[ol55]

While I'm redoing the carbs (see prior post) I'm not sure if I should coat the inside of the tank. The tank had been cleaned out before I bought it, probably using the gravel method. I changed the gas when I bought it and the gas in the float bowl looked ok but there was a small amount of residue inside the bowl. Should I avoid coating the tank unless it's necessary or should I do it now before I have a problem and while the bike is apart? If so, What product is best?

Larry

 

[NE350]

Larry, Here are a few things to consider.

- Is the filter on the petcock in good shape, if not replace.
- Do you have a fuel filter in the gas line, if not you may want to consider adding one?
- I have used KREEM to coat the tank, it's a three step process that worked good for me and has held up very well. It's messy and you don't want it any where other than inside the tank for it is impossible to remove unless you sand it off. If you use it just be careful and it should come out fine.

Hope this helps,

Matt

 

[ol55]

Thanks Matt,
-I have cleaned out the petcock - not much junk there but it was probably cleaned out a few miles before I bought it.
-I do not have a fuel filter- Is there a specific type of fuel filter that works best? best location for the filter?
Thanks for the KREEM recommendation. Somewhere I saw where someone was using a POR-15 product and I would like to know about that also. I used a product by HIRSH (?) in a car and it worked also.

Larry

 

[Bird76Mojo]

If the tank is'nt overly rusted, then you could try the Milkstone remover method. There are other ways, but I've NEVER sealed a tank in my life. Just kept em completely full of fuel if they were gonna sit a while, after removing the rust of course. I've always shook the tank with lots of spare nuts, bolts, screws, washed gravel, etc, using non flammable parts
cleaner solution. Run a fual filter if it's very bad.

Any inline fuel filter will work as long as it fits your rubber fuel lines. Between the carbs and petcock will be fine. Commonly available at your local motorcycle dealer, small engine business, automotive parts stores.


Here's some very interesting reading, and a method of rust removal I've never heard of: http://stovebolt.com/techtips/rust/rust_molasses.htm
Any opinions on this one guys??


GB :mrgreen:

 

[NE350]

Larry,

GM's post is accurate. Fuel filter just plugs into the fuel line between the petcock and carb which you can buy anywhere. As for keeping the tank full when storing is right on as well.

Good luck,

Matt

 

[tbpmusic]

Here's some very interesting reading, and a method of rust removal I've never heard of: http://stovebolt.com/techtips/rust/rust_molasses.htm
Any opinions on this one guys??
GB :mrgreen:

GB -

Molasses, huh??
That's a new one on me, never heard of it. I think lye is used in the sugar-making process, which molasses is a by-product of. Maybe that has something to do with it?? I know an industrial-type dipper/cleaner process is basically a strong caustic bath.
$400 to fill up the guy's tank with molasses is a bit salty for my purposes, considering MSR is only $11 per gallon, and lasts a really long time.

Coca-Cola I can understand, as it contains phosphoric acid, which is what Milk Stone Remover is.
CLR and Muriatic acid are used by some folks, but that's hydrochloric acid, and that stuff scares me - I have a hard earned fear of it.

Everyone has their own favorite tank coating - mine is Red-Kote, which is sort of old school, but I like it. Real simple one-step process.
If I go to all the trouble of de-funkifying and treating a tank, I just go ahead and coat it as SOP. I hate rust, and once I get rid of it, I never want to see it again.
So I'd probably coat it, no matter what particular brand I favored.

 

[ol55]

The tank does not look like new but does have lots of rust spots/dots but no loose rust. I'll try a small clear filter, fill the tank and cross my fingers.


Thanks for the stovebolt link. I have an extra tank for my 100. So maybe try molassas on it.

Thanks,
Larry

 

[Bird76Mojo]

I think you'd probably do better with the MSR if you are careful. Rather than the molasses. It'd take quite a while (weeks?) to get real results with molasses. The MSR would be far quicker. I've got years of service, outlasting the bikes, out of tanks that I just shook around with a few bolts, etc, and some good old fashioned parts cleaner solution. LABELED NON-FLAMMABLE :shock: :shock:

My two cents..

Funny thing though, I thought about that molasses method almost all day. I'm gonna have to try that one of these days. You can dispose of it in the field. Not too shabby. Does'nt get much more "green" than that..

GB :mrgreen:

 

[Prairie]

The easy thing is to get a bunch of BB's or a handful of nuts. Put them in. Go to your dryer. Put the tank in, stuff blankets and such around it so it can't move. Turn to "air dry" and leave for an hour. Remove all the stuff. If you use water to wash out the tank, you have to dry the tank to bone dry or you will just be making more rust. Fill with gas and keep full.

Kreme has a bad rep in some areas. Por-15 has a better rep. But either way, you are left with toxic stuff. Also, if you have a paint job you want to preserve, you can just take to to your closest Tank-Re-Nu dealer. That's what I did.

http://www.gastankrenu.com/

 

[tbpmusic]

Funny thing though, I thought about that molasses method almost all day. I'm gonna have to try that one of these days. You can dispose of it in the field. Not too shabby. Does'nt get much more "green" than that..

GB :mrgreen:

MSR isn't too hard to get rid of.
Once it gets depleted and doesn't do much any more, I just add some baking soda till it stops reacting, then it's perfectly safe to dump down the drain, even in city sewers and septic systems.
It's just a pH thing once it's depleted, with some dissolved iron. Nothing really toxic about that, the baking soda takes care of the pH.
Since it doesn't affect chrome, there's no dissolved chrome or other heavy metals in it.

Stuff like CLR or Muriatic (hydrochloric acid) is definitely strong enough to attack chrome/nickel/whatever it meets and greets. So you can end up with a pretty toxic solution even after the pH has been neutralized. Then you'd have to take the pH all the way in the other direction to precipitate out the heavy metals, remove the toxic sludge (its own disposal problem), and re-neutralize the pH.
A big pain in the butt - part of the reason plating is so expensive these days.
They used to just dump all that crap down the drain, and they're not allowed to do that anymore.

 

[Cap'n'Connell]

Just picked up a CL350 in a CB frame and need a tank. Where's a good place to get one and what condition should I be looking for? Have seen tons on ebay but they all seem very rusted out. Don't know how much rust is too much. Reputable aftermarket or am I just looking for "pre-owned"?