New steel tank coming, any tips?

DO NOT USE ANY KIND OF AIR PUMP TO TEST YOUR TANK.

Yes I'm shouting. I made a bad mistake years ago with a pump when I held a plug by hand over a tank vent. Just a very few psi. Expanded the tank along a seam. Very very easy to screw it up.
 
johnm said:
DO NOT USE ANY KIND OF AIR PUMP TO TEST YOUR TANK.

Yes I'm shouting. I made a bad mistake years ago with a pump when I held a plug by hand over a tank vent. Just a very few psi. Expanded the tank along a seam. Very very easy to screw up
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Or, simply follow rule number 1:

"Always be smarter than the machinery you're trying to operate"

New steel tank coming, any tips?
New steel tank coming, any tips?
New steel tank coming, any tips?
 
"Always be smarter than the machinery you're trying to operate"

First machinery I saw in that photo was the grinding wheel and thought how would you control the tank while grinding the surface :eek:

Then I scrolled down 😂
 
kommando said:
"Always be smarter than the machinery you're trying to operate"

First machinery I saw in that photo was the grinding wheel and thought how would you control the tank while grinding the surface :eek:

Then I scrolled down 😂
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Lol, yup, I only use a bench grinder to sharpen tungsten for TIG welding.
 
A cautionary tale re Caswell plating, although probably not Caswell's fault. Nonetheless, VERY expensive.

My original Roadster tank was a serious mess and I probably shouldn't have bothered to try and salvage it - you know the drill, in the interests of originality etc.

After having the tank patched up professionally, after the Caswell process, after a truly beautiful but horrendously expensive paint job, disaster. Apparently either the repair process or the Caswell wasn't perfect (and they both have to be to work 100%) and - short version - the epoxy shrank, disengaging from the inside of the tank, so I ended up with epoxy tank within a failed metal tank, with fuel inside the epoxy bubble and between the epoxy and the tank itself.

A $2400 education...

For me, the moral to the story is: no lining, keep an eye on the interior of the tank, don't be afraid to replace with a good aftermarket tank. If you do use the caswell Plating epoxy, be absolutely SURE to get it right. Used correctly, it's great stuff. Or so I hear.
 
Personally I would completely avoid pressure testing a petrol tank. They are not designed to hold anything more than fuel at atmospheric pressure + head pressure of the fuel.

I would personally plug the fuel taps, fill with fuel and hold for a few hours. If there is a leak path, fuel will find it. Use talk to find the leaks.

Just carry it out somewhere safe away from any risk of fire.
 
If i fill with fuel, do i just drain and leave open a few days before delivering it for painting?

also, what does "Use talk to find the leaks." mean?
 
Manu said:
If i fill with fuel, do i just drain and leave open a few days before delivering it for painting?

also, what does "Use talk to find the leaks." mean?
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Yes sorry, I mean talc as in talcum powder.

Yeah, I suppose so. Just leave it somewhere dry and well ventilated and away from a risk of any spark.

Ive got an Indian made steel tank on my '68 commando. My only issue with it is the cap doesn't seal at the top. Depending on quality maybe rattle can the tank, ride it for a bit and see if the fuel is leaking from the filler cap.

I am fairly certain mine leaks due to the pivot position is too high and doesn't allow the cap to seal.

Just makes sense before you spend alot of money on paint work to find its been knackered up by fuel. You can at least find the faults and get them repaired before getting it painted professionally.
 
RobGT750 said:
Yes sorry, I mean talc as in talcum powder.

Yeah, I suppose so. Just leave it somewhere dry and well ventilated and away from a risk of any spark.

Ive got an Indian made steel tank on my '68 commando. My only issue with it is the cap doesn't seal at the top. Depending on quality maybe rattle can the tank, ride it for a bit and see if the fuel is leaking from the filler cap.

I am fairly certain mine leaks due to the pivot position is too high and doesn't allow the cap to seal.

Just makes sense before you spend alot of money on paint work to find its been knackered up by fuel. You can at least find the faults and get them repaired before getting it painted professionally.
Click to expand...
Is the cap new or an old one? Old ones can have sealing issues if the small bit of hose underneath the sealing plate has broken or harndened from fuel and age. Some caps have a nut, most newer ones a rivet, holding the plate to the cap. Drill out rivet/remove nut to access the underside btwn plate and cap. Cut a bit of ethanol fuel proof rubber hose to similar length of original. Reassemble by tapping a suitable thread where rivet was and fitting a bolt. The hose bit is what makes the seal pressure, not the spring...whih just helps keep seal square to tank neck surface.
 
several people have suggested if it leaks get it fixed. Seems to me BCS should replace it if defective.
 
Just an update. I failed to get a good seal on the mouth to hold pressure so I filled the tank to the brim with fuel and let sit for 24 hours. No leaks (except needing to reseal petcock plugs). When done used a coffee filters in a funnel to get the fuel back home in the can. No muss no fuss.

The welds on the tank look good to my old eyes so I'm calling it good.
 

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