should I coat Nside my tank?

I've got a fiberglass commando tank and I'm so close to finally restoring this thing after years of tinkering. all I need to do is hook up the gas lines, (been waiting on spigots in the mail) then check the torque on all my engine bolts, little bit of work to put the brake back together but, etc... here's my question.

The bike had been sitting since the early 80's and I believe there was a little fuel left in the tank. I pulled out some chunks that I thought was old epoxy but after prepping the inside of the tank with acetone and soapy water, all that amber stuff has washed out. no leaks when filled with acetone either. Is the tank clean and safe to use? I had already purchased a two part Caswell kit so should I use it anyways or not bother with it since all the stuff came clean out of the tank?

I dunno where you are geographically, but my understanding is that using a fibreglass tank with fuel containing Ethanol will damage the tank. What type of Caswell kit is it, is it suitable for use on a fibreglass tank(probably as you bought it ), and is it designed for use with Ethanol?
Is it the Phenol Novolac Epoxy Gas Tank Sealer ?

Of course, if you live somewhere with decent fuel, you can ignore all that, fill up and ride on!

Peter

Kansas City, US and the kit is for steel, alum, fiberglass, and plastic

I haven't tried it yet, but from what I have read, and experiences of a few members here, this is the best option right now.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261188759174?ss ... 1423.l2649

It's what I am going to order for one of my tanks.

sprocket750 said:

Kansas City, US and the kit is for steel, alum, fiberglass, and plastic

Click to expand...

Thanks. If it were me(and I have a fibreglass tank to fix soon) I'd use the kit then you are sorted. But, to be 100% sure, check the kit is Ethanol proof. If it was bought many years ago it may not be. Check the Caswell site.

I know this because my fibreglass tank has a layer of Tank seal in, but as it's old, the petrol/ethanol is turning it to a red sludge.

Old Bloke said:

sprocket750 said:

Kansas City, US and the kit is for steel, alum, fiberglass, and plastic

Click to expand...

Thanks. If it were me(and I have a fibreglass tank to fix soon) I'd use the kit then you are sorted. But, to be 100% sure, check the kit is Ethanol proof. If it was bought many years ago it may not be. Check the Caswell site.

I know this because my fibreglass tank has a layer of Tank seal in, but as it's old, the petrol/ethanol is turning it to a red sludge.

Click to expand...

yep, I just bought it off feebay. says 2 part phenol novaolac epoxy
-withstands ethanol and racing fuels
-no need to remove rust or corrosion
-repairs failed Kreem or Por-15

I guess I'll go ahead and do it since I've already washed the thing twice with acetone and shook it full of a bunch of screws, couldn't hurt except losing a tiny bit of fuel capacity. could also get my money back though.

bwolfie said:

I haven't tried it yet, but from what I have read, and experiences of a few members here, this is the best option right now.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261188759174?ss ... 1423.l2649

It's what I am going to order for one of my tanks.

Click to expand...

The new Black Magic tank sealer by Caswell is the same product many of us on this Forum have used successfully to keep ethanol from ruining our tanks. The only difference is the black color, which Caswell says is easier to see if you have full coverage in the tank. BTW, I'm coming up on 5 years of no leaks, crap in my carbs / intakes, etc. after doing the Caswell sealer on my original Dunstall fiberglass tank.

There's several crucial steps to remember to seal the tank properly and not screw it up:

1. Tank prep is IMPORTANT. I used drywall screws and lacquer thinner to scour the tank and set up a slightly abrasive surface for the Caswell to "stick" to. Don't skip this step.

2. I took my tank into a dark closet and shined a bright flashlight inside the tank, looking all around on the outside for obvious thin spots and pinholes...for me they showed up on the bottom. I then smeared a thick surface coating of JB Weld on any suspect areas and let cure for 24 hours.

3. Get the proper sized bolts and screw into your petcock holes after removing the petcocks...you want this area coated as well.

3. If your tank isn't painted already the job of coating is much much easier....no need to protect the painted exterior...which the Caswell will destroy. If painted like mine, give the tank the "mummy" treatment with several layers of saran wrap to protect the paint job.

4. Mixing the Caswell in the proper proportions is IMPORTANT!! You need to find a very comfortable place to do the coating as the Caswell mix comes out like the consistency of honey and it's very time consuming to get the coating perfect. Pour the Caswell in and SLOWLY tilt and rock the tank, thinking all the while about what you're doing. I'm not kidding when I say this takes a half hour or more....don't scrimp on this. Nothing should pour out if done properly...there shouldn't be any"exrta" to pour out. Wait approx. 1 hour and mix up the rest of the Caswell...you need to apply the second coating while the first coating is still tacky. A second coating is IMPORTANT.

5. Let cure for a week or try and hurry it up with a hairdrier or something...I just waited. If you have any other questions just shoot me a PM and I'd be glad to share more.

In addition:
Follow the working temperature instructions closely.
You need to find a work room about 75-80F and the tank needs to be room temp also.
Temperature affects the working time of the mix when in your fuel tank.
The Caswell epoxy has low vapor but be cautious around an open flame.

I used the whole package for an Interstate tank that has internal baffles.
Round rod foam insulation worked for plugging the petcock holes.

While we're on the subject of tank coatings. The kreem, or whatever the DPO put in my steel roadster tank is flaking off. Anyone know of an easier method that using MEK (keytone) to get the old stuff out? Not real crazy about messing with MEK anymore.

To get the Kreem out, I would use a box of drywall screws and detergent. I had Hirsch sealer in my F Glass tank and it didn't take. Talked to Caswell and they recommended the screws and soap. I tool a lot of time, effort and the use of a bore scope camera but I got it out of there. The Caswell product seems to have worked. It has only been a year so far with E10 fuel.

while this topic has been beating more than a dead horse many times over if you use the treatment be sure to watch for signs of tank failure (soft spots, bubbling in the tank paint, sticky throttle slides) - if the sealer does fail and the ethanol eats away at the fiberglass the liquified fiberglass which now resides in your fuel WILL COAT your intake ports/valves and can eventually cause a valve to stick and contact your pistons resulting in damage etc etc - it happened to me after i had coated the tank 2X with caswell (following all the steps etc) and was sure it was OK - took about 5 years before it let loose but its not worth the risk IMO :shock:

I used MEK substitute, whatever that means. Still pretty toxic, so wear a respirator if using indoors. I shook the hell out of mine three times with a bunch of b.b's thrown in for an aggregate. Then I rinsed it a couple of times with acetone. Be sure to get petcock plugs in far enough, so you don't have to chase the threads too much after the Caswell sits up. Good luck.