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Tech. Advice: Series 'B' / 'C' 500cc/1000cc Bikes
What the best way to a petrol tank?
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<blockquote data-quote="AngloArm" data-source="post: 25733" data-attributes="member: 2326"><p>I was faced with exactly the same situation with my B.S.A. A 10 Petrol tank. A fantastic paint finish on the outside but loose surface rust inside.</p><p></p><p>There are several Petrol tank sealants on the market but you MUST confirm it will be resistant to the modern additives that are now used in petrol. I have read that there are some older sealant preparations that were not resistant and will cause terrible damage as they are dissolved by modern petrol additives and get into the carburettor and cylinder head. Do your research well for the latest and most up to date sealant product. </p><p></p><p>I chose to use a product called 'SLOSH' which I procured from 'Vintage Supplies' in Norfolk in October 2010. A half litre can of sealant should be more than enough for a Vincent tank. </p><p></p><p>After draining the fuel and inverting the tank to allow fumes to escape and evaporate, I removed the petrol taps and cut cork plugs to size to screw into the tap threads. I used the petrol cap to seal the fuel filler. Obviously follow the directions for your chosen sealant product, however I decided not to have my tank steam cleaned after draining the fuel. It's up to you but I don't have a steam cleaner and didn't like the idea in any case. </p><p> </p><p>It was necessary to work outside and I waited for a warm and pleasant afternoon to do the job in the garden, kneeling down on a large piece of carpet underlay just in case I lost a grip on the tank. Just imagine the nightmare of dropping the tank on a hard garage floor! </p><p></p><p>I decided to use around 60 small flat washers, no larger than about the size of a penny. I considered using small nuts but thought they could cause damage if I was, shall we say 'over enthusiastic'. I emptied out the washers and rust particles every 5 or 10 minutes and rinsed the tank out with solvent then repeated the process around 6 or 7 times, until there was very little rust 'dust' coming out. I used cellulose thinners as suggested by the instructions with the product I chose. I was concerned about it's use, being a paint thinner. You must ensure it does not come into contact and damage your paint finish. I spent about 2 hours repeating the process. I then allowed the warm weather to dry the inside of the tank and finally inserted some old bed sheet into the tank and guided it as far as I could with a coat hanger to pick up anything remaining inside. </p><p></p><p>The next process involved introducing the sealant. Replacing the cork plugs and petrol cap, I gently turned the tank around and over for some time before emptying the tank contents into a large glass measuring jug, to work out how much had adhered to the inside of the tank. I repeated the process several times before finally draining the tank but continuing the turning action for another 5 to 10 minutes. There is still about 300 ml left over from the 500 ml can, which I will use to seal another tank I have to work on. Be careful to remove any splashes of the sealant from paintwork as it will start to set and become very difficult to remove, possibly also damaging the paint finish. </p><p></p><p>The drying out process takes some time. The instructions suggested 72 hours. Initially I left the tank in a warm dry place, upright for half an hour then upside down, tilted forwards then backwards over the next few hours so as to try to make sure there were no drips collecting in one place inside the tank, as the sealant started to set. A small amount of sealant continued to drain from the petrol tap lugs for about 6 hours. Some spilt onto an old piece of carpet and a few days later it was rock solid, so be careful where you allow the tank to dry. There was no urgency to refit the tank so I gave it a week for the sealant to fully harden. </p><p></p><p>Give yourself a long afternoon and don't try to rush the job. Patience pays dividends.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="AngloArm, post: 25733, member: 2326"] I was faced with exactly the same situation with my B.S.A. A 10 Petrol tank. A fantastic paint finish on the outside but loose surface rust inside. There are several Petrol tank sealants on the market but you MUST confirm it will be resistant to the modern additives that are now used in petrol. I have read that there are some older sealant preparations that were not resistant and will cause terrible damage as they are dissolved by modern petrol additives and get into the carburettor and cylinder head. Do your research well for the latest and most up to date sealant product. I chose to use a product called 'SLOSH' which I procured from 'Vintage Supplies' in Norfolk in October 2010. A half litre can of sealant should be more than enough for a Vincent tank. After draining the fuel and inverting the tank to allow fumes to escape and evaporate, I removed the petrol taps and cut cork plugs to size to screw into the tap threads. I used the petrol cap to seal the fuel filler. Obviously follow the directions for your chosen sealant product, however I decided not to have my tank steam cleaned after draining the fuel. It's up to you but I don't have a steam cleaner and didn't like the idea in any case. It was necessary to work outside and I waited for a warm and pleasant afternoon to do the job in the garden, kneeling down on a large piece of carpet underlay just in case I lost a grip on the tank. Just imagine the nightmare of dropping the tank on a hard garage floor! I decided to use around 60 small flat washers, no larger than about the size of a penny. I considered using small nuts but thought they could cause damage if I was, shall we say 'over enthusiastic'. I emptied out the washers and rust particles every 5 or 10 minutes and rinsed the tank out with solvent then repeated the process around 6 or 7 times, until there was very little rust 'dust' coming out. I used cellulose thinners as suggested by the instructions with the product I chose. I was concerned about it's use, being a paint thinner. You must ensure it does not come into contact and damage your paint finish. I spent about 2 hours repeating the process. I then allowed the warm weather to dry the inside of the tank and finally inserted some old bed sheet into the tank and guided it as far as I could with a coat hanger to pick up anything remaining inside. The next process involved introducing the sealant. Replacing the cork plugs and petrol cap, I gently turned the tank around and over for some time before emptying the tank contents into a large glass measuring jug, to work out how much had adhered to the inside of the tank. I repeated the process several times before finally draining the tank but continuing the turning action for another 5 to 10 minutes. There is still about 300 ml left over from the 500 ml can, which I will use to seal another tank I have to work on. Be careful to remove any splashes of the sealant from paintwork as it will start to set and become very difficult to remove, possibly also damaging the paint finish. The drying out process takes some time. The instructions suggested 72 hours. Initially I left the tank in a warm dry place, upright for half an hour then upside down, tilted forwards then backwards over the next few hours so as to try to make sure there were no drips collecting in one place inside the tank, as the sealant started to set. A small amount of sealant continued to drain from the petrol tap lugs for about 6 hours. Some spilt onto an old piece of carpet and a few days later it was rock solid, so be careful where you allow the tank to dry. There was no urgency to refit the tank so I gave it a week for the sealant to fully harden. Give yourself a long afternoon and don't try to rush the job. Patience pays dividends. [/QUOTE]
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Tech. Advice: Series 'B' / 'C' 500cc/1000cc Bikes
What the best way to a petrol tank?
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