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CB project
- Thread starter Wingedwheel
- Start date
With a leak on the seam you may have to use a tank sealer/internal coating, but I do not know which product is the best in the US? Maybe the POR 15??
Paul, I was talking with Beags64 about Tig welding it but you think a sealer would do it? Hmmm
I have never used POR 15 type products but I have seen comments claiming they will seal leaks in the seams.
I found this when I searched for best tank sealers, anyone used them before?
https://www.thedrive.com/reviews/32202/best-motorcycle-tank-sealer
https://www.thedrive.com/reviews/32202/best-motorcycle-tank-sealer
I also looked at the option to just buy another tank however I’m back to the original issue of this bike not being the same as the K models. Mine has a fuel sending unit in the tank that other models do not. A K model tank is shaped the same but has no cutouts to install the sending unit as far as I can see. I’m just going to pull everything out and try to seal it. With the cost of the POR-15 being nominal what do I have to lose? After all I just love spending all my time chasing gremlins...... Little bastards Must have a nest in my garage somewhere.
From the reviews I have seen you must follow the application instructions to the letter. If it says to be used between 20 - 25 Celsius then the air temperature must be that. Also check the products Ethanol tolerance i.e. the Eastwood says not suitable above 10% Ethanol.
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I went with the POR-15 and also ordered the metal prep. I will use my own degreaser as that’s not a big deal but the prep says it removes any rust and leaves a zinc coating which helps the coating seal to the metal. All in all about $32 total Any more issues though I might be moving this over to the throwing in the towel post!
POR 15 has strict instructions to follow, so be OCD with it. Watch all the YouTube videos.
The more I think about it from the noise I heard it sounded like the spring in the bendix may have broken. After it happened the starter motor would spin but nothing happen. I used the temp kick pedal to turn the engine over and it at least would try to engage again. At the time I guess I was thinking it sounded like a death rattle... lol
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There is a guy on the other side of town that sells Japanese parts super cheap. I’ve bought several bits from him in the past and he had a starter for a CB. Said he’d sell it to me for $10. It’s about a 45 min trip and with road construction season gearing up I opted for shipping at $12. Still a good deal. Tank sealer hasn’t shown up yet. But I needed a break anyway.
Tank sealer showed up. I probably will do a separate thread on that.
Here is a UTube video with some ideas:
He used tape over the filler hole. This works but you must keep a hand pressing on it to maintain the seal. He mentions it leaking and this is because he has added hot water and as soon as you shake it the air inside heats up, expands and breaks the tape seal. I better solution would be to use a large rubber bung to seal the filler hole, but again be aware that a pressure increase could pop it out so it needs to be tight fitting. As for the petcock and fuel level sender holes what he did is good. He does mention near the end to remove the screws. This is to stop the sealer gluing them in place.
POR-15 is a moisture curing urethane. The curing relies on moisture from the air around it so do not keep the tank sealed up, curing requires air circulation. The full cure takes some time so leave it as long as you can before its first trial with petrol.
It will be interesting to see how the application goes - Good luck.
He used tape over the filler hole. This works but you must keep a hand pressing on it to maintain the seal. He mentions it leaking and this is because he has added hot water and as soon as you shake it the air inside heats up, expands and breaks the tape seal. I better solution would be to use a large rubber bung to seal the filler hole, but again be aware that a pressure increase could pop it out so it needs to be tight fitting. As for the petcock and fuel level sender holes what he did is good. He does mention near the end to remove the screws. This is to stop the sealer gluing them in place.
POR-15 is a moisture curing urethane. The curing relies on moisture from the air around it so do not keep the tank sealed up, curing requires air circulation. The full cure takes some time so leave it as long as you can before its first trial with petrol.
It will be interesting to see how the application goes - Good luck.
Lowes sells rubber plugs. In the nuts and bolts section.
I have a drawer full of plugs, some I saved from new tanks I’ve bought. My concern is the opening on the top of the tank where the fuel sending unit for the gas gauge mounts in the tank. I’ll post some pics when I pull it apart this weekend
Did some more reading on POR 15:
- Best results when all rust is removed.
- Flash rusting from cleaning is not an issue. It is a very fine layer and the POR 15 will stick to it. But best to minimize flash rusting. In the past I have minimized this after acid washing and water rinsing by tipping in a 1/2 liter of meths to dissolve the water up and then empty it out and repeat again. Then thoroughly dry the meths out using compressed air.
- When rotating the tank with POR 15 and you see it leaking out a seam or pinhole place some tape over the area and then the POR 15 will seal the hole. If you do not put tape over it the POR 15 may drain from the area and leave a pinhole.
Blowing in the tank with a shop vac or heat gun works well to minimize flash rusting too.
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