Never Ending Project

Well I remember three years ago I joined the forum to find out how to change my oil. I had a different forum name but could not remember that though! since then with the help of you guys and commando specialties I have rewired the bike change the oil and maintain the bike regularly. I also found out that I had no fluid in the front brake system and refilled and bled that. What a difference TWO brakes make.Now I am attempting (with help from my cousin) to change front and rear sprockets, chain and rear tire. The fiberglass tank is also leaking and when she gets warmed up she idles at 2 thousand rpms. But they will be another story. Thanks again for all you guys who without I would probably be riding a honda!!

The perfect cure for UJMitis - take 750cc of pure Brit... and work on it!

snortonnorton74,
With a little help from our friends we get by
With a little help from our friends we will try
With a little help from our friend we get high.

Motorbikes in general are ongoing attention need'rs
but especially Commando's, just gotta love em or quit.

Keep eye on fluid next 1000 miles in case still a hidden leak.

Best deal going to seal and protect fiber tanks from
past damage and new gasoline dissolving is the two
part epoxy sold by Casswell and others now.
Beware the other obsolete sealers.


hobot

Anybody have experience / hirsch vs caswell? Is hirsch obsolete? Hope not as I did my '72 w/ hirsch about a year and a half ago. So far so good. Started out running staight av/100 last year but this year I'm mixing avgas /93 no prob I can gat avgas pretty cheap here but I've gotta run 20 miles in my pickup to fill up my 5 5gal gas cans.

rg,
are you mixing avgas to decrease the amount of ethanol? Why not just run straight avgas. I understand some marinas also have ethanol free gas, but I am not near any of that.

Dave
69S

rgrigutis said:

Anybody have experience / hirsch vs caswell? Is hirsch obsolete? Hope not as I did my '72 w/ hirsch about a year and a half ago. So far so good. Started out running staight av/100 last year but this year I'm mixing avgas /93 no prob I can gat avgas pretty cheap here but I've gotta run 20 miles in my pickup to fill up my 5 5gal gas cans.

Click to expand...

I used the Hirsch this winter for fiberglass tank. I think the pint that I got would do 4 or 5 more tanks easy. Worked as discribed. Lays down a very fine and very tough coating. So far so good. I think Caswell may be preffered for metal tank, but Hirsch for fiberglass.

As far as Avgas is concerned, any and all local airports around here are restricted from selling for off site usagage. I mix 110 racing gas with 93 Premium 50/50 with fantastic results. I have 4, 5 gallon containers. I fill them half with the racing gas, then just run over to the premium pump and top them off. I believe the cost of mixing may be the same as avgas. You know gas at a marina is right off the money scale.

I used what Caswel sells as two part epoxy, ran it for 3 years
then removed tank to remake Peel and left gas in it for
two years till time to paint, seems same intact-ness as it
was almost a decade ago.
This is solution also used by boaters and air craft with
built in fiber tanks, after horror tales beyond our scale
of cost in tanks and engine damage.
Take about half a quart to do 6 gal tank in nice thick
layer, left in and rolled round for like 30 min and
excess dumped while it stick flows.
Good to keep tank turning another 30 min or so
till too tacky to flow away into a puddle.

In case it ever matters to ya, I know this epoxy layer
helps re-enforce fiber glass tank from penetrating and
crush damage, such a handle bars or stones on crashes.
Other two parts should work too, just avoid the
traditional classics like Kream.

hobo

I've used Hirsch about 4 years ago and all is still good.

Do NOT use POR15 unless you want to burn your money.

I used POR15 4 years and 3 months ago and it lasted 3 weeks and then it took me 2 weeks to get the bits that did stick out.
I found the best way to get it out of a fibreglass tank was to fill the tank with petrol (gas) (fuel)

graeme

Do NOT use POR15 unless you want to burn your money.

Click to expand...

Put this in mine 5 years ago and it's fine. I did make a big thing out of cleaning the tank though. One product I won't use is Petseal, that was nasty and took lots of painstripper to remove. Also use POR in the oiltank after a rust repair on an Ebay 'bargain'. (welded and coated the bottom for security and that's held up fine. Was I lucky?

Keith1069 said:

Do NOT use POR15 unless you want to burn your money.

Click to expand...

Put this in mine 5 years ago and it's fine. I did make a big thing out of cleaning the tank though. One product I won't use is Petseal, that was nasty and took lots of painstripper to remove. Also use POR in the oiltank after a rust repair on an Ebay 'bargain'. (welded and coated the bottom for security and that's held up fine. Was I lucky?

Click to expand...

Cleaning is the key with POR15. Really good stuff but cleanliness is a must.

Had a steel Roadster tank repaired by Ross Thompson about six years ago and he lined it with POR 15 and it's holding up just fine. Thompson does beautiful work.

http://www.execulink.com/~rosst/

I've also used POR15 successfully on a fiberglass tank myself.

Do a web search to see its the new gasoline oxygenators
and alcohol that tend to dissolve both the fiber glass
resins of past and traditional sealer like Kream or POR15.
Keep an eye on the carb depostits to avoid what it
does to engines soon after carbs show some evidence.

I've spend more of past decade in restoring and recovering
crash and breakage and also customized a special than
riding. I've given up any pressure to get something done
like I did prior, mid night oil in sweat shop heat or
freezing numbness. Now just look at Brit bikes fettering
and cost as on going life style when ever rest of life not in the way.

hobot