$50 later, 550 Maxim fuel tank is lost cause

Well, I just got back from the radiator shop where I took the fuel tank from my '82 XJ550 Maxim. We knew it was a crap shoot because there were a few holes plus lots of pitting and corrosion inside, but I told them to give it a shot. The acid washing revealed more holes and the guy at the shop says it just doesn't make sense to continue.

After talking with a friend at a salvage yard, I'm very skeptical about buying any tank without being able to see it first. That limits the already few options even further.

I'm really not sure how to proceed. I'd prefer to have a stock tank on it, but maybe I need to consider other possibilities. Are there any other similar tanks that will fit it or maybe new custom tanks made for it? As always, cost will be a factor...

Any input appreciated. Thanks.

 

check the sell,swap,trade forum here, most guys wouldn't sell you a bum stear

 

I have searched that forum but don't see anything available at the moment. I will post a WTB, but thought I'd ask about other options in this thread first.

Thanks!

 

I'm sure people here can help you out. Ask Chacal, too.

 

How bad is the corrosion? Lots of small holes, or some large ones, too?

You can seal the tank with POR-15 liner... It even comes with a small fiberglass mat to patch larger holes. This stuff is almost indestructable, just takes a while to cure (4 day process alltogether).

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1982-Yam ... 45f2a04d80

Found this on Ebay.

Not sure if it is what you need or not.

 

That item had not been showing up in my searches because of the way he has the model listed - "550 XJ". Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

 

I didn't think you could use fiberglass where it will come in contact with gasoline.

I've attached a bunch of photos so you can see the carnage.

 

Judging by the pics, the tank is very salvageable if you're willing to pay the $40 for the liner kit and spend a few hours with it.

As for fiberglass and gasoline, you're probably thinking of the resin that is used with fiberglass. You don't get any of that with the POR-15 kit. You get a small piece of fiberglass cloth, which is made of.... erm... glass! Glass is impervious to gasoline, so no worries!

Here are the instructionsfor the tank repair kit, so you can get an idea on what's involved...

 

Well, it's intriguing. My basic question has to do with how this would be superior to what the guy at the radiator shop was doing. They were in the process of acid washing the tank which revealed more holes and weak metal than we thought were there. Then they were repairing holes with a process (soldering) that would seem superior to a coating product like this. THEN, they were going to coat the inside of the tank with something similar to this POR-15 sealer.

These guys do a lot of cycle tanks and are very highly regarded around here. Plus, I was paying them, but they still didn't want to continue. I don't mean any disrespect and I genuinely appreciate your input. But I can't help but feel a little skeptical given the analysis of the owner of the radiator shop.

 

The POR-15 liner kit will deposit a coating on the inside of the tank that is extremely chemical-resistant and permanently flexible. It also has a tendency to bind to rust better than a smooth metal surface, since there are more burrs to grab on to. If you apply it correctly, it will be akin to putting a new gas tank INSIDE your gas tank.

There are a couple of other good coating products, like Redkote, and Caswell's epoxy liner. There's also one called Kreem, but, IMHO, it's total junk, and has a tencency to harden up and flake off in large chunks.

Of course, it's much easier just to get a better tank... But lining is always an option when you can't find (or afford) a good replacement.

BTW, a Yamaha Radian tank will fit the XJ550 mounts perfectly, so there's another option for you...

 

OK, that's interesting. I've heard of Kreem. Thanks for the warning about that.

As for the application of the POR-15 product, how can you be certain that you've completely coated the inside of the tank? Is it fairly thin going in so that it really flows, or is it more syrupy?

Also, I'm trying to imagine how one would deal with getting the tank painted after it had been treated. In my case, the metal is thin in places and the sealer would have conceivably leaked out through multiple small holes before hardening. I'd be afraid of knocking those tiny "plugs" loose while sanding.

 

The sealer starts off pretty thin, about like 80-weight motor oil, and thickens as you turn the tank over and over for a few hours, letting it coat every square inch of the inside surface. Once it starts to get thick, you drain the excess. It's very important to get that excess sealer out, otherwise it will pool and take a very long time to cure.

It helps to have some "sacrifice" screws filling all the threaded holes while you're lining the tank... Otherwise, you may have to chase the threads once the liner is cured. All the major openings can be sealed off with duct tape for the duration of the process.

If you don't patch the bigger holes from the outside (with the glass cloth), some of the sealer will leak out through them, but once it cures, you just sand it down flat and paint right over it. Trust me, you will not damage the liner by any normal means once it's fully cured. It would take a grinder or some heavy sand paper to remove it... This stuff is TOUGH. If you get any of it on your hands, and don't wash it off with paint thinner right away, you'll get to wear it for a few days. DAMHIKT.

The most important part of doing the liner is prep work. If the inside of the tank is not completely free of oils and varnish, or is not bone-dry, the sealer will not bind properly.

 

Here's the LINK to one of the Nations largest Cycle Salvage operations in the East.

They don't sell anything that they don't stand by.

http://www.drumhillcycle.com/