Fuel Tank Rust Sealant/Repair

[Hooli]

I found a tub of white left by the previous owner of that house, I wasn't paying for it either!

[ajl]

i tried  resealing the tank after it developed 2 pin holes in the tank side lowest, side stand side.. it leaked in a week despite following all the recommended cleaning procedures. i gave up and bought a new tank ... however i think suzuki make their tanks out of Chinese steel as it was holed at 7,800 miles from new !!!!! not impressed at all . the new one is coming off for the winter and getting dried out and oiled ...

[BlueDragon]

Yeah, I don't think much of tank liners.

I noticed a small paint bubble at the base of the tank - it was caused by rust small pin hole.

Drained the tank and then had to cut part of the base out of the tank to get all this rubbish out.  The tank liner was flaking off the sides and the idiot who tried to line the tank previously - obviously had no idea what they were doing.  Some of the chunks you see in the photo are nearly an inch thick.

it also half block the feeder pipe to the fuel pump, so it was a  miracle the bike was even running when I test rode it. I had to get a wire in there to fully unblock the pipe.

The fuel filter was black, but thankfully cleaned up nicely.  I wonder how the pump was even able to get enough fuel to the injectors, with the filter being covered in a thick sludge of rust and tank sealer and the feeder pipe being clogged up with tank sealer.

I've since cleaned out the tank sealer that was still sticking to the tank and am having the base welded back in again.  Once that is done, I'll fill it up completely with vinegar and leave it for a few days to remove any remaining rust and then flush with fuel and put it all back together again. 

Will be interesting to see if the bike performs better with a unblocked fuel system.

[horse]

Have a Mach 3 Kawasaki that I was going to do the liner thing with but that has given me second thoughts, will do a little more research, I had the 14 for a good 6 months and thought the fade above 5000rpm was normal but after I cleaned the filter/pump it got a new urgency over that RPM. Nothing major but there was definitely starvation there and its blockage was nothing compared to that but the internal filter took a lot of flushing to get clean.

I have always dosed methylated spirits into my fuel every few months with every thing I own and have had good results keeping the water from sitting in the wrong spots in the system, especially the Ducati pump which seems susceptible to water problems,

Hope it gets easier from here for you 

[Mick_J]

What does the meths do?

[horse]

 Metho is hygroscopic and will absorb the water and run it through the fuel system, but I only use a capful every now and then, too much can cause other problems. some say it will do damage to fuel filters etc but I have done this for over 30 years and never had a problem , specially good with power products fuel (lawnmowers etc) as both the fuel and the machines generally breathe with the diurnal cycle and absorb a fair amount of water.

[Del]

Like Horse Ive been adding to my fuel for years but I use acetone - and also in my petrol gardening equipment

there is a lot of people who say that it wrecks fuel pipes injectors etc bit never had an issue

[horse]

When I looked into years ago metho seemed the kindest , ethanol was readily available but it was a bit savage on other bits of the fuel system acetone never was on my list but the proof is that neither of us seem to have had a problem I think the key is not to overdose I only use a capful per 40 litres  and only 3 to 4 times a year. I am sure there are a million reasons why someone thinks you shouldn't do it but it works for me,

[Del]

and me fella - I went for acetone as it mixed well with water and eradicated it from the tank

[Almost]

My tank is a ball of rust. I'm  trying  out bilt hamber deox-c rust remover.
Has anyone  used it or something  similar  for their tank. Did it work well and do have any tips?

[urbanus]

I just used white vinegar from Lidl, cheap as chips and worked a treat (and easy to get of course).

[Almost]

Well stuff I'm using is starting to have an effect  but the inside was completely rusted so I think I'm gonna have treat again with a stronger solution.  I'm starting  to see glimpse of bare metal. Apart from that  a two of the small diameter pistons in the front calipers  have seized and are beyond  me.
Might have send them away to someone more capable.
Gonna  be summer here soon I can't wait.

[gsxbarmy]

Well stuff I'm using is starting to have an effect  but the inside was completely rusted so I think I'm gonna have treat again with a stronger solution.  I'm starting  to see glimpse of bare metal. Apart from that  a two of the small diameter pistons in the front calipers  have seized and are beyond  me.
Might have send them away to someone more capable.
Gonna  be summer here soon I can't wait.

You need a Universal Brake Caliper Piston Removal Plier Motorcycle Repair Tool  for getting those pistons out @Almost - available on eBay. Look at item number 185630439250 as an example

[grog]

Mate, stuck pistons. Small socket that fits in with enough room to fit 3/8 extension beside it. Turn with ratchet until they jam together, keep turning until piston turns and comes out.

[BlueDragon]

Yep.  agree with Grog.  I used this method and it works fine.  search for my blog in the readers rides.  Pretty sure I took photos etc when I had to do this.  When I bought my 1400 the brake fluid in the lines and calipers looked like vomit and several of the pistons were seized in the caliper, but got them out using the method as described by Grog