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NEW Tank old tank?

  • Thread starter Thread starter ETV5002
  • Start date Start date
E

ETV5002

Guest
I have rust in my tank, and beyond that the wrong petcock on it which completely F*cks my carbs. Over the winter i took a look at my bike and a bubble formed under the paint raising it from the tank about the size if a quarter. months later that quarter turned into a dollars, so i peeled back the paint and splat gas everywhere and a hole in my tank!! its a slit about an inch long.
Now what do i do get a new tank, or find someone to weld this one. I'll try to get a pic of the hole. I believe my tank to be a 81-83 1100 tank.
check out the pics
Also the paint didnt looked damaged but the hole is slightly pushed in coult the tank have rusted through from the inside? or definitely an outside puncture?
the green is where the hole is.
View attachment 3801
 
Might be where some PO used too long of a screw to attach the Suzuki emblem to the tank, screwing it all the way through, then filled it with Bondo to hide his handywork?
I had one that had this problem.
Your pic looks like about the right spot.
 
so what do i do? get a new tank? or is there something that i can plug it with.
also the hole is a little to the right of the emblem screw holes.
 
ETV5002 said:
so what do i do? get a new tank? or is there something that i can plug it with.
also the hole is a little to the right of the emblem screw holes.
Click to expand...

Could get it welded, make sure they know how to not get blown up, there are different methods to make it safe to do.... Also there are glues designed for use in gasoline.
 
Indeed. You may inquire about lead soldering. Its much easier to smooth out, and if the person is good with it, you'll never know it was done. I guess a good welder could do the same, but seems to me it would be tougher.
 
Ok I read the page on repainting the bike, and seeing as i peeled off the paint im going to have to repaint the whole tank. Its a tiny slit so could i use JB Weld, Or PermaTex to seal the hole. Then bondo to cover it and sand it smooth so i can repaint the tank. Finally get one of those tank liner kits and create a membrane to protect the interior from further rusting?

Or is lead welding the way it should be done? because sealing it myself will save money compared taking it to be welded.

I'll post a picture of the hole later compared to a quarter.
 
ETV5002 said:
Ok I read the page on repainting the bike, and seeing as i peeled off the paint im going to have to repaint the whole tank. Its a tiny slit so could i use JB Weld, Or PermaTex to seal the hole. Then bondo to cover it and sand it smooth so i can repaint the tank. Finally get one of those tank liner kits and create a membrane to protect the interior from further rusting?

Or is lead welding the way it should be done? because sealing it myself will save money compared taking it to be welded.

I'll post a picture of the hole later compared to a quarter.
Click to expand...
Well my only concern is *I* am not sure how great JBWeld or Permatex is at gas resistance. Couple guys on here have used it to repair the carb float towers on thier carbs, with good success, so it might be just fine to use.
 
A weld or brazed filler would be best but failing that you can get away with the old DYI favourite......plumbers epoxy. Available in the plumbing section of all home stores. A two part epoxy that comes in a tube and looks like kids PlayDo. You mix it together and within 10 minutes or less it becomes rock hard and workable. Great stuff.

It is impervious to gas. I know I tested it(made a plug and dropped it in gas for over a month...no problemo). If you do have rust in the tank and or pinholes I would recommend sealing the tank and I would recommend the tank sealer kit from Caswell Plating (phenol novalac) it is easier to use than the other kits and is designed to bond to rust. Very good stuff.

If you can find a good used tank snag it but this fix will work. 2 years now on my XS 650 tank and absolutely no issues.

Let us know how it works out for you.

Cheers,
Spyug.
 
I had a rusty tank on my 1100GK and bought a tank on Ebay. It was also rusty, so I took it to the local radiator shop, had it boiled, and they have a protective coating they use after the acid wash. I had to have the tank repainted but it is as good as new now.
 
tank

tank

This past year I brought my tank to a local radiator shop to have it acid cleaned because of the little rust in it and they recomended a place in canada to media blast clean and seal the tank inside and out. (the laws on sealers and cleaners are a little bit mor laxed then in th U.S.A. Shipped there and back with all the work was $200 a little steep compare to a 400 dollar cost for a new tank but after the really long wait (almost 5 weeks) the tank came back looking good and the seal is gaurenteed for life. They also said that the company up there can fix holes and rusted out panels before they seal the tank. So check out your local radiator shop and see what they think of the tank, mine was really helpful on what to do.
 
I paid $65 for the acid dip and coating. It took two days at the local radiator shop.
 
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