leaky gas tank

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robert

leaky gas tank

#1 Post by robert » Thu Jul 07, 2005 8:03 am

my tank's sprung a leak in the seam near the seat. the previous owner tried to fix it once with some jb weld on the outside. new tanks are nla and the yamaha dealer suggested por15. anyone ever use it? <p>any advice will be appreciated.<p>thanks<br>robert
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parkside415@earthlink.net

Steen in Denmark

Re: leaky gas tank

#2 Post by Steen in Denmark » Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:21 am

Hi,<p>My tank did the same thing. It was a tension crack, just about an inch long just above the bracket covered by the seat. I got it fixed by a very good welder. It took him 10 minutes and it has now lasted for 14000 kms.<p>/Steen
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steen.lokke@tiscali.dk

robert

Re: leaky gas tank

#3 Post by robert » Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:59 am

hi steen and thanks for the reply. i don't think i'm that lucky. when i bought the tank it had some rust under the tank trim and the surface closest to the seat has a slight yellow tint. as i mentioned, the previous owner put some jb weld on the lip near the seat. i don't want to remove the jb weld so i'm going to try the sealer. i was wondering if anyone had used this before and if they could offer any advice on applying it.<p>thanks<p>robert
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parkside415@earthlink.net

ALAN

Re: leaky gas tank

#4 Post by ALAN » Thu Jul 07, 2005 1:34 pm

I dont know what jb weld is but as in uk im coded welder/sheetmetal worker leaky tanks are fixed properly by welding/patch seal welding whatever they hold . If your tank is corroding inside out it could be a spot or as we say tea bag forming i.e. *****d.At an average age of 21-18yrs dependent of use ie.how full its been kept depends on how much corrosion is/has taken place.A 1/2 decent welder will determine on trying to repair.GOOD LUCK.
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alantp@tiscali.co.uk

rob

Re: leaky gas tank

#5 Post by rob » Thu Jul 07, 2005 2:55 pm

I used kreem in a couple of tanks and had no issue - it dries thick and hard coating the inside and I was told by many sources it was the only way to go. Has been working for me for years now and will seal almost anyhole. It is a 3 step deal and it involves an acid solution that is really hard on paint if you get it anywhere on the outside (most liners require this) then a rinse and then the sealer, if you have a nice clean tank you could try the sealer only and see if it sticks ok. It is also relatively easy to remove if needed by using tri-ethel benzene (i think it was) nothing else will touch the sealer, but a little of that stuff and it will disolve right out.<p>Here is a link to a picture - most bike shops carry it or can get it.<p>http://www.mineolamoto.com/eshopprod_ca ... m<p>Rob<br>
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roadkillrobert@yahoo.com

robert

Re: leaky gas tank

#6 Post by robert » Thu Jul 07, 2005 4:34 pm

thanks alan. i took the tank over to a radiator shop near my house and they said they get m/c tanks all the time and $45 to fix it with minimal paint damage. since it's leaking near the seat i guess the seat'll cover most/all of the paint issues. i'm to go get it tomorrow afternoon. thanks for the good advice to get it welded-i've cancelled the order i placed for the tank sealer. <br>best<p>robert
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parkside415@earthlink.net

wolfgang

Re: leaky gas tank

#7 Post by wolfgang » Fri Jul 08, 2005 7:50 am

Good to hear that the leakage problem can be fixed. How are you going to adress the other problem of rust getting into the carbs?<br>From my experience not even additional external petrol filters could stop my carbs getting full of junk, even the needle valve was clogged.<p>I decided to have the gas tanks of all my old 2-strokes professionally cleaned and coated inside.<p>Just a note on what you will eventually face next.<p>regards<p>Wolfgang
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wolfgang_hromada@aon.at

Art

Re: leaky gas tank

#8 Post by Art » Fri Jul 08, 2005 9:46 am

Robert,<br>I agree with Rob and HIGHLY suggest using the Kreem 3 part kit.I have used it approx 50 times over the years,it has worked great.As Wolfgang said if you have someone weld the tank,which I dont think they can do because of the rust, it still doesnt solve your future problems with rust.I always remove the petcock and make a little plate out of scrap metal to block it off.Then you will want to pour in the acid and slowly fill the tank with hot water,do not overfill the tank but if you get some on the paint it wont hurt it as long as you wipe it off quickly,since your tank has a leak you will need to keep an eye on the level and keep adding hot water,leave the acid in for several hours even overnight if you think it is needed.Then flush the tank with the second part,I also run water through the tank for a while.The final step is the most important,pour the kreem in the tank and roll it all around covering every bit then you can let it sit under a light or in the sun,then every half an hour or so roll it around again,after rolling it around several times you can dump out the excess and remove the plate.<br>I suggest not using the tank for at least 3-4 days.You will love the stuff!It is very easy to use.<br>Art
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4munsons@comcast.net

robert

Re: leaky gas

#9 Post by robert » Fri Jul 08, 2005 10:31 am

hi art. thanks for the strong suggestion. i'll know more when i pick up the tank from the welder. they've got a huge shop and i'm confident they won't do anything half way. i've never seen any evidence of rust in the tank so i'm not sure it's an issue. in fact, i took the filter out of the tank a while back and the screen was clean. i've never experienced any trouble with the carbs being clogged, either, FWIW. the welder said the yellow spots i saw on the tank was just some discoloration from the seat. <p>thanks again and hopefully i'll be able to drive it to laguna seca on sunday. <p>best<p>robert<br>
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parkside415@earthlink.net

rob

Re: leaky gas

#10 Post by rob » Fri Jul 08, 2005 4:03 pm

Just remember, no matter how good the welder and even if the tank doesn't leak, it will still need sealed. The gas might not come out, but vapor can make it through some very tiny holes, too small for water or gas to make it through, but it will bubble paint and cause future issues. For 30 bucks it is worth sealing to guarantee no future issues as it basically will add a plastic coating to your tank to stop anything from going through it. My tank was pretty mint when I repainted it and I still sealed it just in case!<br>Also as Art said make sure you whipe it off or it will discolor and eventually damage the paint if you get the acid on it and leave it long enough. The solution will also bubble a bit, so leave some room and don't fill the tank right to the top or it will slowly spit out onto your paint = maybe some good masking tape and plastic over the paint would help. Also do a good job sealing the whole in the bottom of the tank - if it leaks even a little it will lift paint around the leak on the bottom of the tank.<p>Rob
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roadkillrobert@yahoo.com

Art

Re: leaky gas

#11 Post by Art » Fri Jul 08, 2005 4:38 pm

My bad.I thought you stated it was rusty....all that typing(pecking) this morning was for nothing!I hope someone else got something out of it.Good luck and have fun at Laguna.<br>Art
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4munsons@comcast.net

robert

Re: leaky gas

#12 Post by robert » Fri Jul 08, 2005 5:39 pm

hi rob. i'm just back from the radiator shop. it turns out the tank had been sealed before i bought it. the welder pointed it out - i have to tell you i never noticed! it's probably why i never saw rust on the gas filter when i took it off the tank. he ground off the jb weld and found a small crack near the hinge on top of the seam and welded it shut. they did a pressure test and said i was good to go. so what i have now is a welding repair and a sealed tank. i guess the next thing is to remove the old sealer - it probably got burned away when they welded the leak - and reseal it. i'm also going to loosen the bolts that hold the tank on. i may have overtightened them when i put the bike back together which caused all this trouble in the first place.<br>thanks for the tips on using the sealer. <br>best<p>robert
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parkside415@earthlink.net

leo

Re: leaky gas tank

#13 Post by leo » Sat Jul 09, 2005 4:23 am

check out this epoxy product from caswellplating.com
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kochdirtrider@sbcglobal.net

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