Ethonal "Proof" tank sealer myth.

If I take my time I can get about 15 min out of a non-filter cigarette and find it takes at least two full smokes while fondling tanks till set up too stiff to move any more. I must hold minutes a time in some positions for the sluggish oozing to settle in. My buddy Wes lost significant capacity in his tiny HyRyder tank, over a pint worth of very very thick Caswell. Wes must carry a quart of gas in his tank bag because he can't go much more than 60 miles w/o adding gas. But hey he won't put on disc brake either because of the looks, and no logic applies to what we like to see and show others. I"ve done rusted Roadster tank and vunlerable fg IS tank and crashed good on both of them afterwards but only had to deal with the surface via bondo. I put a hole in Wes's tank via drum brake lock on pavement grit unseen, but JBW closed up the hole the headsteady knee impact left. You can't see much inside of tanks w/o fiber optic viewer so the red dye added is just advertising play and likely subtracts some from the ethanol protection.

I also thought the red dye was marketing nonsense. Can't see anything in a Roadster tank anyway. You really have to open them up. I might give it a go (open it up) on my original yellow one - nuthin' to lose really. But heck if I live long enough (doubtful) maybe there will be a better fix. This year I have vowed to check out our local little airport (Sky Manor on the Jersey side) for avgas.

My Dunstall tank "weeped" after I applied Caswell the first time...spots along the bottom. I took the tank into a dark closet and shined a high intensity flashlight into the the tank and...holy sh*t, I could see all the thin spots where the paint guy sanded too thin...along with microscopic pin holes where gas was weeping through (and the Caswell didn't coat thick enough). I fixed those external flaws with JBW and let cure for a couple days. I took out the petcocks and inserted 1/2 bolts of the correct thread type. Roughed up the Caswell in the tank with lacquer thinner and drywall screws...let it dry for a week. Bought another Caswell kit...mixed a 1/2 batch of Caswell poured it in...tilted to and fro, rotating slowly, to and fro, etc., etc., slowly, slowly, slowly, concentrating on the sharp edges along the bottom. Let it set up for approx. 45 min. and mixed up the remaining batch and repeated while the first application was still "tacky". I also paid strict attention to the inside top and around the filler cap area. Afterwards I drilled out the petcock holes just enough to get the petcocks back in. It's critical to get the Caswell proportions exactly right. As I've said, no leaks, weeping, effects on paint for almost 4 years now. Done very carefully with precision, the Caswell treatment does work.

Hot Dog cmessenk, this is what we all wanted to hear! Yea! Can't think of a worse example to prove we can save fb tanks for posterity. I've put moonshine in Peel's IS tank a few times, after I had my gulp first. Figured helps the octane and used up pretty quickly anyway and did. Wes says he can't see oil smoke from Trixie no more but gets a whiff of oil smell when I get er the gun ahead of him, so will start adding a dash of Bean Oil to fuel and oil tank for odor filler. Sure hope Novalac can resist that.

I'm just speculating here, but I think the Casewell's is a hit or miss proposition. Based upon the failures I've read about here, I'm saying if you were to do 100 tanks with Casewell's, at least 30 would fail. Too many variables to expect consistent results. I don't doubt the product, only the method.

NO sir, we have proof positive now that if done right Caswells good forever, each tank every time even if part of the tank missing and only Caswells remains. Remain in your ignorant opinion or study what's in this post or stay away from fiber tanks and boozed gas and let the rest of us run about happy and gas tight. If following steel tank instruction and prepping = bad ju ju soon after in fiber resin tanks. Considering the Caswell been selling Novalac for couiple decades now and we only here of a few failures out who knows how many 1000s of other brand and compostite tanks implies a few have goofed up w/o understanding why. I've already spent many hours online search for Caswell complaints on cycle, boat, snowmobile and smalll aircraft groups not to find the horror stories your 1/3 failure rate predicts. I'm in market for bashed up fiber tank for my asses - got one you can't trust Caswell's in?

Either you've not read the posts here about failed Casewell lined tanks or you're back in your distorted reality field. I said I was basing my speculation on the posts I've read here of those failures. I also said I didn't doubt the product, only the method.

Based upon your claims of miraculous performance from you Nortons I have a tendency to discount a lot of what you post. No one in their right mind believes that even a 60-70 horsepower Norton will ever outperform a 100+ horsepower modern sport bike. If your riding skills are so superior to evoke that kind of performance from a Norton, then you are wasting your time putting up over 7000 posts on an internet form. You need to be racing! Professionally!

JIm I plainly stated my view and luck on Caswells. You best stay away from and wait a few decades more it if that's what you believe. Its the same deal on my reports of Ms Peel. I wouldn't believe me either as its so outside the pleasures others can obtain on their un-tammed Cdos and balloon tyre wonders but none the less I know what you are missing out on if real road orgasms are your thing.

Where did carbonfibre go, or do I have to ask?

Dave
69S

I think he has been mass blocked, or morphed into someone else, I have a few suspects :roll:

JimC said:

Either you've not read the posts here about failed Casewell lined tanks or you're back in your distorted reality field. I said I was basing my speculation on the posts I've read here of those failures. I also said I didn't doubt the product, only the method.

Click to expand...

JIm...from one "straight shooter" to another (I'm sure)...the difference IS most surely in the method. Frankly, I can't imagine another person taking the long, patient and yes, painfull time it takes to get a Caswell application(s) done correctly. I'm sure the majority of folks out there have done a 10 -15 minute "pour and slosh" treatment to end up with what they deserve...a failed application. If you read my posts carefully, its a dedicated process I'm sure most have not followed...and ended up in failure. I'm not kidding, the Sh*t works if you do it properly.

I think I do remember whacking him off, but since I've had too many dirty martinis, I can't remember now. But I haven't noticed any difference otherwise.

Dave
69S

I never doubted that some have had success with Casewell's. What I'm pointing out is that not everyone has had the same results. Like I posted before, too many variables to have consistent, successful results. Let me put it this way; you need a replacement tank, you have a choice between a Casewell lined glass tank or a metal tank, both for the same price. Which would you choose? Now we get down to the nut cuttin', don't we. It's all about cost.

Well I can only speak for myself but to me your absolutely correct Jim on both the lack of consistantly good results & that it does all come down to money. I have no doubt that a large # of people don't do good enough prep jobs and don't do good enough jobs applying the stuff. I wouldn't even bother trying to coat a stock Norton glass tank, I would look around for a good steel one & keep it clean but I have a old glass Production racer tank and a couple Dunstall tanks that I really want to use so they are worth a try to me. I will eventually spend the $ for a Alloy one but can't now so I'll try the Casswels being as methodical as I can be ( I can obbsese with the best of em ) and cross my fingers that it works. I too will do at least two if not three coats and it may last and it my not.

Jimmy 'Carbon' here is like an old woman worrying about some hazard they heard on the eventing news. Yet failures have and will occur so I'll take your vulnerable worthless un-savable fb tanks to pick through for my ashes and others to re-make the insides out of Novalac to replace those I crash on bad. About anything done right on a Cdo requires 2-3 times more time and tedium than reasonably expected on lesser craft.