Paging Barron

Reel Adventure · #1 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 04:53 PM

Here is what was on da inside!

**Bikeguy Joe** · #2 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 04:58 PM

Where did you get that?!? Is it supposed to be functional?

**RedB66** · #3 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 05:24 PM

That was (is) the tank I had made by the "Professional" out on California. When I got the tank it was completely enclosed. I didn't find out that it still had foam in it until I drilled the hole for the filler neck. I used gasoline to disolve the foam and then sealed it with Kreem tank liner. Unknowingly...I didn't get all the tape out and the liner failed over a short period.
When I shipped the bike to North Carolina UPS damamged the tank and we sealed it again with another product...it failed.

In hindsight... cutting the tank in two and removing the inards would have been the way to go.

It sure looks thick enough!! You can tell where I added some fiberglass resin to the topside.

Reel Adventure · #4 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 05:31 PM

hahaha,
Yeah that "oldschool" fab crap will come back to bite the builder everytime! What a HACK!! He builds junk!

Barron is da man! He offered to pay to have me one built to preplace that junk!! I couldnt thake him up on that so we built a steel one, wait to you see the next tank!

Reel Adventure · #5 (**permalink**) 11-09-2009, 05:33 PM

I'm gonna get all that mess out and reseal it right. If anyone wants to buy it I will sell it once is is done right and pressure tested. I dont know what frame I have or what it fits.

jdmpunk · #6 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 06:38 AM

hay RA just take the tank and sand down the filler to the fiberglass matting ruffly an 1" back from your cutt. clean the enside out and sand it good with 36 grit. get some fiberglass chop mat from your local auto store. and pick up a good marine grade resin.( its resistant to gass)t get mine from tap plastics. lay one layer on the enside of your tank halfs. sand the enside again good with 36 grit and coate it with just resin. glue the tank halfs back to gether and fill the voide ( the 1"eara you sanded the filler off) with chop and resin. seal the tank with 2 coats of red coat you can get it from car quest.

**BarelyAWake** · #7 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 06:54 AM

lol "marine grade" anything can hurt the wallet and is often misleading. Usually the reference is to West Systems Epoxies which is used in all sortsa projects. While it's indeed good stuff, I find it a bit pricey and I'm not fond of how it tools (or doesn't actually heh) It's extremely hard and thus somewhat brittle as it's got little to no flex - but that doesn't matter for this application;

WEST SYSTEM Epoxy

I really do prefer the slightly more versatile MAS epoxies, all in all it's just as good (somewhat better for some things) as West Systems but it's significantly easier to tool and best yet - costs less

MAS Epoxies

BTW - a lil tip with hardeners, you'll note there is "slow" and "fast" hardeners... don't be fooled as even the "fast" should really cure overnight before tooling or use. It's mostly for reducing kick time between successive coats and doesn't really mean it cures faster. With that in mind I usually get the "slow" hardener as it gives me more workable time before the pot kicks off and so I have less of a sloppy mess.

(kick = the epoxy isn't actually hardened but has become unusable, "cure" is fully set and finished)

**Bikeguy Joe** · #8 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 09:28 AM

What ever you guys use, be careful with the latest formulations of gas.
There has been a rash of boat and aircraft tanks coming apart lately, and some manufacture's have issued recalls.

**BarelyAWake** · #9 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 12:44 PM

I'd bet they were made with the cheaper and thus more common polyester resins, but I don't actually know for sure... sorry - but I live in the sticks in self-imposed isolation, I've not been up to date on such events (ignorance is bliss) lol

Polyester is not worth the price difference unless yer building boats for a living lol

**Bikeguy Joe** · #10 (**permalink**) 11-10-2009, 03:02 PM

Yes, no polyester resin in your tanks, or repairs please.