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Mild surface rust in tank

  • Thread starter Thread starter Poot
  • Start date Start date
P

Poot

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Is there a way to get rid of this, other than creaming the inside? the rust isnt really too bad, its just slight surface rust on some of the inside. no heavy spots.


gtg.
 
I've not heard of any way to get rid of it except for Kreem or one of its counterparts.

I do know that slight rust in the tank is a chronic issue for these older bikes, because fine iron oxide particles build up in the bowls and clog stuff. A fuel filter would do the trick, except that on gravity feed you can't filter much. I bought a 150-micron filter that will work, but that's a pretty wide filter; good for keeping out dinosaur bones, but that's about it.
 
Unfortunately any mild surface rust you can see is irrelevant... water accumulates on the lowest point of the tank, usually right out of sight from the filler cap hole, and quietly munches away at your precious metal. Usually the first thing you know is a blister on the painted exterior at the bottom of the tank. You see it, think "What the...?!", give it a flick with your fingernail, and then you are greeted with the sight of fuel piddling everywhere... :cry:

So if your tank hasn't been treated with Kreem, now's a good time to do it, before (i) you get a leak that strands you somewhere, and (ii) before you get an unsightly blister or peeling bit of paint on your tank's exterior.

Into the bargain, no more rust sediment in the carbs, clean fuel, and you can ditch the fuel filter too. The fine nylon gauze item which is integral to the fuel tap, is more than adequate for filtering out even the smallest of gnat's appendages.

Mike.
 
another product is POR-15. I've had good luck with it. I've heard Kreem can flake off in time............
 
I think they can all flake off with time, if the surface preparation procedures aren't followed to a 'tee'.

I think there are two basic categories of liner (and I am happy to be corrected on this):

1. Plastic dissolved in solvent, eg. Kreem. [According to some research I did a while back, Kreem is made from a plastic called "UCAR VYHD" dissolved in MEK (methy-ethyl ketone).] Once the solvent evaporates, you are left with a flexible but tough coating of plastic.

2. Epoxy-based resins which require a hardener to take a set, eg. Petseal.

There are a number of brands of each type available, depending on where in the world you live. Occasionally you hear of someone having a negative outcome -- such as the sealer disintegrating or coming away from the inside of the tank. But these reports are usually balanced by folks who say they have had no trouble at all. I'm willing to bet that closely following the surface-preparation procedures is the critical factor in things working out right.

Mike.
 
Anyone with a GS motorcycle that has not had their tank coated by now is riding on borrowed time. Keep your trips close to home.
 
My tank looks like brandy new inside. I know because I have had the sending unit and petcock off and scoped the inside.

I am in the habit of filling up at the end of every ride. I also keep 5 gal. on hand at home so I can top off the 1/32 of a gal that I burn between the filling station and home. Keeping the tank 100% full between rides keeps condensation to a minimum.
 
dpep said:
Anyone with a GS motorcycle that has not had their tank coated by now is riding on borrowed time. Keep your trips close to home.
Click to expand...

The tanks on both of my bikes look like new inside. No Kreem necessary. But they're both Colorado bikes and it's dry here. Rust is much less of an issue here.

Regarding Kreem, I'm told it's not compatible with our modern alcohol fuels. The fuel additives attack it, the lining comes apart, and you end up with your carbs full of Kreem. POR is supposed to be ok and there's a couple of other brands that are supposed to be good also.

Debby
 
Debby is right, my tank(and the rest of the bike) had been sitting outside for years, and had no rust in the tank. Thank the dry Calgary air. When I lived on the west coast though, rust WAS a major issue. I found that all gas stations are not created equal. If you ride your bike(or want to) all year round, buy your gas at a high volume station as there is less chance of water in their gas, from not sitting as long. If you put your bike away for the winter, and don't want to take the tank off and drain and dry it, drain as much gas out of it as you can. The "prime" spot on the petcock will do this. Buy a quart of premium outboard oil and mix half the oil with a couple of cups of 99.9% pure (not the stuff from the drugstore) isopropyl alcohol. This can be found at any paint store or Home Depot under the name Japan Dryer. Good outboard oil contains rust inhibitors that cling to metal and the alcohol will absorb any small amount of water that may be in there, mix it with the oil and keep it suspended away from your tank. Isopropyl will not hurt plastic, rubber or anything else in your fuel system and this mix will keep your petcock working smooth and perfect. Just dump it in, shake the bike to slosh it around and your done. In the spring just fill up the bike with fresh fuel and go for a ride. The small amount of this mix will not change your mixture enough to notice it and it helps to oil and clean your intake valves for that first tank of gas. I have done this to my bike every fall when I put it away and I have no rust or anything else in my tank, my clear filter is still empty and my carbs have worked perfect and have never needed cleaning.
 
the rust is only on the inside, and only very slight, and I think it only started to develop this winter, b/c i didn't leave my gas tank full #-o . The bike was in edmonton for all it's life, until I moved it here to toronto this year.


I'm just wondering what is the best way to -remove- the rust, rather than coat it, since its not too bad now. I'm gonna try rubbing the inside that I can get at, and see the result. Right now, the tank is empty, but tonight, I'm going to clean it, and go to the station and fill it full of premium, in preparation of getting my bike started this week.


thanks,


poot
 
Poot, if you get really concerned about the rust, call Gas Tank Renu, on Martin Grove, just above Rexdale Blvd., and ask for a current quote.




Gas Tank Renu completely cleaned and coated my G tank a few years years ago for CA$80. I found a couple of others, but all were more expensive, and were not as easy to deal with.

At that time a common price for Kreem inToronto was CA$40. and I was STRONGLY warned that you MUST work outdoors with it because of the toxic fumes.

GTR not only do an excellent job, they give a written guarantee good for at least two years.

A small qualification: you should ask anyone you choose about your paint before getting anything done.

My tank was solid, but had been dented in several places before I got the bike. The paint was already stripped and body work completed before I gave it to them for cleaning/coating, so I had no reason for concern.
 
thanks for the tip!


its not soo bad now. no rust in the bottom of tank, just a slight bit I can see in the hole. gonna leave it for now, and then get it taken care of at the end of the season/when I have more money to blow.


poot
 
Use a product with phosphoric acid in it. The phosphoric acid leaves a residue on the metal surface that helps to inhibit future rust. If you're going to seal, I recommend using POR-15. It seems to do a better job than kreem, which seems to have peeling issues.
 
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