I have a 1971 Commando with the original fiberglass tank. It appears that the lining of the tank is "shedding" and blocking the screens on the petcocks. The bike sat for about three years with fuel, so that may be contributing to the problem. The tank doesn't leak. I put fresh gas in the tank and shook it up to get all the loose pieces of the lining out, but I'm sure more will come off as I ride. Any advice or guidance as to how to address this? Thanks!
Fiberglass Gas Tank
- Thread starter scotteves
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Welcome here.
Plenty of previous threads here on just this.
About the only consensus is that metal tanks are about the only fix for this, unfortunately.
The real killer here is that the dissolved resin goes into the carbs and motor,
and produces a gooey sticky mess, that takes a LOT of cleaning out.
A very recent thread here had pics of just this, scary...
Tell us how it goes, everyone learns here.
Good Luck.
Plenty of previous threads here on just this.
About the only consensus is that metal tanks are about the only fix for this, unfortunately.
The real killer here is that the dissolved resin goes into the carbs and motor,
and produces a gooey sticky mess, that takes a LOT of cleaning out.
A very recent thread here had pics of just this, scary...
Tell us how it goes, everyone learns here.
Good Luck.
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- Feb 13, 2013
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- 505
If the tank is really desirable, like an Dunstall or Interstate tank with a nice paint job you could always try cleaning + sealing it.
By cleaning it I mean using acetone or MEK to dissolve all the crud inside, and doing this without getting any on your paint.
Then you could line the tank with Caswell 2-part epoxy sealer. This stuff is bulletproof. I've done 3 tanks now and alcohol does not affect it a bit.
There's a lot of prep work involved and you need to be really careful but if done properly you can save a nice fiberglass tank for around $100
plus your labor. I once cleaned a nice Interstate tank this way and was surprised how well the inside could tolerate acetone soaking.
I made the mistake of using Hirsch "alcohol resistant" tank sealer which failed after a couple years. Now I only use 2 part epoxy.
If it's a Roadster tank I'd probably get one of the excellent new Emgo steel tanks and be done with it.
By cleaning it I mean using acetone or MEK to dissolve all the crud inside, and doing this without getting any on your paint.
Then you could line the tank with Caswell 2-part epoxy sealer. This stuff is bulletproof. I've done 3 tanks now and alcohol does not affect it a bit.
There's a lot of prep work involved and you need to be really careful but if done properly you can save a nice fiberglass tank for around $100
plus your labor. I once cleaned a nice Interstate tank this way and was surprised how well the inside could tolerate acetone soaking.
I made the mistake of using Hirsch "alcohol resistant" tank sealer which failed after a couple years. Now I only use 2 part epoxy.
If it's a Roadster tank I'd probably get one of the excellent new Emgo steel tanks and be done with it.
Buy a metal tank. There is really no good way around it. If you own an airplane and can get a steady supply of avgas you can keep the stock tank. In some staes you can buy ethanol free fuel but it is not very plentiful. I have not owned a boat in years but the marine industry is having big problems with corn gas. I am told that you can get real gas at some fuel docks. But then you are not paying road taxes and that opens up a whole nother can of worms.
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