Odd tank repair needed

[loonybin]

I have a leak in my tank that is not in a normal spot. Aside from 5 pinholes in the tank here and there (I'm going to get a POR-15 kit soon) that are getting repaired at a radiator shop right now, the drain tube from the filler neck to the bottom of the tank has a pinhole in it as well, about 5in. down. I am only able to put about 3 gallons in the tank due to this hole, and the repair guy says he doesn't have anything that can reach down in the tank to solder it.

What can I do to get this thing fixed, or should I just chuck the tank? I don't have the tank at the moment, or else I'd try to get a picture of it.

[cintidude04]

If it is just a pin hole why wouldn't the POR-15 take care of it as well?

[Kreylyn]

Poor 15 won't seal many pin holes. It is thin enough that it will coat the edges, but may not "fill" the holes like people may want.

It's like thinking the paint will fill in all those little holes and inperfections on the surface of a something your about to paint... and after wards looking at it and realizing that it just made them more noticeable now.

You need to fill/patch/fix the holes before the coating for it to really work well in sealing the tank.

As for the drain line... it's gonna be real hard to fix that. The only think I can think of off the top of my head, is to route another line through it that is slightly smaller in diam to fit in... basically use the original as a "sleave" for the new one. cut to length, and have it soldered either end to seal them off.

Krey

[cintidude04]

Mine was thick enough that I believe it clogged my vent.

[loonybin]

If it is just a pin hole why wouldn't the POR-15 take care of it as well?

The POR won't reach the pinhole on the drain tube. I can do the patches that POR suggests, but I thought the radiator guy would be able to fix the tube, so I just said to fix them all. After I dropped it off he called & said that he won't be able to fix the tube. He's fixing the others anyway. I can always grind them down to paint over them when it comes time to do the refinishing.

Poor 15 won't seal many pin holes. It is thin enough that it will coat the edges, but may not "fill" the holes like people may want.

Which is why they include patch material to use the POR on the outside. However, since these are just pinholes, it was easier to just have the guy solder them. It'll cost me all of $15.

As for the drain line... it's gonna be real hard to fix that. The only think I can think of off the top of my head, is to route another line through it that is slightly smaller in diam to fit in... basically use the original as a "sleave" for the new one. cut to length, and have it soldered either end to seal them off.

Krey

Oy vey! You realize that's a lot of bending... It would have to be a really thin-walled tube to fit in there, bend, and still have an open channel for gas to drain.

[Kreylyn]

Oy vey! You realize that's a lot of bending... It would have to be a really thin-walled tube to fit in there, bend, and still have an open channel for gas to drain.

Short of cutting out the old, and putting in new entirely... I think that is probably your best route.

I mean, I guess an alternative would be to use a temp softer line like rubber or plastic to create a "sleave" that you can then force por 15 down into the hole around it... to try and keep from stopping up the hole, and create a surface that the por 15 can set up against. Then try to remove the inner leaving just the por15 coating inside. This seems like it would be more problematic though then the first option. How to evenly force it in, how to remove the inner piece, etc...

Krey

[1FSTKAT]

Find another tank?

[Wild-Bill]

How about drill out the ends of the tube to remove it and just solder in a new one? A radiator shop ought to be able to handle that just fine.

[gsx]

Check CL or ebay for a good tank

[adam731432]

Is the tube about the size of steel brakeline?

[loonybin]

How about drill out the ends of the tube to remove it and just solder in a new one? A radiator shop ought to be able to handle that just fine.

Well, the shop that patched the pinholes said he didn't have the tools to do it, so I'm going to look around for another shop that might be able to.

Check CL or ebay for a good tank

I have a spare tank that I got off theBay. However, it needs work as it has a dent that was repaired, but the bondo is cracked and falling out of the repair. The dent is bigger than the photo led me to believe. From what I can see inside, there is less rust in there. I may strip it completely and try to redo the dent repair, then prime it. I don't have the money right now to repaint it, however. Next spring the entire bike will be getting the fairings repaired/replaced, and a new paint job with Kona Blue (2011 Mustang) topped with blue metal flake, blue kandy, and cleared. Until then, I'd have to drive around one ugly looking bike.

Any money for this thing is going to have to go toward carb parts, as I think my pilot jets are clogged and I need to tear the carbs apart to give them a good soaking. I haven't messed with carbs since my '66 Mustang back in high school!

Is the tube about the size of steel brakeline?

I have no idea, as I don't know the size of steel brake line. I'll have to look under the hood of the van this weekend to get an idea.