Fiberglass tank cleaning.

Read it and weep.
thread-size-for-roadster-petcock-t4474.html?hilit=gas%20tap%20thread

Dave
69S

DogT said:

Read it and weep.
thread-size-for-roadster-petcock-t4474.html?hilit=gas%20tap%20thread

Dave
69S

Click to expand...

Thanks for that...I think I have a 1/2 -20 tap somewhere in case I want to clean the threads. To seal the the tenk I just threaded the old petcocks in until the sealer started to set up, then removed them.

If not essentially completely set up, ie: no more *any* sagging/flowing of layer, before you put tank down or remove plugs to heat treat it thoroughly, then I fear another rescue failure tale to make Carbon laugh his ass off with "I told ya so"...

Epoxy resins level of chemical resistance is greatly effected by the level of heat attained during during cure. In very cold weather the chances of failure are greatly increased, as in many cases the resin may well only be partially cured before fuel is put into tank. Not seen anything to warn users of this in the snake application instructions, which seems just another thing which indicates a complete lack of regard towards whether or not products actually work or not!

I have the right tap for that if you need to borrow it (1/4 BSPP - 19tpi parallel). It was not that expensive from McMaster Carr.

We're not too far apart. Our telephone Co HQ is in Dallas. We are in a little pocket of Commonwealth phone company (now Frontier) down here.

Russ

batrider said:

I have the right tap for that if you need to borrow it (1/4 BSPP - 19tpi parallel). It was not that expensive from McMaster Carr.

We're not too far apart. Our telephone Co HQ is in Dallas. We are in a little pocket of Commonwealth phone company (now Frontier) down here.

Russ

Click to expand...

I may take you up on that until I get one of my own, Thanks.

DM,
I have just read through your post and want you to know your not alone in your attemt to salaveg a fiberglass tank. I started to attack mine but am still in limbo as I try in vain to obtaine Novolac or a Bisphenol B based vinyl ester resin. They are availabel but not in the small quanitiesa we need. A 5 gallon container was the smallest quanity I could find and with the cost of shipping your close to paying for a steel tank.

Anyway, I cut my tank open and posted some pictures. You might want to take a look at some of the challenges with these tanks. Best of luck, and I hope your sucessful.
Gary

roadster-tank-rebuild-slosh-coating-concerns-t11205.html?hilit=roadster tank

Thanks for that link Gary...I'm surpised no one has ever tried to reproduce these tanks in Fiberglass.

I understand that there is an effort in the UK to make reproduction tanks with ethanol resistant resin. The marine industry has been turned upside down and Ducatti is having problems with the rotomolded tanks on bikes like the Multistrada. By the way carb cleaner will get the gunk off your carb slides. Also check your intake ports they are probably all gunked up too.

Burton Bike Bits here in the UK sell GRP tanks which are supposedly fully resistant to Efuels. However there is a disclaimer on their web site, which suggests the tanks must be "sealed" before use, and there is no mention of anything to do with the guarantee that they are providing with these tanks.

There are resin systems available which mean production of tanks which are fully resistant to all commonly available pump fuels is no real problem at all, but small scale manufacturers seem uninterested in changing either the materials they are using or methods of production, so recently made tanks continue to fail, and anything without a written guarantee should be avoided for this reason.

Carbonfibre said:

Burton Bike Bits here in the UK sell GRP tanks which are supposedly fully resistant to Efuels. However there is a disclaimer on their web site, which suggests the tanks must be "sealed" before use, and there is no mention of anything to do with the guarantee that they are providing with these tanks.

There are resin systems available which mean production of tanks which are fully resistant to all commonly available pump fuels is no real problem at all, but small scale manufacturers seem uninterested in changing either the materials they are using or methods of production, so recently made tanks continue to fail, and anything without a written guarantee should be avoided for this reason.

Click to expand...

I just put the tank back on the bike and put some gas in it. I have a little seepage around the left petcock. I guess I didnt get enough sealer over on that side. Back to the drawing board.

I just looked at Burton's website. Has anyone bought a tank from them and had it shipped from the UK?

Don't know about Burton's tanks. But if your petcock is leaking around the threads, I have been told if you have the locknut and the stat-o-seals, you need a flat washer between the nut and the sealing washer. If I were you, I'd check the petcocks for through leakage, and the float bowls too. It's easy enough to do. Your carbs will love you for it.

Dave
69S

DogT said:

Don't know about Burton's tanks. But if your petcock is leaking around the threads, I have been told if you have the locknut and the stat-o-seals, you need a flat washer between the nut and the sealing washer. If I were you, I'd check the petcocks for through leakage, and the float bowls too. It's easy enough to do. Your carbs will love you for it.

Dave
69S

Click to expand...

I wish it were around the threads. It sure looks like it is seeping through the Fiberglass...I took the petcock out and held my thumb over the opening and I was still getting gas seeping through. The funny thing is It waqsn't leaking before I sealed it.

dirtymartini said:

It sure looks like it is seeping through the Fiberglass...I took the petcock out and held my thumb over the opening and I was still getting gas seeping through. The funny thing is It wasn't leaking before I sealed it.

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That's not good. Seems like I read that Burton's are eastern made, but I'm not sure. You can ask them, they'll be straight up. There's a shop in CA that sells used stuff, forget his name but it's Japanese, I understand people have gotten good tanks from him. Try Raber's too. There's also Ross Thompson, sometimes he has tanks. http://www.execulink.com/~rosst/ None are cheap.

Dave
69S

It may be the rusty tap fittings that are leaking where the cleaner you used (acetone or thinners) has followed the strands down under the tap fitting and softened the old seal?
This is a '71 ducati fibreglass tank, similar age, and you can see the crap and corrosion around the tap and mounting fittings.
This one I cut open to grind the inside before re glassing with ve.
Nasty isn't it.







Sorry if this depresses you, but look at the work I have to do.
When it's done I won't be leaving fuel in it if it's standing for any length of time.
Graeme

dirtymartini said:

DogT said:

Don't know about Burton's tanks. But if your petcock is leaking around the threads, I have been told if you have the locknut and the stat-o-seals, you need a flat washer between the nut and the sealing washer. If I were you, I'd check the petcocks for through leakage, and the float bowls too. It's easy enough to do. Your carbs will love you for it.

Dave
69S

Click to expand...

I wish it were around the threads. It sure looks like it is seeping through the Fiberglass...I took the petcock out and held my thumb over the opening and I was still getting gas seeping through. The funny thing is It waqsn't leaking before I sealed it.

Click to expand...

Remove the taps and wrap threads with PTFE tape. You then need to spray the area where the leak was coming from with crack detector fluid, of the type supplied in 2 cans, and used for crack detecting welds. Put in a gallon of fuel, and you will immediately be able to see where the leak is coming from. If its not from around the area where the tap bosses are bonded into the tank, then you should be able to seal the leak externally using something like JB weld.

I had the same problem happen to my original Dunstall tank after the 1st Caswell treatment....weeping in spots along the bottom, near the petcocks but not through the petcocks themselves. This is how I fixed it (Carbonfire's going to have a field day with this one ):

Take the tank into a dark room (darker the better), shine a very bright flashlight into the fuel cap opening and inspect the outside of the tank along the bottom....I'll bet they're there....yep, pinholes or small, very thin areas of fiberglass where the fuel is weeping through. Mark these areas and fix with liberal application of JB weld. Rough up the area and make sure the patch covers at least 1 inch past the pinhole or affected area. Let the patch cure for at least 24 hours. I would then re-Caswell again.

Another thought is the fuel is getting between the Caswell and the glass in the immediate petcock area. I insured this wasn't going to happen by putting the proper sized bolts into the petcocks, but just far enough to be flush with the inside....not screwed way up into the tank. When I Caswelled, it created a plug that I then drilled through, reaming out the Caswell plug to the diameter of the petcock screens. This ensured a complete seal in the bottom of the petcock area and didn't allow that small gap to form.

My tank is at 3.5 years using these methods. I know it's probably just buying time, but the $100.00 total investment for the fix is a much cheaper alternative.....for now, anyway. Good Luck!!!!

I bought a steel tank from Burtin's and found the whole process to be great. I am not willing and won't get into a debate as to where it came from. From the time I placed the order and gave them my credit card I had the tank in hand in 8 days. Very good service as far as I am concerned. As for the tank I was very pleased with the quality and the painter who does many restorations commented that it was one of the better reproductions he had worked with.

Good to know boz, how much was postage? According to their page, they are made in UK, but they still recommend a sealer in all tanks.

Dave
69S

[quote="Remove the taps and wrap threads with PTFE tape. You then need to spray the area where the leak was coming from with quote]


Don’t know if I am right on this but is PTFE tape petrol resistance?
I understand it was for pluming, and therefore water resistance.