabrication, the mounting points are different between and "L" and "E".
It would just be best to get the proper tank.

Really? Damn. The mounting points look so close to each other. Which point is most different would you say?

 

[streetfighters]

"Rust never sleeps"! Neil Young.

 

[gs850cafe]

lil bit of jb weld should fix you right up

 

[Spyder]

I have an '80 1100L tank in good shape. Not sure it will fit the '79 550L...

 

[tbrand69]

I have an '80 1100L tank in good shape. Not sure it will fit the '79 550L...

You know, I'm not too sure either. The part numbers are pretty close on Bike Bandit:

1082277 for 1979 550L
1082290 for 19801100L

They both use the same mounting system, but I'm too sure if all the pieces will line up the same.

 

[Tom R]

If I ever come across an E tank for the right price at a swap meet or otherwise I'd like to have a go at the conversion on my L model - I get annoyed with 2.5 ga fill ups.
I think the critical dimension would be at the front bushings - I'm pretty sure width wise they're equal, but with a different triple tree on the L model, you may run into some tank dent if the tank sits farther forward.
When I got my bike some 10 years ago, the mounting tab at the rear was broken off and the tank would slide back at you under acceleration - so I did what any self respecting mechanic would do and wrapped the front bushings up with very special tape. You have to give it a healthy shove to push it in place, but it stays there. It has a bit of side to side movement that's unnoticed while riding. With that in mind, I don't think the rear mount is as critical as most here probably do.

 

[tbrand69]

If I ever come across an E tank for the right price at a swap meet or otherwise I'd like to have a go at the conversion on my L model - I get annoyed with 2.5 ga fill ups.
I think the critical dimension would be at the front bushings - I'm pretty sure width wise they're equal, but with a different triple tree on the L model, you may run into some tank dent if the tank sits farther forward.
When I got my bike some 10 years ago, the mounting tab at the rear was broken off and the tank would slide back at you under acceleration - so I did what any self respecting mechanic would do and wrapped the front bushings up with very special tape. You have to give it a healthy shove to push it in place, but it stays there. It has a bit of side to side movement that's unnoticed while riding. With that in mind, I don't think the rear mount is as critical as most here probably do.

You know, looking at the parts fiches the 'E' tank definitely has its forward mounting points set deeper in the tunnel. Looks like the tank is, in fact, longer in the front than the 'L' model:

http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fich...y=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1979&fveh=2110
http://www.boulevardsuzuki.com/fich...y=Motorcycles&make=SUZUKI&year=1977&fveh=2106

And according to Bike Bandit, the parts for the triple tress and what not are, indeed, different. Damn.