Tank Help

[Fluffy110]

I found yet another issue caused by the moron whom I got the bike from. It seems that the guy could not figure out how to travel to the local hardware store and get properly fitting bolts. Instead, he completely bored out and stripped the thread holes for the fuel petcock on the tank.

What is my best option here???

Do I scrap it and buy another tank? Or do I attempt to fix this somehow?

[Crankthat]

Re tap size up?

Also remember a thread where member had attached a home made plate to change his petcock.

Aftermarket petcock didn't fit tank holes so he found a piece of metal deep enough to drill and tap and shaped peice to dimensions of petcock.

Not sure what he used to attach piece of metal to tank, but if I remember right he used a gas resistant epoxy and not other bolts.

Good to note that gas resistant is probably like water resistant, Not water proof!

It is in a petcock thread somewhere.

Do not attach petcock directly to tank that way though as you may need to rebuild someday!

Would imagine the reserve no longer worked.

Hope this helps.

[MisterCinders]

I found yet another issue caused by the moron whom I got the bike from. It seems that the guy could not figure out how to travel to the local hardware store and get properly fitting bolts. Instead, he completely bored out and stripped the thread holes for the fuel petcock on the tank.

What is my best option here???

Do I scrap it and buy another tank? Or do I attempt to fix this somehow?

What kind of bike? Some tanks are easier to come by than others.


Put your bike in your sig.

[john82q]

Just an idea,

if the botom of the tank is in good condition and the only problem is the stripped holes. Make up a plate with thearded holes, put the plate inside the tank.

Gunna be real tricky to positon the plate and get the threads started.
maybe position it and glue it first, wont matter if the glues gives up once the bolts are in..

[Nessism]

I'd either retap the weld-nuts oversize, or install an insert of some sort into the weld-nuts to bring the threads back to the stock size. Another option is to flow some brass (braze) into the weld-nut holes and then retap back to the stock size.

[BentRod]

almost all the solutions here call for you to have drills and taps, and they are all good methods. Even being quick and dirty, filling the old threads in with JB weld or similar and then retapping, again, requires the right tools.

If by chance you do not have said tools, or anyone else who is restoring on a budget, you can substitute some JB weld epoxy (10$ or so) and two correctly sized plastic bolts. the method is simple, mix up a glob or two of the epoxy, and coat the inside of the stripped threads in the tank, and the outside thread of the plastic bolts. Insert said coated bolts into the stripped threads of the tank. If the damage to the tank is bad enough, you may have to make a little jig or face plate from soft wood, mdf or even foam board to hold the bolts in the correct location and direction. or position them carefully and use duck tape to hold them in place. Wait a day until everything is nice and hard. you may notice you cannot get the bolts out.

I should say at this point, there should be NO GAS IN THE TANK AT ALL. no vapors, no residue! because the next step is.

light your blow torch, or candles if that is all you have, and burn out the plastic bolts. do not use a lighter for this, keep your hands clear!

there ya go. 12$ job, a little difficult to pull off, and really not the right way, but it works ok.