Cut out bottom

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ernest

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I think I'm going to cut out the bottom of this fiberglass tank to get the failed coating out that the previous owner put in. I've flushed it with acetone and sheet metal screws to shake the coating loose but I'm not sure I'll be able to get it all out. I'm looking for some advice on where the best place to cut would be and then I'll have some questions once I get to painting a new coating on the two halves as well as fiberglassing it back together. Or who do you send it to to have it done in the states? cost?

Here's the material that is delaminating from the inside.

Cut out bottom


Now where's the best place to make the cut on the bottom?

Cut out bottom
 
Nice looking tank. is that delamination material you have pulled out from inside and are now holding in front of the tank?

I personally would cut it near the edges about 1 inch from the outside. Find out where you can buy alcohol resistant epoxy, and prepare and coat the inside 2 parts with the new epoxy. Then do what you need to do with the new epoxy to glue it back together. Check with a glass fibre expert before you start because I think you may have to grind the inside surface clean. I repaired my tank which had been bashed on one side, about 40 years ago when I first got the bike. Hasn't been a problem since though it is only a 14,000 mile bike, and I don't use alcoholic fuels [ you can still buy real petrol in NZ ]

Dereck
 
There was one on here that had been cut less than 1/4" in from the edge (just inside the outer wall thickness) and epoxied back together after lining. Your fuel taps look to have been moved outward, so you may have to do it a little differently. Someone recently posted a link to a service that removes old reliners and replaces them with an epoxy coating, but it wasn't cheap.
 
I made the cut with a dremel oscillating tool. I'm going to get a quote from a local custom fiberglass body shop before I attempt putting it back together myself. I've never worked with fiberglass but the videos I've watched don't make it seem too difficult. It's the initial gluing back together that has me worried at this point.

Cut out bottom


Cut out bottom


Cut out bottom


Cut out bottom
 
Nice work. You can probably do your own cleanup and re-lining if you can find the right coating.
 
The more I read the more I'm getting discouraged from proceeding with a glass tank. It looks like the consensus is Caswell with Phenol Novolac Epoxies versus Bill Hirsch? But I cant find any info of any of it being a permanent solution. I think the fact that I'll be able to prep the inside and coat them separately, glue together then coat again may improve the chances of it failing for a few years. I've also located some locations that don't use ethanol with http://www.buyrealgas.com. That and I'll plan on keeping the tank empty when not riding.
 
I've done a lot of epoxy work on various kinds of things over the years. I gave up trying to seal my fiberglass tank more than 20 years ago, and I just bought a metal tank to replace it. In fact, I just ordered an interstate tank from ebay (unpainted metal) for $180. I'm sure you can get a metal roadster tank for around that price too. Switch your cap and petcocks over to the metal tank to make sure they fit. Then, paint it the same as you were going to have to do with the repaired fiberglass tank,....... only you don't have to waste money and time on glassing and repairing the tank...

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, because god knows I'm the first guy to try to rebuild everything rather than replace stuff with new. I've just been down that road and the cost and aggrevation of glass work will cost you more than a new unpainted metal tank, and in the end, you'll still have a repaired tank made of resin and fiber rather than metal... that's my $.02 worth
 
I got a steel repop tank and thats the best thing I ever did. Got tired of draining fuel everytime I rode it. There is no non ethanol fuel available around here.
Get a steel tank and save yourself alot of grief. Keep the old one and fix it at your leisure. You can always say you have the OE tank.
I got one from Commando Specialties. It fits and looks pretty good. Make sure you test it on the bike so there are no leaks. I had a cap issue sealing issue.
JMHO
 
I toyed with the idea of having a butyl rubber liner made and fitting it inside the gutted tank along the lines of some military aircraft, (mainly helicopters) should be able to get a collar bonded in to fit up through the filler and bonded tubes to feed via in line taps. Any thoughts on this?
 
gripper said:
I toyed with the idea of having a butyl rubber liner made and fitting it inside the gutted tank along the lines of some military aircraft, (mainly helicopters) should be able to get a collar bonded in to fit up through the filler and bonded tubes to feed via in line taps. Any thoughts on this?
Click to expand...


Sounds a little sketchy. Lining the cut tank and epoxying it back together and then pouring in a little more epoxy to seal it sounds like the way to go, IMO.
 
ernest said:
The more I read the more I'm getting discouraged from proceeding with a glass tank......... Good, glad to hear it, as I believe that is your best course of action. Keep that pretty fiberglass one in the garage on a shelf where you can see that beautiful original metalflake in the gelcoat & get an emgo or other steel tank so you can ride with peace of mind.
Click to expand...
 
See you're from KC. Nonethanol gas is impossible to find in most metro areas due to clean air regs. If you use those online searchs for nonethanol stations they are usually all in the boonies. I've bought two steel tanks so far and no problems. You can do some serious engine damage if it injests a mixture of fiberglass and failed tank liner.
 
In the Kansas City area no-ethanol fuel is available at the Hy-Vee grocery chain fuel station and the new designed QT stations have a no-ethanol pump.
The price for regular 10% ethanol yesterday was $1.99/gallon and no-ethanol was $2.44/gallon.

I can still use a fiberglass Roadster tank, and I can drain some from the tank to use in the yard mowers.

I used the Caswell epoxy in a steel Interstate tank several years ago to completely cure an annoying very fine rust particulate contamination in the fuel that affected the Amals.
 
I may just get a steel tank then. I've seen the one Commando Specialties offers and I'll just have to ride with a primer painted tank for awhile and metal flake blue covers. I started this project in 2009! spent a big chunk of money having Mr. Goff do the head then did the bottom on my own but still never got it running good. It sat for a few years collecting dust in the garage then I sold my commuter bike early summer to get some cash to have Barnyard Restorations get it running. I just got it back a couple weeks ago and they were the ones who informed be about the tank. I still have not ridden this bike in 6-7 years and this season is closing fast.
 
BobZ,
What is the octane of the nonethanol fuel in your area?
Htown
 
Hirsch describe the product as :-

ALCOHOL RESISTANT GAS TANK SEALER
Click to expand...

In the UK you have to go by the product description, water resistant means it will provide limited resistance to water eg for 15 minutes or down to say 3M depth, water proof will have much higher limits.

http://www.heinnie.com/blog/waterproof- ... resistant/

As Hirsch is describing their product as 'resistant' that suggest there are limits but they are not defined.
 
Ernest,
Why not rattle can the primered tank with Duplicolor's Metalspecks ocean blue, You can redo it professionally later, but it's not a bad mismatch. Maybe a little more sparkly. I tried to "tone" the sparkliness down a little on mine with their blueish clearcoat but it is really a little too dark blue now , I should have left it more "sparkly". (I guess I like that word). :lol:
Lance
 
kommando said:
Hirsch describe the product as :-

ALCOHOL RESISTANT GAS TANK SEALER
Click to expand...

In the UK you have to go by the product description, water resistant means it will provide limited resistance to water eg for 15 minutes or down to say 3M depth, water proof will have much higher limits.

http://www.heinnie.com/blog/waterproof- ... resistant/

As Hirsch is describing their product as 'resistant' that suggest there are limits but they are not defined.
Click to expand...

Also

Hirsch describe the product as :-
ALCOHOL RESISTANT GAS TANK SEALER

ADDEDfrom the hirsch site
"THIS SEALER IS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN PLASTIC TANKS.- IF
SEALER IS BEING USED IN A FIBREGLASS TANK, ALL OPEN EDGES OF TANK MUST
BE SEALED SO THAT FUEL CANNOT WICK ITS WAY THROUGH ANY OPEN EDGES- IF IN DOUBT, CALL US ON OUR TOLL FREE LINE. "

sounds like the failure mode to me and probably the same as the caswell failures. This is almost the poster boy add why you have great difficulty to fix damaged glass tanks even prior to E-10 DAMHIK
 
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