Gas tank removal

[cbx1260cc]

Have discovered my gas tank has evidence of rust / crud in it so partial explanation of current rough running condition after major carb rebuild.

Guessing that means gas tank removal.

If I'm going to get to that stage is there a process for coating that members have had significant luck with?

Familiar with KREEM process

POR-15

Sudco RUSTECO

Any recommendations??

Taking this a step further would it not be just slightly more expensive to buy a NEW tank and avoid the possibility of a not so good coating job being done by myself (I'm not an expert by any means)??? I'm thinking two + hrs to have an expert do the coating at $80-100 hr (local rate) plus $50 for materials plus $100+ for used tank versus $400 for New tank

Open to ideas / suggestions.

Thank you

 

[AJBinVA]

273.91 from partszilla. I did the tank in my 89 with muriatic acid. Followed up with washing soda and water to neutralize. Then Denatured alcohol and air to dry out. Filled with gas and had zero problems. Looks brand new. Use good protective gear. Respirator, goggles, apron and gloves.

 

[ga_max]

We used POR-15 on my sons suzuki, was not hard and still looks good.

 

[dannymax]

Used the POR-15 process once on a MaximX tank....made it very slippery and difficult to hold on to, it slipped out of my hands and landed on the bench denting it....then burned up the wife's hair dryer drying the inside. :bang head:

Def go with a new one if I ever need another tank.... boats.net is another good place to shop

 

[D-Max2012]

Just an FYI, I'm selling a coated tank from a 90 Vmax coated with KBS Tank Sealer..

PM me if interested.

 

[cbx1260cc]

Just an FYI, I'm selling a coated tank from a 90 Vmax coated with KBS Tank Sealer..

PM me if interested.

PM Sent with Thanks.

 

[Fire-medic]

If you choose to coat your own tank, be sure to drill-out the tiny vent on the 90 degree tube on top of the tank, coating may stop it up, and you'll have a fuel starvation issue.

I use the 'dark' forum format, and I cannot read dannymax's suggested parts site,(dark blue on black) it's 'boats.net.' That's the last place I ordered stuff from, usually decent all the time pricing. http://www.boats.net/parts/search/Yamaha/Motorcycle/2007/V-MAX%20-%20VMX12W1/FUEL%20TANK/parts.html same as partszilla, $273.91


I used to use ronayresmotorsports but comparing their prices to boats.net made me choose the latter. https://www.ronayers.com/oemparts/a/yam/50045c14f8700209bc794305/fuel-tank showing a price of $336.

Use one of these before the carbs, after the fuel pump: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Emgo-In-Li...ple-Anodized-Cleanable-Reusable-/121785936745 you should be able to get this at your local shop for <$10. Reusable. Keep the pleated paper stock or equivalent, double protection, your carbs will thank-you.

 

[one2dmax]

I have used tanks but unless you have a lot of rust you may not need it. Some minor rust pitting isn't usually an issue as long as you have a decent filter. The plugged carbs are more often ****** fuel these days.

I would highly suggest NOT to use the Kreem product. We have used the POR15 stuff which does seem to work well. You also can simply go buy 4 gallons of white vinegar and fill up the tank, let it sit a couple of days, then drain it and call it a day. The vinegar does a good job if you don't have heavy scale.

There is a drain plug on the bottom of the tank though with stock exhaust it can be a pain to access. The slip-ons like you have should make the job super easy.

 

[Fire-medic]

From another site listing products:
Rustol from Sudco: http://www.sudco.com/
RUSTECO: http://www.rusteco.com/
MOTORCYCLE TANK REPAIR from POR: http://www.por15.com/
GAS TANK SEALER FOR MOTORCYCLES from Eastwood: http://www.eastwoodco.com/
Rustbeeter: environmentally-friendly cleaning product made from a by-product of sugar beet-refining process: http://www.rustbeeter.com/ (cleaning product only…you will still need to treat/coat the cleaned tank)

Ed. note: I haven't used these.

More from the same site:

Some folks recommend cleaning rusty tanks with diluted muriatic acid (generally 1 part acid to 8 parts water). A full tank of this solution soaked overnight will definitely remove most surface rust. After the acid solution is drained, you flush with water then add alcohol to dry the inside of the tank. Some recommend blowing air through the tank with a shop vac to ensure thorough drying (may take several hours for complete drying). I don’t recommend tank cleaning with muriatic acid is a very hazardous substance. Also, it’s easy to remove more than rust and create holes which didn’t exist before (don’t ask!).
2. Others tout cleaning fuel tanks using electrolysis methods. Again, I don’t recommend this procedure. There are too many safety risks and serious health hazards.
Both muriatic acid and electrolysis do a decent job of cleaning, but unfortunately neither prevents the quick return of rusty surfaces. In fact, it’s next to impossible to prevent a “flash” of rust from reappearing after you’ve cleaned a tank with these methods. Worse, the type of rust that appears after both of these cleaning methods is the worst kind: microscopic rust particles that easily pass through any filter and go straight into your carbs! My advice: go with one of the commercial products listed above or send your tank out to an expert.

And, a warning (rubber deterioration):

Special Caution Regarding Kreem:
Kreem is a decent product. I’ve used it successfully on numerous occasions. The usual challenge is to follow the elaborate instructions carefully and completely. Inadequate prep results in the typical failure: the plastic lining’s adhesion will fail and the coating will separate from the inner surface of the tank. This makes for a huge headache!

A more insidious Kreem failure was discovered recently. If the prep is inadequate and the coating is allowed to “pool” and the tank is put back into service before the coating is fully cured, then methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) will leach into the gasoline in the tank. MEK is a powerful solvent that will destroy synthetic rubber components in your fuel system! Below are some actual examples of such real world failure. These reactions have been reproduced in lab testing.

Methyl Ethyl Ketone is a commonly used solvent that has many properties that make it ideal medium for processing many organic compounds. MEK is an inert chemical that can hold a material in solution and evaporate leaving the soluble material behind unchanged. This makes MEK an ideal carrier for the polymers in tank coating products. Under normal circumstances the MEK would undergo the transformation from a liquid to a gaseous state and dissipate.

The first transformation in the curing process is for the coating to “skin” over and due to the porous nature of the polymer coating the solvent will continue to evaporate. Given enough time, the only thing left behind will be the desired coating. Evaporation slows as the cured surface thickens and creates the possibility that uncured solution can be trapped behind the surface. When the tank is filled and evaporation is no longer possible MEK can be released into the gasoline where it will remain an effective solvent that can act upon many of the common organic compounds that make up the seals and gaskets of a fuel delivery system.

Properly cured Kreem presents no such hazard, but the manufacturer was non-responsive to requests for more information on this issue. Use this product with great care!

Follow all product directions to the letter. I recommend blocking the fuel pick-up lines with lengths of insulated wire inserted after you remove the petcock. Make sure the product does not block the fuel inlet screens as it sets up.​

http://www.randakksblog.com/fuel-tank-service-dont-get-kreemed/​

 

[cbx1260cc]

Thinking that IF I need to remove the tank for coating (not quite sure YET) , and with the option of adding some additional fuel capacity there is this option:


https://www.ebay.com/itm/Yamaha-Vma...ash=item2a96eee077:g:HdkAAOSwCU1Yzo4f&vxp=mtr


Pricey--Yes but maybe an option worth consideration.

Has anyone had experience with this vendor / product?

Appears to be a plastic type material.

If we have to deal with Ethanol based gasoline is there the possibility of this tank being prone to a future leak due to attack by the Ethanol?

Is it a major pain to install?

Would appreciate Any / All comments on this idea and product.

Thanks in advance

Rick

 

[D-Max2012]

Interesting tank.
I checked out their additional link, to see the installation.
IMHO, Seems a bit pricey with the mods needed on the buyers end. Also, if you don't have stock parts, shocks at the right height, or correct tires, you may be out of luck.

As you mentioned, it looks to be a polymer plastic material, which I don't have a problem with,, BUT, unless I missed it, did they mention anything about being ethanol safe?.
If they did not specifically mention this, they may not have this concern in Germany (I believe that's where this is fabricated) and simply, not be aware of our situation..

Note: Anyone who had done extensive research on the effects of ethanol laced fuel (E10 or higher), found out that fiberglass / rubber / and polymers (plastics), that's submerged in ethanol fuel, are subject to premature degradation. Steel is subjected rust build-up because ethanol fuel and phase separation, which draws in water from the atmosphere. Water and regular steel = oxidizing (rusting).

I found out that along with many small engines premature failures being reported after E10 fuel was introduced into lawnmowers, blowers, trimmers, etc., many boat owners were experiencing leaky marine fiberglass fuel tanks. In a few cases, this caused fires and loss of vessels. (I have not read of any loss of life "yet"). In conjunction with this, there where class action suits filed, because of the lack of testing on different materials and the effects of E-10 fuel before it was regulated into our fuels.

IMHO, My red flag goes up about something that is a big concern, but not specifically stated.

 

[D-Max2012]

Just read something else..
That tank is rated for 85' Celsius, which is 185' Fahrenheit.
Seems to me, that even with the heat shield in place, on a hot summer day and right behind the rear exhaust headers, 185 is not that far of a comfort margin..

I now have to put stainless steel bolts on my heat shield, because the header heat, burned off the machined coating on my bolts. causing them to rust after the 1st time it rained.

Mayby I'm being overly cautious??