Ethanol killed my tank

Hope that it’s up to your high expectations!

kev said:

Mine arrives this week....Monza cap

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This bike has had a right life....one day I'll get back on with rebuilding it

kev said:

Does that mean I can ditch the 2 hoses the drop down from the tank?

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Yes

MAK said:

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View attachment 113965

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That looks like a beautiful job MAK - Dream Machine has always produced top quality workmanship. Great to see that hasn’t changed. Take care never to overfill that sweet TAB tank!

Always liked the look of the Mick Grant special.

As a current owner of a tab tank....got any tips? Mine arrives today

Thanks

K

kev said:

As a current owner of a tab tank....got any tips? Mine arrives today

Thanks

K

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Not really had it long enough, it just seems to be permanently raining..when fitting put cloths everywhere so you don’t chip the paint, what I also do is put a small tube over the oil tank filler neck, plastic tube or the inner cardboard tube of a toilet roll,anything to protect the paint.

Thank you.

Any issues transferring the pump, etc over? Assume you can reuse the gasket?

kev said:

Thank you.

Any issues transferring the pump, etc over? Assume you can reuse the gasket?

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I have changed the o ring in the past with no problems but on this occasion Stu swapped the parts over. Change the o ring for a new one as they loose their shape and can become a bit hard due to the ethanol..
Use a nitrile o ring.

MAK said:

I have changed the o ring in the past with no problems but on this occasion Stu swapped the parts over. Change the o ring for a new one as they loose their shape and can become a bit hard due to the ethanol..
Use a nitrile o ring.

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Perfect - thank you. Do you have the spec/size of the O-ring?

Found them!

kev said:

As a current owner of a tab tank....got any tips? Mine arrives today

Thanks

K

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A few Kev - some bleedin’ obvious, some less so.

- They are hand made and beautiful, but expect irregularities; they grow on you.
- Follow the instructions and rinse the interior thoroughly. There may well be debris from manufacture. Mine was significant.
- Fit and ride to test for leaks before you fit any decals or have any painting done.
- Your choice to replace the FP seal. Mine was in ‘as new’ condition so I reused it without difficulty.
- TAB advised no sealant required for fitting the FP, so I did not; others advocate its use.
- Careful, even and accurate application of torque to the FP mounting bolts.
- Ensure you have the right setup for the rear rubber tank strap (compression limiters/washers).



- Some tank irregularity around the dipstick frame tube can make the tank appear to sit unevenly - off centre. Front mounting bolts (rubber mounted) can be used to correct this slightly if required (and anal enough!).
- No need to compress those front rubber mounts too far - there’s no guidance on this so use your judgement.
- Some form of tank pad required from the outset (I used 3M clear PPF). Tank scratches up at the mere whiff of a zipper!
- Genuine Monza caps can leak. I never brim mine at the fuel pump. Others may have different experiences.
- There are a couple of decals available in the resources area.
- Keep er’ clean, she scratches easily. The polish most are using is Mothers Mag and Ally polish. I’ve also had good results with these other two. Liquid Reflection if you want somewhere to practice your ‘Colgate Smile’ and conversation extraction technique - needed as you’ll get even more attention than usual!

Enjoy!

Nice one Stephen - genuinely appreciated.

RE: FP torque specs....do you have those?

Also - you refer to the instructions. Are they in the box or online? Do you have a link?

The guys from Tab dropped in at mine today just to trial fit a couple of tanks one last time. They're still using the Commando rolling frame I lent them last year, but whilst they were in the area, they just wanted to double check on a couple other 961s to be 100%. This one looked nice!

kev said:

Nice one Stephen - genuinely appreciated.

RE: FP torque specs....do you have those?

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The workshop manual is in the ‘Resources’ section of this site Kev. Procedure for FP removal is in there incl torque figures.


The Cootes manuals are in ‘Resources’ also. There’s an option to contribute financially if you so choose.


The tank should have arrived with an instructions sheet with specific guidance tips - flush tank before use etc. If you’ve disposed of it with the packing no doubt TAB will send you an electronic copy - no idea where mine is.

Stu Bodycote said:

The guys from Tab dropped in at mine today just to trial fit a couple of tanks one last time. They're still using the Commando rolling frame I lent them last year, but whilst they were in the area, they just wanted to double check on a couple other 961s to be 100%. This one looked nice!

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Delighted you posted that Stu. That’s the option I have in mind (copy in the ‘Resources’ section). Only difference is I had a thin black pinstripe placed around the periphery to make the gold stand out from the silver of the tank - don’t think it’s needed though looking at that tank.

You’ve resurrected my interest in at least having this produced as a decal/wrap - or go straight to painting. ‘Fettle til ya settle’ as they say!

The new guy is honing his craft - these later tanks have more cleanly formed edges.

Amazing - thank you. Apologies...I keep forgetting that resources section on here is so comprehensive!

After much flip-flopping, I eventually settled on a design in my head and had it painted for my own.

Stu Bodycote said:

After much flip-flopping, I eventually settled on a design in my head and had it painted for my own.View attachment 114033

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Did Dream Machine put a clear coat over the aluminium surface at all Stu, or just the painted sections?

Struggling to get a graphic company to produce my vinyl....all saying it's too hard!