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Fuel penetrating under the tank paint

  • Thread starter Thread starter GSX750ES junky
  • Start date Start date
G

GSX750ES junky

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The paint job on the fuel tank of my GSX750ES was recently done with awesome finish. The reliability however sucks.
As you can see in the attached picture fuel is penetrating under the paint and it can be easily peeled off close to the fuel cap.

1. Can the problem be fixed locally or a whole re paint of the tank will be needed ?
2. What can the paint shop do to prevent such problems in the future ?
 
looks to me like the problem was caused by the fuel cap not sealing properly.Youll need a new rubber seal. As for the paint, its past the point of being able to hide it under the cap. If it were me i would have the whole tank repainted.
 
I agree with Chuck. Since fuel has found its way under the paint, a void has been made between it and the metal that will most likely get larger.
 
If it had been just a small spot that would be hid by the cap, I would have popped the blister and picked off any loose edges. Then took some white paint and just repainted the offending spot, but thats too far gone. What you can do in the future once its repainted is this.. go buy a spray can of clearcoat and spray some in a cup. Take a Q Tip and apply sevral layers around the filler cap all the way up to the rim that the cap seals against and let it dry out in the hot sun for a day or 2. that will assure that all the edges between the filler neck and fresh paint are sealed well. thats probably where the whole thing started..right where the paint stopped on the filler neck.
 
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Rubber seal for the fuel tank is not sold separately.
I guess I need to replace the whole cap :(...
 
Put an add in the wanted parts section..someone has a seal and its not hard to replace.Just gently lift the seal off all the way around the bottom and the new one slips right back on...someone will have one. Be sure to include the year and model of the bike as well.
 
Hate to say this but getting a fuel cap for that will be fairly hard.They seem fragile.Got a bunch of requests for that style cap when I put my 83 parts up.
2010_06200001.jpg

I only have this one and the key does not lock it.Look great but they seem to be a PITA.
 
Sadly, it's a very common problem. Wherever there is a hard paint edge, especially around the filler, you have to seal it off. I've used Liquid Steel with good success. Mix the 2-part up then take your finger and smooth a thin coat over that exposed edge. The Liquid Steel is hard as rock in 15 minutes and is impervious to the gas. Liquid Steel is sandable, too, so if you need to smooth it out for a tight seal, it's possible to do so, but don't sand so much off that it re-exposes the paint edge. It's also a good idea to do it where the paint edge goes around the petcock threads, too. Today's gas eats right into exposed paint edges. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done to your tank. A good painter should be able to touch that area up, and then re-clear the whole tank again.
 
I would have it all redone..too many variables to get it right..feathering, sunfade..just worth the full redoing to be assured a quality and uniform job ..in my opinion.
 
chuck hahn said:
I would have it all redone..too many variables to get it right..feathering, sunfade..just worth the full redoing to be assured a quality and uniform job ..in my opinion.
Click to expand...

I would agree with that, except the tank decals are already in place. You could save time and money by not having to redo those, too. There shouldn't be any sun fade with such a recent paint job. After scuffing the whole tank with 600, feather back the damaged area with 400, lightly prime, lightly sand the primer, blend the white in just on the top of the tank, then re-clear the whole thing again. Any painter worth his salt should be able to do that easily.
 
Any painter worth his salt wouldnt have made the mistakes on that tank. I didnt see that he infact did say it was recently painted.
 
Um..first line of his post. Not here to argue, just trying to help. If the guy wasn't a motorcycle painter, specifically, then he might not have known about the penchant for peeling at the filler opening. Can't say..don't know the guy, or his skill level. I know what fixes it, though...;)
 
:D..in some cases, sure. Maybe the guy that painted it will honor the repair. I would if it had been my mistake..and you can be darn sure, I'd want to do it as quickly, and with as few materials as possible. It's a good lesson if nothing else.
 
Bring the tank to the guy and ask him how he would fix it. He may just do it for ya.

Filler necks are tricky to do if you have not done them often. From what I have seen and heard, it is actually the vapours getting under either the paint/clear and causing the damage.

There are several ways to deal with this but sealing is usually best.
 
You're absolutely correct. Trying to seal it with more clear will only leave another, even fresher, paint line for the vapors to penetrate. It needs to be sealed with a product that is gas resistant.
 
Thank you guys for all the clever advises.
The tank was taken to a paint shop by the guy who sold me the bike a few years ago. I'll contact him tomorrow to track the painter.
I agree that a complete paint job will be the perfect solution but I still need to check if it's the best value for money considering the fact that 2 inches from the cap the paint cannot be removed with a screw driver.
I'm rebuilding this bike to display standards and money is running out.
If the painter can guarantee a local fix I'll go for it. Nevertheless, this time I'll make sure the painter provides a professional gas resistant sealing solution where the paint meets the gas hole.
The rubber seal, buy the way looks good. It wouldn't mind pampering with a high quality silicone grease which I have but it looks good.
I'll keep you updated in the next days.
 
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nvr2old said:
It needs to be sealed with a product that is gas resistant.
Click to expand...
nvr2old,

Thanks for the insight. when I finally get around to painting the Skunks tank, I WOULD have made that same mistake. not now because of you!
 
I still think the number 1 thing is to be absolutely sure the cap gasket is sealing COMPLETELY
 
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