Rusted Tank - Need Galvanic Shop For Tin Job

[Kf6vci]

Hello Riders,

a friend has his parcel checked and returned by DHL in Germany. At 55 Euros for 10 kg, that would be quite a blow. Fertan is liquid and it seems it is no longer permitted to mail liquids??

Couldn't find Fertan over here.

The bike shop doesn't know any galvanic shops in Chiang Mai. So what are Thais doing when their fuel tanks are corroded?

Ride on!

Chris

[thaicbr]

Thai's with rusty tanks ummm .....1) welding it up 2) sticking bubble gum on the hole 3)buying a 2nd hand tank. take ya pick. but i go for no2

[Leckyman]

1 option here is to have it brazed. It'll kill the paintjob tho & you'll be needing a respray. Another is to find a stainless shop & get them to carefully TIG weld it.

You should get away with a little painting, assuming the leak is along the seam at the bottom.

I used some stuff called 'Petseal' (same as Fertan)?on mine a few years ago, (liquid) it was ok for a while but then broke up inside the tank making a right mess..

[LivinLOS]

I dont know where they get it, but tank sealant is available here (if thats what you mean)..

Saw them doing a tank with it only a month or two ago.

[BigBikeBKK]

Which bike Chris? Have you checked price and availability of new and second hand tanks? If it's the Africa Twin you have some aftermarket options as well. Good luck!

[Richard-BKK]

I just answer a similar question on my own website, Motorcycle Thailand. I'm not allowed to post links on Thaivisa, so for full detail contact information visit Motorcycle Thailand

[blakegeee]

Is your tank just rusty on the inside or is it rusted threw? If its just on the inside, I have heard of what sounds like a good solution. Put a handfull of hardware (washers, buts, or BB's) in the tank, but be sure to count how many to make sure you get them out later. Then wrap the tank in a blanket and stuff it in one of those big paint buckets. Take it to a proper paint shop and have them put the bucket in the paint shaker/mixer machine. It should come out nice and shiney on the inside. From then on, don't park your bike for any significant amount of time (few days) without having a full tank. It won't rust where its wet with fuel.

Edited July 21, 2010 by blakegeee

[captnhoy]

I keep an old motorbike on my live aboard boat. Sometimes it does not get used for months.

I solved this same problem with rust in my fuel tank. I took the tank off and rigged a "giant q-tip" using cloth and a stick and ran that around in the tank with my power drill.

Then I mixed up some 2 part epoxy resin for fiberglass work (like on boats). I plugged appropriate small holes and poured about a cup of this mixture in the tank. If you mix it up "hot" with just a little extra hardener it'll set up in about 5 minutes. I swirled it all around to coat all internal surfaces and poured the excess back into my mixing cup. I let it set up a little then removed my small plug for the fuel exit. I let it cure for 2 days. Whatever loose rust the drill did not remove is trapped under that epoxy.

That was 3 months ago and it's like rust-be-gone.

You can find marine supplies in Phuket and Bangkok. They'll ship to you if you put money in their bank.

Note pay attention to mixing ratios - if you overdo the hardener you'll have a big lump of epoxy in your tank an you'll have to get a jackhammer to get it out.