Leaky fuel tank

Tl; dr - What can I do to stop up the rust holes in my 750 SECA tank?

Back story - original owner crated the bike on the side stand in '82 and then died. Family opened the crate in '02 and let it sit there for another few years before sold to PO who sold to me in '07. The fuel tank had bubbles in the paint when I got it and subsequently those bubbles ruptured and got fuel all over me.

Adventure - I used some JB Weld in a pinch, then tried to use Kreem. The Kreem tank prep ate right through the rest of the rusty spots and leaked all over everything. I hoped the liner bottle would still work, and it did, but only on the bottom half. Pretty sure I screwed up somewhere.

Anyway, I had the tank repainted (the guy did a terrible job), and he sanded through my JB Weld and I'm back to square one, except I have half a tank liner, too.

 

Once a tank starts to rust and you patch it, how do you know that other places are thin? I have tried to patch a tank and not had any luck. The amount of bonding power it takes to keep JB or fiberglass on there for a long time is really questionable.

For inner rust I have had luck with this:


Here is another one for the holes, good luck.

 

Get another tank ... sounds like your tank has big issues . Tank lining will work for small pin holes , but metal is thin already , I had a KZ 550 LTD tank rust though in the left lower corner , the more I probed on it the worse it opened ...bought another tank from cycle salvage was in better condition and was like 125$ .

 

I have heard success stories from people who use Caswell's epoxy lining kit on tanks that have fairly large holes (quarter size). It's thicker and far more durable than the Kreem (crap) kit, but you will need to tape over any holes.

JB-weld is the right idea, just the wrong epoxy for the application.

 

get another tank IF you can find one AND its solid. Otherwise send to a specialist to weld it up with new bottom panels
these guys are close to me and there must be someone in US doing the same (not cheap though)..

https://mts-motorcycles.co.uk/services/fuel-tank-repairs/

 

I've looked on and off for a new tank, even after I spilled the motorcycle, I couldn't find anything in better shape, so I had this one bumped and painted. I think I'm going to patch the holes from the outside with JB Weld as a temporary fix, remove the fuel sensor and petcock, cover those holes, run a bit of MEK through it to remove the liner and a bunch of the rust, then line it with POR-15, sand off the JB Weld, and rattle can the bad spots, and save to have it painted properly.

 

Best of luck.

 

There are 3 or 4 solid looking ones on ebay right now - 2 in UK that will ship. Granted they want about 150 USD each but how bad do you need one?

J

 

1. big can of paint stripper and completely strip all the paint from the tank.
2. use a method to remove all internal rust. (i used a magnet on a bit of wire to remove the major bits and then kbr or por15 tank lining kit rust removal stage)
3. get a screwdriver and knock through all the soft areas in the rust spots.
4. mild steel weld plates or just mild steel weld the holes closed with an oxy or mig welder, if small enough.
5. use the kbr or por15 tank liner kit inside the tank to stop it from happening again.
6. give your tank a new sexy paint job.

Dead easy!

 

Caswells Epoxy Tank Sealer is by far superior to any other product of this type. I know this by way of the "school of hard knocks". I've had issues with other brands from tanks on other bikes I have worked on. The stuff doesn't deteriorate then flake off like other brands seem to after a couple of years, thus creating a host of other issues. I'm not claiming that the other brands are junk but unfortunately I wasn't involved in the prep or application of those other brands. As with any treatment or coating of this type, its all in the prep work that you invest in getting the tank ready, correct application then allowing the stuff to cure before putting it back in service. I allowed twice the recommended cure time just to be safe. It is a little more spendy than the other brands but very much worth it IMO.

 

Sand blasting seems to provide an excellent surface prep to provide the "tooth" for the sealer adhere correctly. And, yes , it is possible to blast the inside of a tank in all areas if you get creative with your blasting gun attachments. I used type K copper that bends how you want it to attached to my blasting gun. Removing the fuel gauge and taking advantage of that opening is a bonus. Inspect your prep work with a dental mirror and flush it out with acetone prior to applying, works great.....