Caswell to the rescue.

[Guest]

So last week the 550 started running like crap and I suspected junk in the gas. As I had noticed some surface rust in the tank when getting it ready for the road, I had installed an inline filter thinking that I'd try and tough out the season and clean and seal the tank over the winter. Common sense and fear of being stranded prevailed and I decided to tackle it.

I had very good luck with Caswell Plating's tank sealer so I thought I'd go that way again. The Canadian distributor is 2 hours away from me but as I couldn't wait for shipping i opted to make a road trip Friday and my buddy and I made an outing of it, picked up the product and had an excellent lunch overlooking the lake Scugog at Port Perry.

Thursday night I had prepped the tank by removing the sender unit and petcock and scouring the inside with screws and acetone as Caswell recommends. This is what I got out:



The thing I like about the Caswell kit is that its easy to use and a thorough cleaning of the tank is not necessary as the two part epoxy will bind to it and encapsulate it. It really speeds up the process and its easy to use.

The kit comes in two cans, a 16 oz of resin and an 8 oz. of hardner. enough for two tanks or two thick coats.


The only caveat for good results is to thoroughly mix the two for at least 2 minutes before applying. I took half and mixed up a batch and applied it Friday evening. Pour it in and rotate the tank to cover all surfaces. Being an epoxy, it will cure in its own time depending on heat and humidity. For me, it firmed up in about 3 hours last night.

I was only going to go with one coat but I noticed a missing patch by the sender unit hole so I mixed up and applied the remainder. Today it seemed to harden faster and I let it sit in the sun all day to fully cure. The instructions call for a 24 hour period before filling with gas so I'll leave it sit now until tomorrow morning.

I will ,of, course, have to road test tomorrow after cleaning, rebuilding and installing the carbs today

Its been a good couple of days but i'm hoping my wrenching is over for the rest of this season as I really only want to ride.

I do recommend the Caswell kit if you want a less fiddly prep and an easy to use ( almost foolproof) solution. For more detail www.caswellplating.com

Cheers all,
Spyug

[OldVet66]

Good to hear the repair went well. What you got out of the tank was a never ending problem. I will certainly look into that sealer when I get the time to clean, patch and seal my '78 skunk and '79 tank.

[Nessism]

I've used Caswell's epoxy before with fine results but dang, it's thick and don't flow well. I disagree with their assertion that you don't need to derust the tank; rust is like cancer and should be removed (as much as possible anyway). Hope I'm wrong for your sake spyg.

[Billy Ricks]

I've used Caswell's epoxy before with fine results but dang, it's thick and don't flow well. I disagree with their assertion that you don't need to derust the tank; rust is like cancer and should be removed (as much as possible anyway). Hope I'm wrong for your sake spyg.

People seem to get good results with the Caswell product. I used Por-15 years ago and it has held up great. I had to take my carbs apart a few days ago to replace some lines and o-rings and didn't find a speck of rust in the bowls.

[jwhelan65]

I have had great luck with POR-15 tank kits on two different bikes. Stuff works great.

[GateKeeper]

That is a lot of crap that came out.......WoW......

Hopefully now you have the rest of the season of just riding.....I will catch up to you in a week.....

[chuck hahn]

ED...I fully agree on the thickness issue. The instructions say you can thin it with up to an ounce ( basically a shot glass ) full of thinner. It will thin it out very well so it flows much better. I also agree on the rust..get as much as you can out. If the paint isnt an issue then I suggest not only the acetone and screws..but i would add a good overnight soaking in some PREP AND ETCH solution of about 2 quarts to a full tank of water. The rinse the living hell out of it again with the laquer thinner to remove the acidic residue. The better its cleaned out, the better the repair is my motto.

[chuck hahn]

Absolute MINIMUM of 24 HRS before you even think of putting gas in it..If you do it the day before reported comming rain then it isnt an issue of down time...its raining anyway so that gives it yet another 24 extra hours to cure.

[BigD_83]

I was just re-reading the directions from Caswell and the last sentence of the last paragraph really stood out:

"Scrape off any excess with a sharp knife at this point (usually about 40-60 Min after mixing) Place the tank in a warm 70-90F place and allow to cure overnight. In the case of alcohol fuels, allow 3-5 days at room temperature, or 24 hours at 120 deg F."

[Steve]

I wonder if they are referring to the almost-pure alcohol found in racers or the 10% blend that we have at the pumps?

Regardless, a couple extra days of waiting will let you finish up some of those other pesky details you have been putting off.

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