How To Clean A Gas Tank Motorcycle

How To Clean A Gas Tank Motorcycle – Tired of changing fuel filters, cleaning your carbs, or putting a neglected bike back on the road. Looking for a solution. I know this, because I learned how to do this months ago because I was in the same pickle as you. I had a fuel tank that was collapsing internally and it was a problem with my tank, fuel filter, carb and engine. Your service manual probably won’t tell you much about how to deal with a Russian fuel tank (“Remove and replace,” I’m sure, if it mentions something like that), but because of the high price and / or the tanks that are not available. be (and how expensive those colorful things usually are!), you’re doing the right thing by updating yours.

So as a cyclist who has kept a tank or two in my career, let me give you some things to think about, process and pictures that you might find useful. You’ll probably want to read everything before you start.

How To Clean A Gas Tank Motorcycle

How to clean the fuel tank Plan your task. Assess business opportunities Prepare the tank Add chemical and mechanical abatement agents. Shake it (Shake it!) Clean and shrink seal (optional) Test your sample

Painting And Sealing Motorcycle Fuel Tanks

Every tank is different in its level of degradation. I’ve seen tanks with light rust and a concerned owner, and I’ve seen (and owned!) fuel tanks that were larger in size and scale than the Queen Mary’s hull. The action a person can take can be very different in these situations – or they are exactly the same.

The object of my work is this 1964 Yamaha YG1 tank that belongs to Johnny Greaser, his new brother. Chrome! Clean! Picture of Lemmy.

First think about removing and replacing. I mention this because it is a viable option these days, especially with so many online trading methods. Just spending a hundred or two hundred bucks on a brand new aftermarket tank that can slide and work well again is the smartest thing to do. Also consider used tanks that may be in better shape than yours. And if your bike isn’t too old, jockey, the dealer might have a new one sitting on the shelf somewhere.

Older fatbobs tend to be around for a while because they are built to last. They don’t light up, but to make a kit rust you almost have to throw it in the ocean for two decades. In general, the new bike, the sheet is more thin to save weight – and make the tanks more difficult. Picture of Lemmy.

Is It Worth Getting Tank Grips For Your Motorcycle?

Also consider the construction of the tank. Old Harley-Davidson fatbob tanks, for example, have a high life expectancy simply because of the thicker steel used in their construction. Generally, however, new bikes have tanks made of lightweight steel. If your tank is made of thin metal and has a lot of rust and scale inside, fixing the problem will be difficult and time consuming. If your tank has rusted in some areas, it may be a sign that the tank is beyond maintenance, depending on your time and budget for the project.

Obviously, scarcity is involved; a tank in a certain condition that might be junk on a high production bike can be the holy grail of a low production one. Participating in this is also the external tank: the original paint certainly helps the original bike retain its value. A motorcycle tank that is still in its original appearance may be worth the extra effort because of the value the component brings to the entire bike. Similarly, even paintwork that cannot be reproduced to match other parts of the motorcycle can be expensive to reproduce.

After you’ve determined that a particular tank project is worth your time, money and effort, it’s time to assess the damage. A lamp, a mirror, a phone and a scope can be useful at this time. Moderate rust or scale problems are not too difficult to deal with. Large holes, holes, and/or missing metal will require both metal and body work to repair. We assume in this article that the structure of your tank is sound, but if so, additional surgery may be required – up to and including cutting the tank open for inspection and repair.

Here is where we start. It’s certainly not the worst I’ve seen, but make no mistake, this tank has been in need of help for a long time. Picture of Lemmy.

Large Motorcycle Tank Sealer Plus Kit

Johnny Greaser’s YG1 tank you see here had 50 years of neglect and limitations that I had to deal with. It was bad. Very bad. Not rotten, but definitely one of the hardest tanks I’ve faced.

Most fuel tanks require a two-way handling fork. The first phase deals with removing the heaviest rust deposits and the second involves cleaning, possibly in preparation for the installation of tank sealing equipment. It has been my experience that hard deposits are handled well mechanically and the recovery of the finish is usually checked chemically – although this is not always the case. (If you have your own methods, feel free to add them!)

I pushed a borescope into the tank to see how much rust there was. This was moderate, although there were a few spots with thick scales and deposits. Picture of Lemmy.

For mechanical rust removal, I will usually choose an abrasive, something that can be added to the tank to help remove the scale by hand. Nuts and bolts are a popular mix and I know a few people who use regular gravel. I’ve used BBs with success in the past and I always use them in tanks with holes where anything big can’t reach or get stuck. Because they are round, they are less likely to get stuck in a tank that may have a very prominent ‘lobe’ with protruding walls. I’ll tell you my secret tool later.

Ways To Clean A Gas Tank

And when it comes to the chemical side of things, the acid will help clean out the rust through an absorbing action. I like to start with a mild acid (white vinegar) and work my way up to something stronger when needed.

Remove the tank and drain the fuel first, of course. At the very least, you want to cover the holes in the tank. Most tanks will have a filler cap and a petcock outlet, but some may have crossover pipes, such as Harleys with two tanks and dirt bikes with two large lobes that hang over the engine.

Plugs, plugs, vacuum plugs, threaded brakes – I’ve got all that stuff, but that’s only because I’ve done it a time or two. Order the right tools to get the job done right and your results will be a testament to your hard work. Picture of Lemmy.

You have several options here. I have had good luck with silicone plugs and rubber plugs or vinyl vacuum for small holes and rods. If you are working on a modern motorcycle, you may find yourself wanting to pull your fuel pump plate out. They can be hard to seal because they are so big! Sealing combined with the block plate you buy or make is usually the order of the day here. If you use vinegar, you can seal the filler with a cap, keeping in mind that you may need to buy a new cap or seal to replace it after cleaning.

How To Clean Motorcycle Gas Tank In 7 Simple Steps

Holy moly? The best way to deal with a hole like this is probably to make a block plate, find a gasket and install it like you would a fuel pump. Picture of Lemmy.

You need to do this in a well-ventilated area, and since the acid can splash around, you don’t want to be near anything that could damage it. Even if you use a mild acid like vinegar, you don’t want acidic fumes to build up inside. They may not be that dangerous, the smell may be disgusting and the acid fumes are near your possessions

Personally, I like to set up my tanks with a holding tank underneath that contains all the possible leaks. That means the plug or valve is failing and the leak is just a day lost in suction time. Vinegar can be recovered, and if the tank is raised above the bowl (rather than in it), the paint will never be in danger.

Before you start loading your stirrer into your fuel tank, you may want to put a few test pieces in a glass or ceramic bowl and make sure your acid doesn’t react. Chances are small that you use vinegar, but you don’t want to damage anything, make your tank dirty, or poison yourself. And if you use something powerful, there is a chance

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