PROJECT 900

Thanks for the info and pictures.
Looks good and it looks loud.
I’ve used “S/S pot scourers” we call it steel wool up here.

ab

 

Bad day at black rock.
The fuel tank was sealed with the KBS product, but now blisters have appeared in the paint & gas is leaching out :cry:
I will have to strip the paint, re-seal the tank ( I think I will go with the POR15) & repaint when I am sure it is sealed properly.
Sick as a pig.

 

These XJ 900 tanks are a bitch, the XJ750E-II has the same tank and mine was rotted out along the seam on both sides lower rear section. Fortunately I had a friend who was prepared to spend some time welding it up but it was a slow and painful repair. Brazing or lead may be a better method.

I then tumbled the tank with kerosene and sharp stones to knock off all the surface rust inside and then used POR-15. I've found it the best product by far.

Their instructions indicate that after draining the POR to turn the tank upside down and let the remaining POR settle on the top surface, I didn't and let it settle in the lower rear sections and this gave the leaking area extra protection.

After cleaning an the acid etch portion of the process you need to get it really dry so I used a vacuum cleaner outlet to blow dry air thru the tank.

 

Well, that sucks !! Don't you think you can sweat some solder over the holes, or shore things up with some epoxy?
How are you going to remove the other tank liner ??

 

Have to use the KBS strip to remove the sealer, then not sure if I will use KBS again or go with the POR15 :?

 

i have an XJ900 waiting for restoration. It has a very nice rust free original tank already. I have noticed how much lower the tank is in the rear than the petcock. Should I POR15 this tank to avoid future problems or will regular riding be enough to prevent rust at the low point?

 

Problem is, water is heavier than gas, so an moisture ends up in the low rear part of the tank, if you want peace of mind seal it with POR15, take your time & follow the instructions, it must be totally dry inside the tank before you pour in the sealer & it is difficult to be sure of those low rear areas, I know I thought I had nailed it.

 

Right you are Wizard.

I have used the stuff many times. I use a hairdryer and, when recommending the stuff, tell people that drying the tank takes longer than the rest of the procedure combined. You can't be too dry!!

 

Has anyone used RED-KOTE for sealing the tank?

 

damn beautiful bike wizard. Wish i had the time and money to do the refurbishing and all that. Or atleast touch up the paint on mine.

 

Looking at Red-Kote myself, Wiz be interesting to see how you go with it.

 

Wizard

I’m really amazed at how fast and the quality of your work!
Are you retired?

This 750 is my 1st motorcycle project since I retired AND it still took me 2 days to rebuild the carburetors, although I do spend 2 hours every morning drinking coffee with a bunch of other “old guys.”

Then there’s our 5th wheel, took me 2 days to upgrade the TV’s to flat screens, etc,ETC!

ab

 

Yeh, when you are retired you wonder how you found time to go to work

 

I've used the POR on two tanks now and rate it highly, on the 750 tank I found that sealer worked it's way right through and there was even evidence of it along the seam edge. The first tank I did had Kreem sealer flaking off, what a mess.

Remember only blow air thru the tank, no suck as any fumes will likely go thru the motor and result in an explosion.

 

how's he get done so quick ?

 

You gotta love that, Polock, I hope it didn't take you all wekend. :lol:

 

Kiwi, what did you use to shift the existing sealer?

 

I suggest from bad experiences with those sealers take it to a RADIATOR shop cost me 85$ to get it done and they seal it and spot weld if needed to be. Costed me 45$ for the por or kreem and another 50$ of muriatic acid to get rid of it so there you go. So I suggest just take it to the shop and you know it will be done properly.

 

I was very lucky, the Kreem had adhered so poorly that after I'd plucked out the large bits I was able to use MEK to get most of the rest out. I've been told that acetone will also work. After the MEK I tumbled the tank with a handful of nuts and bolts and flushed with kero.

POR also sell a product that they say will strip old tank linning products POR-Strip. I've not used it but it may be worth a try.

There standard tank kit comes with 3 products, Marine Clean to clean out any petroleum products, Metal Ready an acid product to prep the tank and the Tank Sealer. I believe that in the USA there is a heavy duty kit with the POR-Strip as well. It may be available in Aus?

 

Here's where we are, I phoned the KBS company & they are sending me another kit free, they told me to strip the sealer out with auto paint stripper, so I bought 1 ltr & found it very viscus, so I phoned that company & they said I could thin it with clear coat thinners (& siad it wont't mix well, don't use too much), I have done that & it shifted the old stuff ok.
KBS said to clean back to bare metal the areas outside the tank where the pin hole appeared & use the same process on the outside as the inside, you can paint over it ok. Can't fault KBS, so best give them another go.

 

Sounds like KBS takes customer service seriously, nice to hear nowadays.

 

I finally lost the plot with this tank, was getting nowhere with clearing the old sealer, so I got mad & cut the top off the tank (worry about putting it back later) now at least I can see what I'm doing & I would never have got this out, some PO had poured what looks like epoxy cement & filled the deep wells at the rear of the tank, solid.

 

looks like some kind of toxic waste
let's see the whole tank with the cutout

 

A painful but wise decision there Wiz. I doubt you would have gotten it where it needs to be without opening it up

 

Did you not think of cutting it on the seam, then brazing it back together??

But I'm sure you have a plan. . . ( Plan- - there aint no plan !!)

 

Here ya go Mr P.

 

i'd bite the bullet and get a new tank

 

I'm sure you would, Schoot', I've been watching the wheat futures. 8O

 

lol wat?

we havent harvested a wheat crop in two years, we get rain when its ready and its sprouts...

sugar beets are where its at, 1200 smacks an acre AVERAGE this year, we have fields that got 1600 an acre, with about 4-600 tops input

 

I have seen many bad tanks over the years, but...........................WOW!

 

if you put Lexan in there you'd always know how much gas you had
a sand blaster with glass beads might make short work of it, don't know if it would reach the corners though
hay, the bigger the challenge the sweeter the rewards

 

lol, I've put a few more holes in it getting that crap out, it's got more holes than a piccolo :cry:

 

You COULD take the opportunity to recess a handy package cubby into the top... like the Ariel Arrow...

It looks like you're patching patches, there may not be much "original" anything left there.

At this point I'd be on eBay looking for a tank. You could probably find some helpful XJ-er to ship it to if the seller balks at Int'l shipping...

 

At this stage I know exactly what I have got, a could buy a nice looking tank off the bay & still have more surprises than Tiger's missis. 8O

 

Probably too expensive, especially with the shipping, but maybe there's somebody down your side of the world that does this kind of work?

http://www.gas-tank.com/bike.htm

 

There is a mob in Brisbane http://www.ftrs.com.au/fueltanks/fueltanks.php havent used them myself yet but it looks like it is on the cards.
Too far from you Wiz I assume, but they may know of somebody down your way.

 

Tank is now ready to start the sealing process, all the holes have been soldered & the thin areas dented in slightly & reinforced with lead, I have tested the tank with gas & there are no leaks which is a good starting point.
Note a rebate has been formed to the cut out & the top of the tank will be soldered in place after the sealear has cured, this will have to be done with the old type soldering iron, daren't put a torch on it as the whole lot might drop into the tank.
Cleaning & sealing a tank through the gas filler can at best be hit & miss.

 

? will the sealer stand the heat of soldering, best try a test piece first
the sealer can't be where the solder goes, obviously, so inside the tank will be a gap with no sealer
but the gap will likely have solder flux around it that sealer can't stick to
gunsmiths use a heatsink putty to keep heat from traveling to unwanted places, a wet rag is the next best thing
remember it might try to warp, i doubt it, but tack it a few places then fill it in
why am i writing this, your probably painting it already

 

All good advice,'P' & I'm a long way off painting.
The top part of the tank is not going to get sealed, there is always a compromise, but then I have never had a tank leak out the top.
Using the old type solering iron, the heat will be very localised, but as you say tack it first, I figure to work with a wieght on the top panel, (might help)

 

Tank sealed, I had to coax the sealer with a paintbrush to get it to cover all the surface area, I don't see how a thorough job can be obtained through the filler. :?

 

I cant wait to see how you're going to throw that top back on, weld and grind flat?

 

Exciting isn't it Schoot', solder is the way to go, weld will distort.

 

ya thats what i was thinking... but i didnt think solder would hold up the greatest.... and i can only imagine how difficult it is going to be to hold it perfectly level... it frustrates me just thinking of it

 

Pic 1 top of the tank stiched back in.
Pic 2 after first sanding.

 

Pardon my late input, I just joined the forum and noticed this post.

I've had great luck with a product from a company called Caswell Plate Company. Used it before and it works very well. It's what I plan on using on this XJ900 project bike I just picked up. Dunno if the tank has any leaks actually, the bike is still on the back of my truck! As I get into it, I'll figure out the deal. But again, this product has served me well in the past and is reasonably priced.

http://www.caswellplating.com/aids/epoxygas.htm

 

Thanks, Breaker, but KBS sent me another kit for free, so maybe next time, I'll see if we can get your stuff this side of the Indian Ocean.

 

First primer on the tank, still a ways to go yet.

 

Oh, my bad. I didn't realize you are down under. Nice job on the tank! I just shot some ospho type material in and am letting it dry. Then I'm gonna make a tool out of a coathanger and a balled up abrasive pad to scrub out the tank. I'll then reapply more ospho until the rust is taken care of.

As far as the tank coating goes, the advantage I see on the XJ900 tank when compared to others is the float level opening on the bottom. That gives a clear view of the inner top of the tank which you normally don't get! I am confident I can get good coverage using the Caswell product as It's worked for me in the past. I'll update ya when I get to that point. I just started tearing the bike down.

 

Hey, assuming you're going with original color and graphics, and if so, where are ya gonna get the graphics from?

 

No, I did my own thing.