Fuel tank lining for damaged tanks

[Guest]

I am wondering just how rough a tank can be before you chuck it out.
Do tank liners fix pinholes for example.

There is a radiator shop near by that cleans and relines tanks for 125 dollars which sounds like a good deal

[rustybronco]

I have a fuel tank that I shook around two pounds of rust and a crud out of which I am considering derusting, welding and refining.

[Octain]

125 bux.. I'd do it!

[JEEPRUSTY]

Oh to know how to weld.

[rustybronco]

What model tank are you thinking about having refined? Some model tanks can be found in good shape for less than what it costs to reline one.


Brazing doesn't require much skill.

[BigD_83]

$125 is a bargain if you consider how much time and effort goes into the job. The Caswell kit will set you back close to $80 here, north of the 49th, unless you are lucky to have a local supplier. Por-15, etc, can be found for a lot cheaper.

I do wonder about the wisdom of getting a radiator shop to do the work though.

Is this for the 550?

[JEEPRUSTY]

no for the GS 1000s I was pining over. Looks like my buddy has bought them.

[jeff.saunders]

10 years ago I bought KZ900 that had been sitting for years. The paint looked good, the inside of the tank was rough. Heavy rust. I cleaned it out, coated the inside with epoxy resin.

BUT...
When I fitted the tank, I used new front mount dampers - very snug, so I pushed on the tank from the rear and the top of the tank buckled... scary.

The worst rust was on the underside of the tank top - I guess the condensation in that area was worst.

[spyug]

Good tank liners will definitely block pinholes. I have used most of the named brands and I find the Caswell 2 part epoxy to be the best. It requires less pre treatment to the tank. Just knock off the worst of the rust then pour it in. It is designed to encapsulate the remaining rust and in my mind it works flawlessly. It is pricey but the standard kit will do two tanks.

If your holes are bigger than pinholes and you can't get someone to weld them than you can patch with "plumber's epoxy putty" from the likes of Home Depot or Lowes. Another two part epoxy product that dries rock hard in minutes and is workable like Bondo filler ( File it, sand it, paint it). It is impervious to gas. I tested it myself by immersing a "pebble" of it in gas for 6 months with no deterioration of changes.

I have fixed a couple of tanks by plugging the holes with the putty then lining the tanks with Caswell. Worked fine and both are now getting on for 7 years or so.

[Nessism]

I don't care what Caswell's says, no way I'm lining a rusty tank. A few hours with the phosphate solution will eat the rust. I can't imagine any advantages to trying to encapsulate the cancer when you can eliminate most of it fairly easily.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Good tank liners will definitely block pinholes. I have used most of the named brands and I find the Caswell 2 part epoxy to be the best. It requires less pre treatment to the tank. Just knock off the worst of the rust then pour it in. It is designed to encapsulate the remaining rust and in my mind it works flawlessly. It is pricey but the standard kit will do two tanks.

If your holes are bigger than pinholes and you can't get someone to weld them than you can patch with "plumber's epoxy putty" from the likes of Home Depot or Lowes. Another two part epoxy product that dries rock hard in minutes and is workable like Bondo filler ( File it, sand it, paint it). It is impervious to gas. I tested it myself by immersing a "pebble" of it in gas for 6 months with no deterioration of changes.

I have fixed a couple of tanks by plugging the holes with the putty then lining the tanks with Caswell. Worked fine and both are now getting on for 7 years or so.

I used epoxy hole filler in both gas tank and oil pan on one of my old cars. It worked perfectly although looks were not really an issue.

Structural integrity is nore what I am thinking of but its a moot point now alas!