Rust and kreem question.

rebar · Aug 23, 2008

Iv got the tank removed from the bike. wow.

The inside of the tank is rusted badly. My local Yamaha dealer sold me the Kreem kit. After a bit of research it sounds like complete rust removal and complete coverage are key to the success of the kreem coating. I found some good info on another forum here. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29780

"BorisTas" has some good recommendations in that thread but Have any of you used the kreem kit?

I'm concerned that I cant see most of the inside since the fill neck extends so far into the tank. But I have spent some time shaking a bunch of screws around inside and the rust I'm removing has gone from big chunks to fine powder but its still coming.

Should I use this kreem coating? Should I thin it with kit de-waterer since it sounds like the product is thick.

Any advice would be appreciated.

naughtyG · Aug 23, 2008

I've used Kreem in my Honda CM200T tank which was also badly rusted inside. It took a lot of shaking nuts n bolts with lotsa rinses until I was happy most of the loose rust was gone. Eventually I was happy that only thin surface rust remained, and used the acid wah to seal it all. Then I used the third part of the kit, which is supposed to remove all traces of water. In my case this was difficult, because the shape of the tank did not allow me to completely remove all liquid inside - a tiny bit always stayed.
Then I finally used the Kreem coating. It is quite thick, but I wouldn't recommend thinning it. The trick to it is to rotate the tank SLOWLY while the coating is in there, so it has time to adhere everywhere as a nice thick coat. Then make sure you let it rest in different positions so it has time to really stick. I left mine sit a good 8-10mns each time I stopped rotating, and although I was worried it would dry too fast, a big lot of it (about 60/70% of it) still came out as liquid once I was done.
So far so good - it seems to stick nicely (I let it dry a good week before filling it with gas) and I have no more rust coming thru the carbs

Hope it helps

rebar · Aug 24, 2008

Thanks for the input. I hoped someone had kreemed a Vmax tank though. The Vmax tank has so many valley's, ridges , and the fill neck extending so far down Im concerned about complete coverage. Sounds like if you miss a spot, the kreem will be worse than the rust would be when it starts to peel off.

One thing I dont agree with is the rinse after each screw filled shake. Wont it start to rust again if you rinse with water?:ummm:

godsend1 · Aug 24, 2008

Rust takes time to form. It won't start rusting the instant you put the water in it.

rebar said:
Thanks for the input. I hoped someone had kreemed a Vmax tank though. The Vmax tank has so many valley's, ridges , and the fill neck extending so far down Im concerned about complete coverage. Sounds like if you miss a spot, the kreem will be worse than the rust would be when it starts to peel off.

One thing I dont agree with is the rinse after each screw filled shake. Wont it start to rust again if you rinse with water?:ummm:

naughtyG · Aug 25, 2008

Rinsing is the only way to get the crap out of there and checking how much there still is! Also, once it rinses clear, it's time to etch with the acid which will seal any small amount of surface rust is left.

JIM93MAX · Jan 14, 2009

i have herd alot of bad things about the kreem tank sealer like after a few years people complaned about the kreem pealing and chunks floating in the tank. almost like the gas gets in between the metal and the sealer and begins to seperate. i used a tank sealer from KBS-coatings.com and it worked great hardens almost like steel. i took hand fulls of pea gravel and put it in the tank and then put the tank in a 5 gal bucket and packed all around it with towels then put it in a paint shacker for about 15 min. (you will have to find a place with a 5 gal paint shaker that will let u do it i got lucky and a friend worked at a place that had one) and then rinsed with meratic acid and then with water. then took a hair dryer and dried the inside of the tank compeatly and let it dry for a few more days and proceeded to coat it. it turned out great. wasent a vmax tank thou it was an old steel dirt bike tank.

m-cman · Jan 14, 2009

I've used several over the years but have always avoided Kreem. Too many horror stories. Eastwood makes something similar to Kreem but it is a 12 step process that is a PITA. Have to use muriatic acid among other chemicals. Works ok though. Also used the phosphoric acid treatment that works ok also. Several different manufacturers. I used Sudco's version. My favorite that I have used on my last 3 tanks including my current Max is the KBS Coatings kit. The kit for two tanks will actually treat 3 tanks. It is a three step process. Once you open the last container, you have to use the product fairly quickly as it starts to cure. I prepped 3 tanks and treated all 3 with the final step in one day. The result is an epoxy type coating that hardens like metal. Don't believe there is any way for moisture to penetrate it.