How to seal fuel tank

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m-cman

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I removed my tank to apply the KBS Tank Sealer. It is not difficult if you follow the instructions, just a little time consuming. I have attached a copy of the instructions. Might be a good idea to make this a "sticky".
 

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  • Gas Tank Removal.doc
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I thought I might add this info I found and follow it when tank is rust free and ready.

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"SUBJECT: HOW TO KREEM YOUR TANK
DATE: 22 October 2001
FROM: Paul "Bart" Matterson
Hatchy, i've now done a total of 9 different tanks over the years, basically it goes like this
1- use etching acid from kit (i actually use a deoxidine soluton of which i have about 30 litres) to *thoroughly* clean all rust from tank internals- most of worst rust will be on the top of the tank adjacent to filler as this is where all the "steam" outa petrol evaporates to. this requires temporary sealing of apertures in tank and removal of fuel taps/gauge senders etc, i use a variety of sink plugs and silicon etc to block off, and on the guzzi used fuel hose and bolt/clamp combo on the fuel tap outlets. put mixture in agitae, allow overnight to etch clean (leave 1 opening clear to alow for gas/chemical reaction to expand OK) , then tip tank up the other way to make sure you get complete etching EVERYWHERE or the liner will peel off later check for complete etching everywhere, i use a torch globe with 2 soldered leads and insert into tank to check it out
2- start rinsing with hose in tank until NO SUDS seen, this means all acid residue has been washed out
3-shake out remaining water from tank then use the de-watering fluid in kit to make ABSOLUTELY sure that no water left in tank, i then put a vacuum cleaner on reverse to blow dry the inner surface
4- when COMPLETELY dry apply KREEM white latex liner, and roll/turn/sit for 5 mins/roll/turn/sit in diff position add infinitum till ALL surfaces are coated with white sealer, drain excess(save it into bottle ), then air dry again (use the reverse on vacuum again), then inspect, and use saved excess and repeat step 4 till all white liner used, air dry for approx 1 week B4 using tank
I've only ever had 1 failure with KREEM(1st tank) cos i didn't check the top of tank near filler for coverage , rust then re-set in and "peeled" liner off-BIG MESS.
Over the years I've come up with a few tricks which might help
1- Kreem tank B4 you paint as Kreem kills paintwork
2- if the tanks already painted(usually the case when you find out about rust) then cover the whole paint job in vaseline(go buy the bigus dickus wanker size of no-name vaso) this protects the paint from any acid/Kreem spillage, cleans off with petrol, then you just wash /polish tank and everything's fine
3- DON'T use any other tank liner(there are a few out there) cos Kreem is the only one that's white, and cos it is ,you can see where it's been (others are clear and a hassle, don't ask !!!)
4- the kreem kit has 3 components acid etch, de-waterer, White liner paint. If you want just buy the paint/liner as deoxidine does the same as the etcher(avail auto paint shops and is re-useable), and the de-waterer can be replaced by using acetone
5- if you buy the kit, then you can make the paint liner thinner by using the kit de-waterer(it's the correct chemical) to make it go further
6- put aside a weekend to do this as it's bloody tedious
7- use eye protection, and WELL ventilated area as this is REALLY good gear to smell,
8- if it's a Guzzi tank you're doing , after its done look inside the filler neck and make sure that the little hole in the vertical part of neck RHS (about 8mm diam) is uncovered/open, as this allows the air pockets trapped in very top of tank to push back out to filler neck- if you don't after filling up your newly kreemed and beautifully painted tank, going into servo to pay , the heat offa the motor causes air to expand and push fuel out of top of tank and bleaches the finish( i was in a hurry to go to Latins by the lake and didn't polish the tank to protect it!!!) DOH!! having said all that, once done properly you'll never have a hassle with rusting etc , Kreem's good shit to use
Bart who's use to kreeming himself!!

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enjoy
 
In Houston, tank rust is a common problem!! The rust particles are so fine that they will bypass the fuel filter and gum up your carbs. I have done several tanks and the best product by far is a tank sealer by Caswell. It's a two part epoxy and will last the lifetime of your bike. If your tank has any leaks or pinholes, this product will repair them. The only preparation you might have is removing heavy rust or removing a failed Kreem job. Rattling a chain around in the tank will remove the heavy rust, and MEK will disolve the old Kreem. You can tint the epoxy any color you like using a fiberglass gel tint, but don't over do it. Epoxy hardens to a "glass like" finish. Follow the instructions, and you'll be riding the next day!
 
I used POR-15 on my wife's tank. We picked her '94 up in NJ (in pieces) after it sat for at least 2 years with about a gallon of gas in it. I first used a power washer on it (after draining it). Then did electrolysis on it to remove all the remaining rust. That worked like a champ! Finally did the 3 step clean/coat procedure.

I cannot recommend the POR-15 highly enough. After seeing what it looks like in the tank after a couple of years, I've been seriously considering pulling my '86 and doing it.

Kent.
 
POR 15 = the good stuff. I use it for car frames, engine paints, epoxy filler and gas tank coatings. Do it right with this stuff and it lasts a good long time.
 
Just got a POR 15 kit in the other day and will be doing a couple of tanks with it (after they get done getting cleaned out by the radiator shop).

Sean
 
I had good results with kreem. I used handful of small pebbles from beach to remove rust. One thing to mention which I didn't see, is that by the amount of coating that is put in the tank you will lose that same amount of fuel capacity.
 

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