Hi
My bike started running a bit bad last week. It was slow on acceleration and felt a bit sluggish. It felt like it was just about to go onto reserve all the time. You know that pulling back feeling as it runs out.

It felt that way for the whole journey so it was not going onto reserve.

Anyway I'm no mechanic but managed to change plugs and Air filter (pleased with myself) and when I tested it ... it was the same.

I noticed later that the engine was splattered in brown deposits (dry by now). Thinking I had loosened a pipe or what ever I took the tank off to see what was going on and noticed a leak underneath.

I took tank off and emptied it (WOW the bottom of the bucket was brown with a sediment of water & rust) I could not believe the crap in the tank. I think it had been going into my air intake, as the leak is right above the air filter.

I have now got the carbs off (all thanks to the article on this site by Marc Malagelada Duch... thank you Marc) and obviously need to clean them (as I said ,, no mechanic but want to take my time and see what I can do).

My tank is now still holding sediment & petrol dregs.

What now? Can it be fixed? How do I clean the tank before fixing? How can it be fixed? Where can I get a second hand one in the UK?

Andy

well i know people do weld gas tanks for cars but they need to be flushed with water so theres no gas or fumes left. but its hard to find a welder that will touch a job on a gas tank. they do make epoxy putty for gas tanks that claims to stop leaks but i have never used ant to say if they work or not. or if it is on the seam you could try to solder it that may work it you solder well. but make sure you flush the tank out well or "poff". now what you have to think about is why is there a leak there anyhow?? nothing could hit it to crack it there. it could be a defect from the factory if its at the seam. but with all that crud in the tank maybe its rusted through. in that case it will start leaking again anyhow and the heat from a weld would just weaken it more. i say get a new tank. there seems to be alot of gs500's in the UK watch the UK ebay or check salvage yards. otherwise from what i have seen new tanks are like $300 new maybe more.

I just had the tank from my Kat repaired.  I took it to a radiator shop that also repairs gas tanks.  I don't have it back yet but I've been told it's done.  

I think the bike stood outside for a long time before I got it.  Mine was similar in that you could see rust in the tank and the carbs were full of rust in the float bowls.  I didn't think it was all that bad by the look of it but once they started cleaning it, it was full of holes in the bottom.  They had to solder all the holes and then coated the inside with epoxy.  In the end it will cost be $95 CAN including sandblasting the outside.  This is real cheap I think.  You would be lucky to find someone to repair it for that price.

You might be better off to get a newer tank off eBay or something.  

Rob

If it's just Pin-hole leaks...POR-15 will seal them up...  It's a gas tank rust restorer product... Kit includes a cleaner, an etcher/rust remover and the sealer...

I don't know if it's available in the UK or not...(I'm sure you have similar products available over there tho..)

Say, that reminds me (not to hijack or anything), but I have pinhead-sized rust spots under the Suzuki sticker on my gas tank (top 1/2 of the tank).  You can see them through the sticker and paint.  They are not all in a group.

I wonder: are these from the inside of the tank, or maybe did something on the outside ding the tank in each spot, so that there was a tiny hole in the sticker allowing moisture to collect and rust the outside?  If it's showing-through from the inside, then I guess I'd better look at POR-15. eh?

There are also two tanks in your part of the world for sale on Ebay right now  , Andy.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10534&item=2473253025&rd=1

and

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=10534&item=2473253258&rd=1

What I meant to say in my previous post is that it's hard to tell if they are really pinhole leaks or not.  Mine wasn't leaking but once they started in on it, they found lots of holes.  Not sure what was holding the gas in!?!?  Paint and rust I guess.  I think if you have any pinhole leaks they are probably much bigger.  

I decided to get mine fixed because who know what you'll get off eBay.  You could buy one of eBay and then have to fix it anyway.  Unless you're buying one from Arizona.  

Rob

What is the source of rust in the tank generally?  Is it water content in old gas?  I don't know how rust would get inside the tank to begin with.

ASLAM.

Well it is generally thought (I think) that the overnight coolness causes the water vapour in the tank to condense on the sides of the tank.  I think water is heavier than gas too so it goes to the bottom of the tank.  I think garage kept bike are less susceptible but they too can get water in the tank.  This spring my buddy drained the carbs from his bike before starting and they were mostly full of water.  His bike has been in the garage all winter.  

Rob

My carbs are getting cleaned tomorrow (tue) as a friend offered and i need to thoroughly flush my tank and assess the damage. I will look into the Epoxy putty & por15 and bear in mind solder and radiator repairers.

good source on Ebay thanks

Andy