GS700ES Por15 Tank Repair Project

[Rkt-Rch]

Ok fellow GS'ers here I go !!! It arrived (Por15 Kit) and i'm preparing to attempt and repair my fuel tank... The tank itself is in pretty decent shape on the outside (Paint,No dents((real small one)). Iv'e started to prep the metal and holes and surrounding area(s), there is various hole present as you can see.
I will send more pictures throughout the project!!
I'm getting ready to use the marine prep, but was wondering should I try to seal up the small holes that are going to leak everywhere.
According to the directions it says to use the marine cleaner first , then use the etching agent, Then I you have any holes Then patch them ??
Iv'e already semi cleaned the the rust out of the inside with some bolts/nuts to break away some of the loose rust and will do it again when I use the marine cleaner. I have already made plates for the fuel sending unit and the petcock as you can see by the pictures!!

Woops gotta go.. Late for work.

[Rkt-Rch]

Some more pictures

[Rkt-Rch]

another one of the tank

[Rkt-Rch]

again another one

[Nessism]

Those holes look too large for Por-15 to seal. I'd either patch them from the outside with slow dry epoxy and/or get some Caswell Plating gas tank sealing epoxy since its much thicker. The Caswell's stuff will help reinforce the tank as well since there are sure to be other areas that are thin but haven't broken through yet.

[spyug]

Two part plumbers epoxy putty from the hardware store.

My tank was the same way. Filled the holes with te putty and lined the tank. Good now for 3 seasons.

Now I wanted to mention that the POR kits and the Kreeme kits are ok but require more and exacting prep than some others. With these kits the surface has to be very clean and the etching has to be done thoroughly or the skin will come lose later.

A much better product IMHO is the tank sealer kit from Caswell Plating. It is a 2 part epoxy and it is designed to grab on to any rusty or scaly surfaces and encapsulate it. Essentially knock of the bigger chunks of rust , pour it in, swish it about and done.

I look forward to hearing how it turns out for you.

Cheers,
Spyug

[Nessism]

POR-15 claims the paint adheres to rust and encapuslates it - there is no need to remove all the rust according to them. Caswell claims the same but frankly I'm NOT comfortable doing this regardless of what these companies claim. I recommend using phosphoric acid or Evapo Rust inside the tank along with aquarium rocks to scrub the metals surface. I've done several tanks so far and this is the best method in my experience. Sealing over rust is just a bad idea considering the rust can be about 90+% removed using either phosphoric acid or Evapo Rust. Seal the metal surface after treatment to effect the best possible outcome over the long haul.

[reddirtrider]

Yea, I'd try to remove as much rust as possible before using any sealant. I also agree that you need to fix those holes before you go any further. There are plenty of methods to do that, some already mentioned were epoxies. You could also weld or braze a metal over the holes, but it's tricky doing that with thin sheet. Epoxy would probalby be your best bet for success.

[spyug]

I do agree that it is best to get out as much rust as possible but in the case of the Caswell product especially I don't think its crucial.

Both the Kreeme and POR kits produce a skin that is somewhat rubbery and is fairly flexible. The Phenol novalac Caswell product produces a hard shell almost like fiberglass. If laid in correctly it makes for a hard tank inside a tank, much like an old vacuum flask. I'm pretty certain a chunk of the tankmetal could fall off and the tank would still be liquid tight.

With the other kits I could push the material with a finger nail. In the case of the Caswell kit, I couldn't touch it with a chisel. I actually tried as, in error, I didn't pour of the excess and it formed a big lump by my sender unit hole. Much tougher stuff I think.

Definitely with the POR I'd be prepping the tank as thoroughly as possible and following the instructuions to the letter.

Let us know how it turns out.

Cheers,
Spyug

[mike_of_bbg]

+1 Caswell epoxy is thick, and forms a nice shell. You could just tape over those holes and the epoxy will bridge them. You don't have to etch, just clean (with acetone), rinse and dry until it's BONE DRY. If you're already seeing holes like that I'd be a bit leery of using anything that might remove more metal.

The other edge of the sword with Caswell is that it's really thick, like honey. It doesn't really "slosh" around the tank, so it can be difficult to feel confident that you have good coverage in the 90% of the tank that you can't see. You'll likely end up concentrating on your problem areas to be sure they're sealed - perhaps at the expense of other areas. There are 2 applications worth in one order, though, for a second pass later.

[spyug]

Thanks for mentioning that Mike. I had forgotten to say that the Caswell kit is good for 2 x 5 gallon tanks so mix half at a time. Do one coat then if you like do a second. Foolish me, I did the whole kit at once and ended up with the aforementioned big lump by the sender hole.

As he said it is a little harder to work with as its honey like and pours slowly. You do need to keep moving the tank around to get good coverage. You also need to work fairly quickly and especially if it is hot when you're doing it as it sets up in short order (it is an epoxy i.e. resin and hardner).

I'm sure it would cover those pin holes as well but since you're doing the POR I would definitely plug them. Brazing would be my first choice but flame and gas fumes.......bad combination The plumbers putty is best and safest

In some communities, there are companies that repair and line auto gas tanks and will do the same for bike tanks. They might be able to weld it for you.

Anyway, whatever you do I'm sure it will come out fine.

Cheers,
Spyug

[Rkt-Rch]

Ok I did buy the POR 15 not the caswell so I will have to take my chances... I just got done taking all the J.B.Weld off all the holes I think it's comparible to the plumers putty. It lasted for awhile but then (leaks)..
I think a combination of maybe the two, first J.B.Weld or Iv'e seen some Gas tank repair putty also (two part stuff) NOT the billy mayes stuff. and then useing the POR15 as the tank liner.

As with painting a car/truck/etc.. Prep work is the most important before any Paint/sealer will stick and stay stuck if you know what I mean.

Thanks for all the good insight.