Well, it's done.

THE BIKE! SHE LIVES!!!!!11!1!!!eleventy


Well, someone at work suggested I take the tank to a radiator shop so I called one.
They in turn suggested that I buy something called "Red Kote" and use it because it's 1 bajillion times better than Kreem and 10,000 times better than POR.
So, I stopped by the place, bought a quart, got home and got to work.

That stuff is THICK.
It looks like the candy coating on candy apples.
Looking in the tank after it cured, it aint pretty but it's on there.
Biggest problem I think is that there's so many odd angles and stuff.
Anyway, satisfied that I had everything coated, I just had to wait for the curing.
Today, checked it all out.
Poked it a little and it seemed to have completely cured. (OI that stuff STINKS though.)

Bike fired up on the first push.
I actually had to give it choke to keep it running.
I let it run about 2 min and checked the nice glass fuel filter I bought.
Everything looks clear.
Choke off, idle was a bit low so I adjusted it out a little.
Got it to where it would sit 1200~1350ish.

Time for a test ride. (and gas)
Bike is smooth now.
No sputtering.
Still surges just a little every once in a while when trying to cruise at say 40mph but nowhere NEAR what it used to.
Get to I-85 and LET HER RIP.
HOLY CRAP!  I almost came off the seat.   
MUCH more power than before.
Accelerates CRISPLY and FIRMLY now.
Even pulls pretty good from lower RPMs. (3k pulls feel pretty decent)

Filled up and came back home.
Just a quick 15min ride as it's been raining on and off and it looks like the next storm cell is about to hit.
Parked it.
Idle sat nicely and firmly at 1200ish.

Put her back inside.


I'd like to take the time to thank everyone again for their input and a HUGE shout to blue05twin who worked on a bike to 2am with a guy he didn't even know simply because. 


I'll keep a close eye on her the next few trips anywhere but I think we got that problem taken care of.

Yes, red Kote ... I have it in 1 tank ... I heard Red kote is now blue in color
BTW ... my red kote Koted tank ... leaks. I didn't Kote it, but its on there and looks solid and it leaked, till I welded it up and PORed it.
But cant beat it for prep ... or lack of it.
Kreem is easiest to remove - there for my favorite.
POR ... can be put on thin, or thick, seals up holes and is easier on the prep, and pretty tough ...
The thicker the coating ... the worse it will be if you want to get it off.
Anyway, good luck there. Have fun.
Cool.
Srinath.

Dunno.
My Red Kote was red.

Since I didn't have any leaks in the tank, I wasn't concerned about that just wanted it sealed so no rust could get through the system. 

They told me the best thing about Red Kote is if I want to take it out, all I have to do is dump MEK in there and it eats it right off.
Let's hope I don't have to do that though.

Nice, I've been contemplating red kote ever since I found out my tank is rusty, and most likely the cause of my problems lately. How long did you have to let it cure? I can rarely have my bike out of commission for more than a day at a time, cuz I rarely get more than one day off in a row.

Quote from: NiceGuysFinishLast on July 28, 2007, 04:38:43 PM
Nice, I've been contemplating red kote ever since I found out my tank is rusty, and most likely the cause of my problems lately. How long did you have to let it cure? I can rarely have my bike out of commission for more than a day at a time, cuz I rarely get more than one day off in a row.

It says a 24 hour cure. I cured mine in about 14ish? I put it in yesterday, rolled the tank every half hour or so to stop puddles. (which happened anyway. lol) I then put it in my unused bathroom before I went to bed with the exhaust fan on. This morning, I heated the tank with a hair dryer a few times just for sanity. (Not real hot just warm.)

I've been checking the fuel filter to make sure it's clean. I went for another ride about 45 miles and everything seems to be fine.

If I had ANY suggestion, it would be to not dump a full quart in the tank like I did. That's WAAAAAY too much and too a bit to get it to drain the excess out. Half a quart would probably do fine.

Quote from: Mayoke on July 28, 2007, 02:11:02 PM
Dunno.
My Red Kote was red.

Since I didn't have any leaks in the tank, I wasn't concerned about that just wanted it sealed so no rust could get through the system. 

They told me the best thing about Red Kote is if I want to take it out, all I have to do is dump MEK in there and it eats it right off.
Let's hope I don't have to do that though.

That means its same as Kreem ... love it ... however the thing will not eat it, it will soften it and put in enough MEK - Like 1-2 gallons, it will get it diluted well enough ... but eventually some of it will be left there.
1 qt Red qote will prolly need 2 gallons MEK. I thin Kreem with acetone and only use like 1/4 of the pint they sell that in. However Kreem needs serious acid prep before hand. Redkote does not I believe.
Cool.
Srinath.

So this Red Kote stuff just covers up the rust without any cleaning to remove loose or flaking rust?

Well, I would do the cleaning myself first, with some nuts and bolts to remove large flakes, then do the coating.

Quote from: dgyver on July 28, 2007, 07:14:05 PM
So this Red Kote stuff just covers up the rust without any cleaning to remove loose or flaking rust?

They recommend that you remove as much as you can. Shouldn't be any flaking or loose. I used some rust treatment that ate the rust overnight. It did an EXCELLENT job too. Not the stuff that just turns it black either. This stuff broke up 90% of it and all that was left was some small black pocks here and there. The Red Kote will indeed seal it underneath and prevent further rusting. So far, I'm pretty impressed with it. When Red Kote dries, it's like a semi-hard elastic polymer. It still flexes a little but is very resillient. Everything I've read about it is good so far and it's what all the radiator shops use. That's where I got mine from was a Radiator Shop. They were really nice and the guy told me how to apply it. (The directions on the can were just as good.)   

Quote from: dgyver on July 28, 2007, 07:14:05 PM
So this Red Kote stuff just covers up the rust without any cleaning to remove loose or flaking rust?

Strange as it sounds ... all 3 treatments (kreem, POR, redkote) all need a rough surface to adhere to. Make it super clean and smooth (like with oil and some rattling items ... BB's, chain, nuts on a wire etc) and it all will fail to stick. Acid leaves the whole area pockmarked and once dry its a good base for somehting to stick. POR15's metal ready leaves zink phosphate on the etched surface ... its decent to stuff to stick to and stays rust free in the mean time. A lightly rusted surface (looks like 320 grit sand paper) is ideal for all 3 to grip on.
So ... you dont want to leave any part too smooth, wet or oily. And when its laid on thick, in the corners and seams it will sorta not get into the crevice and it will hover, which is exactly where my Red Kote tank sprung a leak. One more reason I do multiple thin coats as opposed to 1 thick one.
I would do a thin Kreem or thin POR on a well etched and dried tank. The GS tank is very very hard I'd definetly say.
Cool.
Srinath.

Quote from: NiceGuysFinishLast on July 28, 2007, 04:38:43 PM
Nice, I've been contemplating red kote ever since I found out my tank is rusty, and most likely the cause of my problems lately. How long did you have to let it cure? I can rarely have my bike out of commission for more than a day at a time, cuz I rarely get more than one day off in a row.

The instructions say to let it cure until it gets firm and the solvent smell goes away.  For me, that was close to 5 days in a heated shop at 72 F.  (Did it over the winter) 

Oh, make sure to coat the filler neck completely so it won't rust.

Your local hardware store should have a cork large enough to plug the filler neck. 

Red Kote can be purchased at any NAPA Auto Parts.   

&

I have a block off plate you bolt in place of the gas cap. The cap area can first be painted by a brush as well.
And Yes, my cure time is also 4 days at a minimum for Kreem or POR15.
Coke and vinegar both need some mechanical scratching type to work right. Heck, so does the POR 15 provided metal ready.
Cool.
Srinath.

Quote from: Mayoke on July 28, 2007, 12:59:42 PM
Well, it's done.
THE BIKE! SHE LIVES!!!!!11!1!!!eleventy

Bravo!!! Good show!!! Well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Great to hear.

BTW- On the Concours.org forum, they discuss rusty tanks, there is a supplier named "Murph" who sells Concours parts, he sells POR 15 and a lot of people swear by it. 

Good luck and good riding.   

Wow.
4 days? 5 days?
Mine took less than 24 hours and there was no smell and everything was right.

Took a trip to Suches and back today. (Putzed around the moutain.)
Have put 214 miles since tank cured.
No problems, filter crystal clear.   

Cured mine inside my condo in the unused half bathroom downstairs with the exhaust vent going and nothing else.
I guess it's a YMMV. (Your Mileage May Vary)

POR15 or Kreem, I believe they both need to be thinned ... a lot. Its gotta be like water. Else you'd have un coated seams and crevices in a GS tank for sure. The thick stuff will float and coat the walls but not get into the narrow gap at the weld.
Today was a 3 tank coat day for me. Savage, Virago - 2 tanks for it. Pour POR15 thinned 50% with a filter, in one tank, slosh, drain, filter into another slosh, drain, into 3rd, slosh drain ... and very little came out. Then rotate tanks several times. I have sliced tanks open and pulled out a thick dagger of Kreem or POR and it wasn't even stopping it from leaking via a pin hole it had.
This winter I am slicing open another GS tank.
BTW the 96 my friend has, showed up yesterday, exhaust cracked and he barely caught it before it flew off, its also loosening that foot peg bolt. I got my 89 back in 95 with that bolt missing, and on the first day I rode it, the can flew off on highway 580 in D/T oakland.
Somehow, most of the bikes I have had from then to now, didn't do this. And the 2 I see recently are doing this.
His bike also loosens the tach cable, the exhaust collars etc. Mine used to blow tail light bulbs more frequently than most. The yellow savage I had till recently used to blow rear turn signals, by breaking them. Like 2-3 weeks per bulb, and the right was always the one that was breaking. maybe cos it was aftermarket metal body ones fitted to the rear fender, instead of the sissy bar.
Cool.
Srinath.

BTW, POR makes a paint called hardnose. Its seriously tough ass crap.
Cool.
Srinath.