Tank support

Jeandr · Jul 25, 2012

DogT said:
I think I'll have some wine.
Dave

Good way to clear your head :mrgreen: As others have suggested, TIG is the way to go, (if you lived close enough, I would do it for a glass of wine) and as they said, you must have a neighbor with one of those close enough. You can still ride the bike can't you :?: Is there a forum member with the right tools (TIG welder) close by :?: For sure any welding will mess up the paint, but TIG less so than any other form of welding.

Jean

DogT · Jul 25, 2012

I could put it back together enough to ride a bit if I flipped the L coil bracket and put it on the other side. But right now I've got it apart while messing with the Keith1069 head steady, so I have some time and it's going to be hotter than the blazes anyhow. I'm still looking for a local with a TIG, I haven't exhausted my options yet. That's what I'd really like to do, put it back on, and then even bolt or weld a matching L shaped plate under it. It would be nice if I could get the extra plate welded to the tube too.

My other option is to make up a long cord to plug in the dryer and bring it out through the garage, I'd need about 30'. I have a 30A outlet in the garage with a long cord, but it probably wouldn't work very good and I really don't want to make up a 30-50A connector. It's one of those old Sears 35-230 AC amp welders. I've never used it, someone gave it to me years ago, but I do pretty good with the gas welding, I'm sure it would take a little bit of practice, but I'd rather find a TIG.

We'll see. Thanks for the ideas.

Dave
69S

concours · Jul 25, 2012

35 years of professional welding experience to offer. GTAW (TIG) welding is the best choice for this repair. NO spatter. If the bike was stripped down, SMAW ("stick"), GMAW (MIG) would be a fine as well. Good news is, it's steel, not aluminum, so a portable DC inverter will do a great job. Or, roll the bike onto a trailer and bring it to a pro.

DogT · Jul 26, 2012

I borrowed my neighbors great trailer, took it in and had the guy weld it. $45. Wasn't a bad trip. The dark line under the weld is the shadow from the flash, not bad welding. Now I need to make a new coil bracket that straddles both wings to keep things together and mount the tank so it doesn't stress the wings. Plus clean it up and paint it. Then on to the Keith1069 head steady. I'm still waiting on the bracket from Walridge, it's been shipped.

Dave
69S

CanukNortonNut · Jul 26, 2012

Dave
Just recheck all your electrical wiring for melt from weld splatter.
Like I said earlier. Check your foam rubber tank pads and fit the thick rubber washers in a stack to get the right height and support on both sides of the tank. When it looks straight on the bike another rubber washer and a pan washer under the bracket with nyloc nut to hold fixed. You shouldn't have any more issues.
Cheers,
Tom
CNN

Guido · Jul 26, 2012

DogT said:
I borrowed my neighbors great trailer, took it in and had the guy weld it. $45. Wasn't a bad trip. The dark line under the weld is the shadow from the flash, not bad welding. Now I need to make a new coil bracket that straddles both wings to keep things together and mount the tank so it doesn't stress the wings. Plus clean it up and paint it. Then on to the Keith1069 head steady. I'm still waiting on the bracket from Walridge, it's been shipped.

Dave
69S

I see your coils in the back ground. Could you not have just bolted the coil bracket to the good side and the broken wing to the right side to support it and align it for welding?
I would then make a plate of 1/8 steel to go between the bracket and bridge both wings for support. Welded of course.
I have never liked the rubber pads under the tank as a support system. This is what I used and the tank fits nice and snug. Plumbing insulation.
I tried to post the pic but it wouldn't work for some reason.

http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb4 ... G_0988.jpg

Keith1069 · Jul 27, 2012

the Keith1069 head steady

I love these references to my version of this steady which AFAIK first appeared in an article by Mike Taglieri 2004. His was in steel using 3/16" angle and all I did was test his design and then remake in aluminum angle. Link here.........http://home.clara.net/captain.norton/mtp.html. Who came up with the original idea that Mike and others have followed I don't know. Don't get me wrong I'm not complaining, just saying I can't take any credit for the design.

DogT · Jul 27, 2012

Guido,
The welder just clamped the broken one to the good one, in place and welded it. It looks positioned fine. The L bracket doesn't fit flipped unless I drill a couple of new holes. I'm thinking about bolting or welding a plate to the bottom of both the wings for more support. I have a nice thick piece of stainless I could use, or I could even use some 6061 alumunum I have, and remake the L bracket out of the aluminum angle I have. I don't like the way the coils interfere with each other at the wide lip part and the AL would get them further apart. I have time to mess with it.

Keith,
I know it's actually from Taglieri's article, I'm just basing some of mine off the thread SwooshDave posted. I think I can make a L bracket off the frame mount, so I won't have those long bolts to deal with, we'll see.

I did use the pipe insulation for the pads, but it got compressed and I'm not real happy with it. I'm thinking about other options for the pads, but haven't come up with something suitable yet.

For sure I'm going to be more picky about mounting the tank. I was kinda casual about it before.

Dave
69S

Onder · Jul 27, 2012

Try better more expensive pipe foam like used on AC pipes.
Cheap pipe foam from HD is barely good enough for its intended use.

Saber13 · Jul 27, 2012

I used two layers of old mouse pads I had laying around, works great!

Jeandr · Jul 27, 2012

DogT said:
I did use the pipe insulation for the pads, but it got compressed and I'm not real happy with it. I'm thinking about other options for the pads, but haven't come up with something suitable yet.

Take a look at camping foam pads, they are higher density foam and you have so much of it you may even have enough for a nap next to your bike whem you are done :mrgreen:

Jean

DogT · Jul 29, 2012

I made a 3/16" bracket to attach to the wings and a new coil L bracket in 3/16" AL also. That should stiffen it up pretty good. As usual I drilled the bracket mirror image so it has some extra holes in it, but it fits fine, and it's given me a chance to clean up all those ignition wires and the throttle cables too. I'm still waiting on the last spring assembly part so I can continue on with the head steady.

Would have been a good day for a ride, but I had a horrible sore throat last night, so I'm not up to par. I know I got it at McDonald's. All those germ machines in there.

Dave
69S

DogT · Aug 10, 2012

I found a new source for tank pads. Flip flops. I was in town today looking all over for something and nothing, even the mouse pads now are 1/8" thick and cheapest was $3. I found 2 pair of flip flops at the dollar store for guess what. Double thickness should be good for the rear and single for front. And they feel about the right amount of compressibility.

Another Chinese part on the bike. But at least I found a matching colour.

Dave
69S

CanukNortonNut · Aug 10, 2012

Don't be so cheep Dave
I know its in your nature! :mrgreen:
CNN

Guido · Aug 10, 2012

Flip flops? :shock: :idea:
What color?

DogT · Aug 10, 2012

Guido said:
Flip flops? :shock: :idea:
What color?

Blue, of course. No flakes though.

Dave

DogT · Aug 10, 2012

CanukNortonNut said:
Don't be so cheep Dave
I know its in your nature! :mrgreen:
CNN

It was the best thing I could find all over town. Not that it's much of a town. Plus I'm cheap, not cheep. Kluck, kluck. I could have sent away to OB for the real items for maybe $8, but hey, a fella's gotta do what he's gotta do, ay.

Dave

DogT · Aug 11, 2012

Actually one thickness of flip-flop will do for both. I glued them in the tank this morning. I like the matching colour and they squeeze on the tube giving plenty of clearance everywhere. Maybe my wings will stay on now and the tank will stop rubbing the down tubes by the carbys.

Talk about a blown out flip-flop. Now if you guys from Tejas or Mexico would send me some good limes, I'd make a Margarita. Limes here have gone through the roof, cheapest I can find is around 50c and they look more like tiny brown landmines. Don't know why we get such crappy produce here in the mid Atlantic.

Dave
69S

DogT · Aug 11, 2012

Too thick for the front pad, top fork hits the tank. Cut it in half and even made some good improvements on the front mounts. Since my steering swings so far, it's real easy for the top fork to hit the tank and I always have to keep the tank studs mounted as far back in the wing hole as I can. I also got rid of those stupid rubber washers that would always fall off when you're trying to put the tank on and cut a couple of circles out of the flip flop, punched a hole in them with the utility knife and now they're a press fit on the stud and don't fall off. The reflectors were always too close to the tank and would rotate unless I really cranked down on the hateful nyloc that holds them on stressing the wings, so I put a USS washer on the stud under the wing, a standard 5/16-24 nut, finger tight and then the reflector bracket and another 5/16-24 nut. Now I can lock the reflector bracket in place and I don't have to tighten down the nut that holds the tank in place and doesn't compress the washer and stress the wing mount. Looks like a good setup for me.

It takes forever to work all this stuff out, or maybe I'm just slow.

Dave
69S

Onder · Aug 11, 2012

You are slow? Not really. Fixes usually appeared years later at the factory!

Tank support

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