Bad Caswell tank liner

nhsteve

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I cannot even begin to express how disillusioned, disappointed, and distraught I am with this.

First, a bit of history: 3 years ago I rejuvenated a '74 TX650 (brown tank). As this was to be a 'keeper' I made every attempt to make every last repair that the bike needed, and then some (wife thinks I went way over the top). Powder coated frame & bits, vapor-blasted cases, stainless spokes & brake lines. Upgraded anything and everything that made sense. Kind of a 'pick everything out of the wish book and do that' kind of rebuild.
Had several disasters (one with a shift fork cotter pin which I documented on the site), burnt up harness due to stuck regulator, brake master bleeding issues, stuck intake valve at 300 miles, etc. But this winter I thought I had it all set (again) after fixing the valve issue.

Only to find that the nice blue Caswell tank liner I so carefully (and I DO mean carefully) applied following their directions explicitly (and I DO mean EXPLICITLY) has failed. When I went to put some more (non ethanol) gas in the tank to go get it inspected, I can see a section has completely lifted away from the tunnel, exposing the tank underneath. I just know Caswell will lay the blame on me, so I won't even bother going back to them (yes, I DID mix both parts just like you said, using the ENTIRE batch, just like you said).

So. Not sure what to do at this point. Obviously the liner needs removal. Has anyone else had to remove one of these epoxy-type liners that has failed? What did you use?

Replace the tank? I would if I could find even a reasonable one to start with. A real disappointment, as the tank really was not bad to begin with, and I was mainly lining it to be "thorough".
 
tank really was not bad to begin with
This most likley the reason the Caswell failed on this tank. It really doesnt like a nice smooth finsh, the rougher the better for it to have something to adhere too. I'm a big fan of Caswell I have not personally had any issues, I have heard of others that have done what you did on a clean tank with similar results.
 
I'm not aware of any chemical that will dissolve that stuff. Harbor Freight sells this rust cutting media. I might suggest putting a couple of pounds of it in the tank and see if it takes off the loose stuff. What I do is place the tank in an old sleeping bag and put it in the dryer with a bunch of pillows, so it's secure. Remove all fumes and operate in the NO HEAT mode.
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Exactly. Lesson learned. Not really sure just what I will do. As I indicated, the tank otherwise was in very decent condition, inside and out.

I'm working on a '78 now, and just put some Evaporust in the tank for several days and it looks ok now. What I should have done before I guess.

So now the search begins for a usable tank.
 
Very sorry to hear about the Caswell fail, Steve. In my experience the stuff hasn't needed a rough surface for good adhesion. I do the prep a bit differently from Caswell's directions, though: first a flush with a pressure washer, then an overnight soak with a witches' brew of 50-50 denatured alcohol and acetone to remove all traces of gas and varnish, then an overnight soak with Metal Rescue rust remover, then another flush with with water, then a final flush with alcohol. I know that prep drill is more than a little AR, but all three tanks I've done in the last six years are holding up fine.
 
When I sent my XS2 tank out to be painted, to Marble Motors in Texas, they also offered a tank lining service.
They did not do this job themselves, they sent it out to a company that specialized in this job. I tried to find out from the painter, exactly what the product was , but he wasn’t sure. All he knew was that it was a 3M product that was designed to be an aircraft fuel tank liner. I’ve gone on 3M’s website to try and figure it out, only to realize that there is a whole line of products ( of course ) for all different applications. All I can tell you about my liner is , it is dark in color, it is not very thick at all, and it seems to be very hard. Will it hold up? I sure hope so, because I spent stupid money for that paint job.
 
I know that prep drill is more than a little AR,
I too am AR when it comes to prep, and like you Griz I have had no issues on the tanks I've lined with Caswell. 8 years in my Fiberglass Works tank and holding well. 6 years in my Cub Cadet tractor tank that had multiple pin holes. I only lined tanks that I knew needed lined ie.. fiberglass tanks, very rusty tanks that could leak. I have cleaned many tanks and just used as is because they were still very solid.
 
I'm a big fan of Caswell sealer. I used to buy a "sloshing compound" at the airport from Butler Aviation but that was in the 70's and I thought that was the best thing going at the time. lol
tim
 
Sorry to hear about the failing liner.

Is it coming up everywhere, or only in one spot? If so, does it affect the tank's functionality? Perhaps just get whatever sections you can get up...and then run it as is. I would put in some in-line filters to be safe. But if the liner isn't getting goopy or breaking up...not sure the issue other than it's not so nice inside.
 
Sounds like the only way to remove epoxy liner would be high heat (degrades the epoxy), followed by aggressive tumbler abrasives. Unfortunately, high heat would destroy any paint job, and would risk desoldering the fill hole...
 
Sorry to hear about the failing liner.

Is it coming up everywhere, or only in one spot? If so, does it affect the tank's functionality? Perhaps just get whatever sections you can get up...and then run it as is. I would put in some in-line filters to be safe. But if the liner isn't getting goopy or breaking up...not sure the issue other than it's not so nice inside.

The liner appears to be separating from one side of the center hump for about a 2-3" long section. I can see the metal tank beneath it. I'm sure Caswell will only tell me it is my fault for not prepping the tank "properly", and I suppose that can only be true. In my defence I did what they indicated in the instructions, which I followed quite closely. Oh well. I will probably contact them soon and ask what it takes to "fix" it. If they have anything interesting to say I will post it up.

Apologies for posting this problem, as I was most assuredly venting to the group after doing what I thought was the right thing and thinking I had done it correctly. Live and learn. For now, I guess you can put me in the 'clean the tank inside real good and then leave it alone' group.
 
No apology needed, Steve! You experienced what you experienced, and you shared it honestly. Guys need to know that there's more than one right way to do things, and "Clean it and let well alone" is one of them. Thank you for posting! (For the record, I don't like Caswell's instructions: following them can leave fuel residues, and I can't picture any liner sticking well to that. Their recommendation to leave a rough surface looks like a CYA to me.)
 
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