Fuel Tank Rust Sealant/Repair

Started by gsxbarmy, Wednesday, 06 June 2018, 07:59 AM

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gsxbarmy

See products from Frost appropriate to the repair you need to make (or prevent). Details on use will be on the can.

https://www.frost.co.uk/auto-maintenance/automotive-tanks-products/fuel-tank-repair.html
Nothing to do.............all day to do it....I love retirement :lol:

Mister Fishfinger

I don't have any experience of these specific products, but a lot of people in the classic bike world are moving away from tank lining products. They can work for a while, if you are really careful about preparation and follow the process exactly, but there are a lot of horror stories about what happens when the coating fails.

I've had to remove an old lining from a tank it was an absolute pig of a job, even with the proper chemicals. And you have to be scrupulous because you really don't want bits of epoxy getting in your fuel system.

So personally I would use the cleaning and de-rusting stuff, but I wouldn't apply a coating. Much better to keep your tank full, use a fuel stabiliser and/or ride your bike regularly.

Just my opinion.

Speedy1959

My bike never "hibernates" through the winter so I doubt I will be getting rust in my tank..
Now where is that piece of wood to touch..

Hooli

Most of the problems in the classic bike world relate to older tank sealants that our lovely* modern ethanol petrol dissolves. A modern tank sealant applied correctly shouldn't suffer.

One of my ex's 14s had a sealed tank (I don't know what product) & never had an issue in the 7 or so years I knew the bike.

gsxbarmy

Quote from: Mister Fishfinger on Wednesday, 06 June  2018, 06:48 PM
I don't have any experience of these specific products, but a lot of people in the classic bike world are moving away from tank lining products. They can work for a while, if you are really careful about preparation and follow the process exactly, but there are a lot of horror stories about what happens when the coating fails.

I've had to remove an old lining from a tank it was an absolute pig of a job, even with the proper chemicals. And you have to be scrupulous because you really don't want bits of epoxy getting in your fuel system.

So personally I would use the cleaning and de-rusting stuff, but I wouldn't apply a coating. Much better to keep your tank full, use a fuel stabiliser and/or ride your bike regularly.

Just my opinion.

I agree totally and indeed there are some naff products out there. However, some (note only some!) of the earlier tanks - K2/3's in particular - are starting to rust through from the inside out, and the Frost products mentioned (above) have been known to work successfully (these were more tested and proven on the old org rather than here). Given the price of a new tank, some prefer to use the de-rust and seal products, hence only mentioning what we have discovered previously with 14's.
Nothing to do.............all day to do it....I love retirement :lol:

Mister Fishfinger

Quote from: gsxbarmy on Wednesday, 06 June  2018, 11:37 PM
Quote from: Mister Fishfinger on Wednesday, 06 June  2018, 06:48 PM
I don't have any experience of these specific products, but a lot of people in the classic bike world are moving away from tank lining products. They can work for a while, if you are really careful about preparation and follow the process exactly, but there are a lot of horror stories about what happens when the coating fails.

I've had to remove an old lining from a tank it was an absolute pig of a job, even with the proper chemicals. And you have to be scrupulous because you really don't want bits of epoxy getting in your fuel system.

So personally I would use the cleaning and de-rusting stuff, but I wouldn't apply a coating. Much better to keep your tank full, use a fuel stabiliser and/or ride your bike regularly.

Just my opinion.

I agree totally and indeed there are some naff products out there. However, some (note only some!) of the earlier tanks - K2/3's in particular - are starting to rust through from the inside out, and the Frost products mentioned (above) have been known to work successfully (these were more tested and proven on the old org rather than here). Given the price of a new tank, some prefer to use the de-rust and seal products, hence only mentioning what we have discovered previously with 14's.

Disappointingly, my K5 tank seems to be rusting from the outside in. It's nice and clean inside, but the white paint on the underside is speckled with rust spots.

KiwiCol

If it's the underside, how about some rustkill paint over it?  Wouldn't be seen.
😎  Always looking for the next corner.  😎

Latty66

A good tip for cleaning rust gunge and crap out ya tank is white vinigar remove the feul pumps and stuff out first reseal the holes with cut to shape rubber pour in 8 liters of white vinigar shake and leave standing over night next day shake and leave in a different postion depending how bad the tank is you may have to do this for a week .
When your happy give a good shake and tip out flush with 1 liter of clean petrol and your done iv done 12 tanks this way and some have been really bad but all come up like new inside .
Its handy to do this every couple of years to keep the crap out ya tank works a treat every time

Andre

Interesting with the vinegar. Have known it for for rust-proofing steel (has to be heated though).  I mainly use vinegar for cleaning the toilet and killing weeds :coffeescreen:

Mister Fishfinger

Quote from: KiwiCol on Thursday, 07 June  2018, 03:22 AM
If it's the underside, how about some rustkill paint over it?  Wouldn't be seen.

Yeah, I might have to do something like that. As you say, nobody will see it so the looks don't matter too much.

Hooli

When I tided my 14 up the other year the underside of the tank got two coats of white smoothrite after the rust was rubbed down & treated. Seems to be working so far.

Mister Fishfinger

White vinegar, good tip that.

Pretty much any acid will eat rust eventually. White vinegar is acetic acid, I've also seen people use oxalic acid (the stuff you find in rhubarb) and brick acid (hydrochloric acid).

The acid in most rust treatments is phosphoric acid. It's the one I use most often and it is popular because it leaves the steel with a thin layer of iron phosphate, which is very stable and protects the surface from further rusting.

You can see the difference especially if you treat a tank with brick (hydrochloric) acid - after you rinse the solution out with clean water it starts rusting again within minutes. Use phosphoric acid and you have more time to let it dry.

Latty66

Aye works everytime most tanks get light surface rust along the inside top unless there left standing full to the brim over winterthen when you start using it again this usually ends up in the filters .
Like you say the acid in white vinigar strips all that out . Give it a good 5min shake leave over night shake again and leave in different positions so soaks every area in the tank  you.d be suprised what comes out of what you think is a clean tank allways flush with petrol .
Once you.ve flushed if you can get ya mitts on a bendy stork cam you can see weather or not you need to line the tank out .

grog

white vinegar is amazing for lots of uses. in our hot/humid summers mould a big problem. outside timber etc, inside walls etc. it cleans perfectly, inhibits re growth for up to 2 yrs. 80% vinegar/20% water is my mix. will give my tank a dose soon.

Notty

Quote from: Hooli on Thursday, 07 June  2018, 08:39 PM
When I tided my 14 up the other year the underside of the tank got two coats of white smoothrite after the rust was rubbed down & treated. Seems to be working so far.
Gave mine 2 coats of Black Hammerite underneath - had loads of black for touching up the frame and no way was I going to buy white where no one would ever see it   :)
The older I get the better I was
The problem with retirement is that you cant take a day off

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