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- Joined
- Sep 4, 2017
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- Location
- Katy, Republic of Texas
- First Name
- Nolan
About 2 weeks ago, I noticed that I had a gas smell when I parked my bike (1994 VT1100C) after riding. I had filled up while out riding, so the tank was probably 3/4 full. I could not see or feel any leaks, just the smell of fuel. Even with the petcock off it still smelled.
After another few more rides, the gas smell went away.
Next time I filled up, same thing. And the time after that as well.
So I pulled the tank and it appears that it is leaking at the seam where the mount attaches to the tank (top middle of pic).
No rust in the tank, just a 26 year old tank and I guess some metal fatigue. Nothing obvious leaking, no holes or cracks, just a little gas seeping out when tank is over 1/2 full.
So seems that a tank sealer should do what I need. From researching, seems POR and Red Kote are the ones I hear the most about with the best success rate.
Any other suggestions?
Since I have no real rust in the tank, I don't think I need to do a whole 3-4 step process that most do with rusty tanks. I am tempted to just pour in the sealer and be done with it, but I think I should do a little prep work first to help with adhesion.
I was thinking of just using some apple cider vinegar as a mild acidic wash solution to get a little etching on the internals, drain and rinse with water, dry with heat/air, then do an acetone rinse, let it dry, then add the sealer.
Does that sound about right? I have no experience with this stuff and want to just do it once and not worry about it.
Also not sure about what to do about the vent hose in the center of the tank and the petcock hole. Don't want either of those to get clogged. For the petcock, I could probably find some tubing to put in it to keep it clean, but the vent hole is very small, like 2 tooth picks wide if that. Maybe apply the sealant and before it dries, clear the vent hole with compressed air?
Also noticed a little spot by the vent tube where paint was coming off, so need to sand that and re-paint (at least I don't have to worry about paint match there).
After another few more rides, the gas smell went away.
Next time I filled up, same thing. And the time after that as well.
So I pulled the tank and it appears that it is leaking at the seam where the mount attaches to the tank (top middle of pic).
No rust in the tank, just a 26 year old tank and I guess some metal fatigue. Nothing obvious leaking, no holes or cracks, just a little gas seeping out when tank is over 1/2 full.
So seems that a tank sealer should do what I need. From researching, seems POR and Red Kote are the ones I hear the most about with the best success rate.
Any other suggestions?
Since I have no real rust in the tank, I don't think I need to do a whole 3-4 step process that most do with rusty tanks. I am tempted to just pour in the sealer and be done with it, but I think I should do a little prep work first to help with adhesion.
I was thinking of just using some apple cider vinegar as a mild acidic wash solution to get a little etching on the internals, drain and rinse with water, dry with heat/air, then do an acetone rinse, let it dry, then add the sealer.
Does that sound about right? I have no experience with this stuff and want to just do it once and not worry about it.
Also not sure about what to do about the vent hose in the center of the tank and the petcock hole. Don't want either of those to get clogged. For the petcock, I could probably find some tubing to put in it to keep it clean, but the vent hole is very small, like 2 tooth picks wide if that. Maybe apply the sealant and before it dries, clear the vent hole with compressed air?
Also noticed a little spot by the vent tube where paint was coming off, so need to sand that and re-paint (at least I don't have to worry about paint match there).
