Gas Tank Replacement

[BadBob]

I have a leaky gas tank and I have not been able to find any one in my area that will repair it for me. Yep, tried the radiator shops and they will not touch it. The one here that usually does this claims that because its been Red-Koated before it will explode if you try to weld it. The company says not it turns to ash at 250 degrees. Since I do not the equipment to do this myself I'm looking for a replacement tank.

I have located a tank for a 1980 XS11 Special. Will this fit on my 1981 XS11 Special?

Will any other tanks fit? How about a standard tank?

Any suggestions.

[bikenutt1980]

Re: Gas Tank Replacement

Originally posted by BadBob

I have located a tank for a 1980 XS11 Special. Will this fit on my 1981 XS11 Special?

Will any other tanks fit? How about a standard tank?

Any suggestions.

Yes and yes but the standard will need alittle modifacation

[John]

Re: Re: Gas Tank Replacement

Originally posted by bikenutt1980


Yes and yes but the standard will need alittle modifacation

Yeah, like reshaping into a teardrop shape.

[bikenutt1980]

Re: Re: Re: Gas Tank Replacement

Originally posted by John

Yeah, like reshaping into a teardrop shape.

[DiverRay]

Yeah, like reshaping into a teardrop shape.

Why, so you loose the extra gallon of gas, and HAVE to stop every 100 miles????
I LIKE my standard tank, thank you......

[BadBob]

Thanks. I'm going to see if I can buy the 1980 tank.

[BadBob]

Originally posted by DiverRay

Why, so you loose the extra gallon of gas, and HAVE to stop every 100 miles????
I LIKE my standard tank, thank you......

That extra gas was why I asked about the standard tank.

[DiverRay]

As far as I know, you just need to check the seat clearance at the tank. I think the seat can be bent up just a little bit to clear, and then you can go from one to the other as needed. The petcocks are different, but that's not a big deal, as you just remove the octy with the special tank. I'll know for sure in about a month, as I may be fitting a standard tank onto E.Liberty's '79 SF. I get tired of ridding with him, and having to stop every 100 miles so he can get fuel. We both can ride for a long time, but his range won't let him.

[BadBob]

Re: Re: Gas Tank Replacement

Originally posted by bikenutt1980


Yes and yes but the standard will need alittle modifacation

What kind of modifications?

[fredintoon]

A modest ~$20 fix

Hi Bad Bob,
Rust pinholes? Try this:- Go buy a Bernz Torch, a can of paste flux and a spool of flux cored solder. Rinse the tank out with hot soapy water and blow dry with a hot air paint stripper or borrow the wife's hair dryer. Sand around the hole until the metal is shiny, put a centerpunch in the pinhole and whack a dent in the tank. Smear paste flux over the dent and heat with the Bernz torch until the solder melts when it's dabbed on. Flood the solder on until the dent is full. When cold, file it flush then re-paint.

[yadada]

Done the solder thing on a 92 kaw 250 ninja. I didn't dent the areas in though.

I used the preclean chemicals in the kreem kit and it ate through the rust, leaving me with holes all over in the lower area of the tank. It was all below where the fairing covered it up, so I just piled on a little extra solder and then filed a little and then painted a little. Then kreemed it. Held up for as long as I had the bike, seems like it was a couple years after I did that.

[BadBob]

Re: A modest ~$20 fix

Originally posted by fredintoon
Hi Bad Bob,
Rust pinholes? Try this:- Go buy a Bernz Torch, a can of paste flux and a spool of flux cored solder. Rinse the tank out with hot soapy water and blow dry with a hot air paint stripper or borrow the wife's hair dryer. Sand around the hole until the metal is shiny, put a center punch in the pinhole and whack a dent in the tank. Smear paste flux over the dent and heat with the Bernz torch until the solder melts when it's dabbed on. Flood the solder on until the dent is full. When cold, file it flush then re-paint.

Unfortunately its leaking through the welded seems on both sides. The previous owner had it sealed with Red-Koat. This apparently did not work.

The bottom looks like its been worked on before. I haven't removed the paint yet so I'm not 100% sure about this.

[Crazcnuk]

If the Red Koat turns to ash at 250F...

I would flush it really well with water, take the petcocks and sender unit out, take off the filler cap and emblems.

Put it in the oven at 300F for a half hour or so, then clean it out and try and use the Kreem system?

My only worry would be the paint. THe OEM paint wouldn't care, not sure if it would have a problem if it's been repainted.

The Red Koat people may even have a procedure for this, wouldn't hurt to ask them. Due to the fact that twits might just skip the 'wash' part and throw it in the oven, with gas still in it, they likely won't recommend this.

Kreem works very well IF you follow the instructions carefully.

[fredintoon]

Enough solder will seal anything

Hi Bob,
up to the early1930s Norton tanks were soft-soldered together at the factory. You can soft-solder leaky seams as well as pinholes. The only hard part is getting the area to be soldered squeaky clean. A rotary wire brush is the best tool for that. With what you say about your tank, yes, paint strip down to bare metal all over to see what you are dealing with. I don't say a replacement tank is not needed but yes you can fix what you have to keep riding while you find one.

[fredintoon]

Big oven?

"Put it in the oven at 300F for a half hour or so,"
Hi Crazcnuk,
I have seen you achieve wonders of stowage, but getting a 25" long gas tank into a 22" wide domestic oven? Me, I'd stay with using a hot air gun or borrowing the wife's hair dryer to dry the water out of a newly washed out gas tank.