Gas tank cleaning/sealing

Hey Ya'll,

Started cleaning my gas tank today and ran into some trouble. I can't keep that tank closed while running cleaning materials through it!

So I stripped the tank on my 83 seca 750, so took gas level gauge, petcock, and cap off of it then sealed the holes with duct tape as per my repair kits instructions, this was after I washed the tank thoroughly of course. I then proceeded to dump water in to make sure the duct tape would hold before I used my chemicals and it burst almost instantly. I tried a few things but couldn't get it to stay sealed. Anyone have any advice? I think I am going to grab some thin plywood and some gasket paper and make small cover plates for the gas gauge and petcock, but not sure what to do aboutt he whole for the gas cap? Any and all advice would be appreciated!

Thanks,
Mike

 

Are you going to paint the tank ? if you are, strip the tank with aircraft stripper, then take your gas tank to a reputable radiator shop & have it dipped there.......& have them coat it with Johnson gas tank sealer....POR, KREEM....are junk products.......

Total cost of dipping my tank & lining - $95
Professional paint job - $250 from a reputable collison repair center........

Well worth it - I did not have to do it except strip the tank......paint & all guts....

http://www.johnsonmfg.com/temp/PAINT.HTM

 

is there a reason you want to seal the tank? if your sealer starts to peal off it's a real nightmare. if you ever sell the bike someone's going to want to know why the tank is sealed....
just put some nut and bolts in it shake it up good, get out all the loose stuff, rinse it out and call it a day

 

You indicate "if" it peels off....what "if" it never does ??

There are pro's & con's to lining a tank......

 

if it never does, that's great but you still have to explain why you went through the trouble to do it. if you say to a buyer "it had a little rust in it"
he pictures giant flakes of gritty rust falling out and a leaky tank with pin holes.

 

Well, I have had my bike for +32 years, I don't think I am selling it anytime soon.....I know what shape my tank was in ( wasn't bad but had some rust in it thru-out the tank ( sat empty for years and years ).....I just made the decision to line it.......personal choice.....kind of like why to people bob these bikes.....I never understand that......but personal preference......

 

The reason I am wanting to is because yes there was rust, I figured coating it would protect it in the future but I see your point. I just don't like the idea of rust starting in there. I will say that it is a day and night difference after cleaning it. I guess I could throw a filter new filter on it and call it good.

 

I've heard lots of negative feedbacks about Kreem but this is the first time someone complains about the POR-15.

 

If it cleaned up nice there's no need to line it.

I've done three lightly-rusted tanks now with a phosphoric acid flush and once cleaned up I've seen no signs of rust re-appearing.

 

After looking at it now that the tanks been sitting for awhile, I guess I'll be good fine. Worse case scenario I strip the tank down and clean it again in the future. I'll also have a filter shortly that isn't a piece of junk ha ha

 

I've always done the electrolosis trick. Fill tank with the solution of washing soda and water the place a some rebar in it and connect the battery charger. Let it sit for a day.

 

Where I was getting stuck Fongdingo is how do you seal the holes in the bottom of the tank for the petcock, gas level meter, etc.

 

Cork from a wine bottle. Stopper from Lowes that's in the hardware dept. There black and come in different sizes.

 

I have a set of metal plates with a rubber surface that bolt right where the petcock goes. Seals it right up.

 

I didn't read all posts but I went to the local hardware store got myself a rubber plug and made a metal plate to cover the petcock hole