Gas Tank Repair

[william.betts]

Hey guys new to the site but i had a question about gas tank repair

i am thinking about purchasing Kreem but i need to know if you think this will work i have a rusted gas tank thats leaking

i am gonna clean the gas tank with kremm

then jb weld the rusted spots

then use the kreem sealer to seal the gas tank \

will this work

any input would be greatly appreciated

[pandy]

* paging seshadri_srinath to the white GSTwin courtesy phone!

He's a Kreem and welding guru:

Here are a couple of links from a search on his name and kreem:
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=15528.0
http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=11461.0

Hopefully he'll chime in soon! 

[Mandres]

how bad is the leak(s)?  The POR15 tank sealing kit claims to seal up "pinhole" leaks but anything bigger than that will require welding.  I'd assume the Kreem kit is similar. 

[3imo]

I'd be worried about the integrity of the tanks wall. if the rust penetrated all the way through, the walls around the hole may be thinned.

The rust spot is probably down by the crotch area, how bad is it?  you have pics?

I would expect a "kreem" to be a temporary fix at best. but wadda I know 

Tanks can be had for cheap on ebay, every now and again.

[william.betts]

Hey guys new to the site but i had a question about gas tank repair

i am thinking about purchasing Kreem but i need to know if you think this will work i have a rusted gas tank thats leaking

i am gonna clean the gas tank with kremm

then jb weld the rusted spots

then use the kreem sealer to seal the gas tank \

will this work

any input would be greatly appreciated

it is on the right of the tank right over where the fairing sits in the whole and i can see where its bubbling under that stripes

i just dont have the money to buy a gas tank i talked to a guy and he quoted 275 for a gas tank thats almost as much as i paid for the bike but on a good note it is running just havent been able to ride it because of the gas leak sucks

[NiceGuysFinishLast]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/04-suzuki-gs-500-gs500-gas-tank-fuel-648_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ35591QQitemZ4597484025QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWD1V

129.99 buy it now, $25 ground shipping in the US. I saved you $100.. so you send me $50, and we'll call it even! 

Actually, I'm looking at picking it up myself... I'm looking at a GS with a dented tank.. hmm.. putting the cart before the horse?

[william.betts]

so are you saying i can have it for 50 bucks if so will it fit on a 1990 gs500

[TragicImage]

uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh







no comment.

[3imo]

OH....K

Willy...can I call ya Willy? 

Willy, so your the broke biker DIY'er.  HAHA  My kinda guy.    (keep the ghey jokes to a minimum)

So we need a cheap fix for this.  I've never used Kreem (to a minimum, guys) before but have heard some horror stories.

#1 deal with the rust.
#2 seal the rust
#3 seal the leaks

check this out :
-- http://home.bellsouth.net/p/s/community.dll?ep=331&folderid=208550&groupid=41309&folderview=thumbs&ck=

The guys name is STARWALT and he kicks ass on this site. (hopefully he'll chime in)

I am looking up POR15 to see if it will cure the rust issue as well as coat the tank. I think it does.


For now I recommend you get a can of aircraft stripper (walmart, auto parts store...) and strip the paint off the area you see bubbling on the tank.
at least 1-2 inches around any rust you see. (do the whole tank, might as well)

HAND SAND the rust off starting with 220 grit. remove all rust and expose all holes.  then you 'll really see the extent of the damage. hopefully its just a pinhole or two.

Take pics and let us "experts" here at GStwin see.    We'll help ya.

[3imo]

http://www.por15.com/PRODUCTS/COMPLETEKITS/tabid/62/Default.aspx

READ!!!!! DANIEL-SAN


http://www.por15.com/PRODUCTS/COMPLETEKITS/CYCLETANKREPAIRKIT/tabid/103/Default.aspx

$34

[Mandres]

That's the same kit I used.  It specifically claims to seal up pinhole-sized leaks and it works really, really well for stopping rust. 

-M

[3imo]

one thing i failed to mention.

On My 99' I noticed the tank was a bit rusty.  reading on the internet, I found the suggestion to rattle pebbles around to knock loose the rust.

I used regular garden type pebbles.  Pea sized.  it was like $2 for 20lbs.

worked great. after a few minutes of rattling I rinsed the tank out onto a white rag.  the rag turned completly brown with rust.

getting the pebbles out is a big pain in the ass and took the better part of an hour.  Water helps.  I don't know if there is an easier option.

[Kasumi]

Fill the entire tank with water then you can see any leaks too!

[octane]

The GS tank tends to leak in the lower seams. If it's not too bad you can probably get away with a sealer kit, but if you're looking for a long term solution, replace the tank. $275 is a bit high, unless the tank has mint paint and matches your bike!! I've bought several decent tanks for $100-$150. IMO, that's by far the best way to do it. You'll spend half that sealing your rustbucket.

[starwalt]

I thought I felt a disturbance in the Force...

It has been said before, but make sure you block any holes prior to using the POR-15 sealer.

Do you wanna use the Muriatic Acid method to blow away the rust? It is very aggressive and a favorite of Srinath. I guess it really depends on how bad the rust is. The POR kit has some cleaning/etching solutions and if you follow the kit instuctions, you should be fine. I actually used the Muriatic first and then the POR etchant.

When introducing the sealer, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ALL PINHOLES, ETC BLOCKED. You will entomb any rust particles in the sealer when it is put in the tank so...I wouldn't go to the trouble of using beads, ball bearings, rocks, pebbles, gerbils, screws, etc. You will just have to fish them out later.

My mistake was not doing the JB Weld after the cleaning/etching and before the sealer. I would have filled up the "crap pockets" on the side that leaked completely.

The stuff is super tough and you will have a little more than you need for do the tank. Let it settle into the crap pocket because you never use the gas down there anyway. That gas is below the pickup for either RES. or ON positions of the fuel tank petcock.

If you have any questions...holla!

[pandy]

I thought I felt a disturbance in the Force...

How could I have forgotten THIS expert...?? 

You are a font of good information, starwalt! 

[3imo]

The dark side has receeded on this one, Master.

U DA MAN 

[starwalt]

How could I have forgotten THIS expert...?? 

Now THAT'S a stretch. I have to defer expert status to Srinath, he's Kreemed more tanks than I'll ever see -- being his favorite chemical liner -- and has even gone to the trouble of having them welded, blasted, *ed, and generally should be awarded a PhD in Tank.

I'm going to be doing another POR job on my coworker's identical-to-my-project GS in a couple of weeks. His tank is not leaking. He's trading a pile of extra stuff he got with the bike for the job.  I just need to order/buy the stuff.