restoring bike - sludge and rust in tank

[Anonymous]

I just finished draining the tank on a GS that I am restoring. The gas was about 7 years old. Looking into the tank I can see quite a lot of sludge and rust on the bottom of the tank.
I am looking for direction on if I should just flush it out a couple times and run with it, or look into some type of reconditioning method?

[tfb]

Pederstone,

If I were you, I would definitely clean it out and then line the tank with a sealant (eg. 'Kreem') because it's only a matter of time until one day you'll see a blister of paint on the tank (usually the lower left hand edge), think "Gee what's that?", give it a flick with your fingernail, and then be greeted with a thin spurt of fuel piddling out of your tank. Trust me, I've been there...

Go to http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/f...k/tankrust.jpg for a nice piccy of the junk I found in my GS tank some years ago.

For some reason some tanks appear to rust more readily than others (perhaps some bikes have some slow electrolysis happening? someone on the forum may have some musings on this subject) and if it's started rusting it's only going to continue. In short, fix it!

Mike.

[first timer]

por 15 offers a tank kit as well, you may even want to call some radiator shops and see if they would clean and seal your tank for you too, you may find a cheap one.

-ryan

[tfb]

I've noticed a few references to radiator shops in the USA offering this service; sounds like a good thing. Here in Australia no one will fix a tank for you... yer on yer own. :x

Mike.

[argonsagas]

It is essential to thoroughly clean the tank, whether or not you do anything else afterwards.

Note: you need to have a good hair dryer/blower and keep it handy. You need to use it immediately after the last step is done..

Drain the tank and then fill it about half-way with hot water, slosh it around, invert the tank to drain, then do it again.

After that, remove the petcock, seal the hole with duct tape, or something similar, and add in a handful of nuts/bolts etc....

but count the total number of pieces before you do it.

Add another half-tank of water, cool or cold water is OK now, put the cap on, then shake the stuff all around for at least a full minute. Invert and drain immediately.

Count pieces.

Flush again. Twice. I suggest hot water for the final rinse, because it helps to further reduce the possibility of fuel vapours.

As soon as the water has drained from the final rinse, move everything, including yourself, to a dry area, insert nozzle of hair dryer into the tank and blow until dry. Do not use the high heat setting. Use a warm setting only.

Immediate drying reduces the incidence of flash rust, and the hair dryer timing is important because if you leave the tank for a while you may find there are still fuel vapours emanating from the metal, and there is a possibility the fumes could be sufficient to cause an explosion if you stuck an electrical device in there at a later time. The risk of this may be small, but there is no need to take it.

Moving to a dry area means not standing in any water that could ground you when you use the dryer.


The first step should remove the junk you have seen in the tank, and the second will remove the loose particles of rust that are stuck on the inside.

Once dry you can coat the tank, or just re-mount it on the bike and ride. If kept full of gasoline at all times, rust will be slow to form.



Hot water is safer to use than chemicals, and will do the job just as well.

[bradc]

i've used the Kreem system and it did a great job for me

[Anonymous]

I swear by the POR-15 method. Did the hot water/nuts& bolts thing,did the CLR thing;tried 'em all- in the end,these methods just didn't work (for me). I've heard the Kreem product can flake off (think I've read that one here at the GSR.).
Do it right,do it once-and you'll never have to worry about the state of the tank again.

Mitch

[Anonymous]

My next question is the fuel level sending unit. Should I be removing this before I clean / coat the tank?

[Anonymous]

Kreem is good.

Kreem is good if you do it right.

Dilute the acid to the recomended amount and re-position as needed till the rust is gone. Then top it off with water and let it go a few more hours for a final etching.
You don't need the whole bottle or white liner. About 3/4 of it will do fine.
I used a hair dryer with a (COLD!!!!!) air setting to vent the tank and get the Kreem to set up.
The acid is not bad for the environment. Accedic acid is just strong vinegar. Dilute it first and then dump it down the drain.
That was over a year ago, and its still holding.

[Sandy]

My tank was actually leaking from the rust when I did the POR-15 treatment last year and so far it's holding gas just fine. Yes do remove your sending unit and there is more info at this link. http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...ighlight=por15

[Anonymous]

Kreem is not that great. Take it to a radiator shop, or some place that does a complete treatment. It will cost you less in the long run and be more long lasting. Kreem is not worth the trouble. I just paid $30 to have my tank epoxy coated. That includes prep and treatment!

Much better than Kreem and cheaper.

mike

[Anonymous]

Preach!!!

[Anonymous]

kreem again

I know, I sound like a broken record!

One of the reasons for my opinion is having seen and or purchased bikes with kreem that is coming off in strips. The prep stage is important and that is the part that usually isn't done right. It takes more time than it is worth to prep a tank so that the kreem will stick. The rad shop will do it for less money and hassle. I think I'd rather spend the money on a new tank than kreem.

I have felt bad for guys that have to re-do the stuff three times and also end up stripping the paint off the tank, since that is also the usual result.

Thanks for witnessing the rant!

Mike