My great XS de-rust and cleanup

[ken008]

 "' I think I read earlier you used an old tyre tube as a substitute gasket for the petcock to tank seal? maybe you should get a sample piece of tube and leave it in a jar of petrol for as long as possible to see what happens. Some rubber compounds dont like petrol. they swell up and go all soft like jelly.""


when i said thats what i used it was only to leak proof the tank for repairs to be carried out, the rubber does go all mushy but it didnt leak a drop for 3 months with fuel in it, never use this as a permanent petcock to tank gasket. i imagine they use an  O ring to seal this

[tykwy]

Thanks, I was thinking plumber's tape.

The screws I have are fine for the petcocks, but I didn't want to use them for the sealant in case the get stuck hard. If I have to drill out a screw I wanted to know I had spares. Now if only it would stop raining...

[Jonesy]

G,day tykwy.
those screws will be M6......you could try some thread tape (white teflon tape in the plumbing section at hardware) to firm them up a bit for the coating job.
 Warning!! dont use it (teflon tape) with petrol as a permanent fix though.

There is a product called "Stag Paste" that  I think is compatible with fuel as a thread sealant a bit messy though. sort of like anti seaze paste....a little bit goes a long way.

I think I read earlier you used an old tyre tube as a substitute gasket for the petcock to tank seal? maybe you should get a sample piece of tube and leave it in a jar of petrol for as long as possible to see what happens. Some rubber compounds dont like petrol. they swell up and go all soft like jelly.

Nuh just re-read the thread and no mention of tyre tubes.....damn imagination....always mess'n with me
Jonesy.

[tykwy]

I was going to coat the tank yesterday but realised I didn't have any spare screws to plug the holes near the petcock and fuel sending unit. Anyone know what size they are because I've tried M4, M5, M6, M8 and none fit. M6 is closest but is a bit loose.

I took the opportunity during the sunshine in the morning to take another photo, post etching.

<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-fXAUT6Z2xRg/TtqkmTNEihI/AAAAAAAAAPQ/VQffebZo2fM/s400/2011-12-04%25252009.16.41.jpg" height="400" width="300" />

[ken008]

hi there, i was a bit duanted at 1st, but 1 thing at a time, get to know each part and how it works and you cant go wrong, take your time and ask questions,everyone here is happy to help, i cant help much with these big old things but i know the folks here can walk you thru most anything, good luck.

[tykwy]

good luck with your job, im restoring a little 2 stroke at the moment and it was a sharp learning curve, with the help of the people from here and the internet aswell, you can get an answer to most questions, on my tank to make it leak proof i made up a plate and used a bit of bike tube as a gasket and it worked perfect

I've been watching yours, my first street bike was a RD250LC gave it to a mate and I've regretted it ever since.

[steptoe]

you sound exactly like me mate,,, and your wife sounds the same as mine too

all mine did was shake her head  when I read it to her 

[ken008]

good luck with your job, im restoring a little 2 stroke at the moment and it was a sharp learning curve, with the help of the people from here and the internet aswell, you can get an answer to most questions, on my tank to make it leak proof i made up a plate and used a bit of bike tube as a gasket and it worked perfect

[tykwy]

I was wondering why people spend good money on a kettleball when a tank full of water does a great job.

I've ordered some thinner which I realised I'd forgotten, and found some cork to try and plug the holes better. I hope to coat the tank on Thursday evening.

Incidentally, you can get in trouble for cleaning carbies on the dining table, even if you lay down a plastic sheet underneath. Who would have thought. 

[classiXS]

Looking forward to see the "after-pics"... 

Bet your arms felt heavier than usual after all the shaking around, know mine did when i did it on the first tank 

[tykwy]

Having never done any mechanical work more complicated than filling a petrol tank. (Last time we got a flat tyre in the car my Missus shoved me out of the way after five minutes of me trying to work out how the hubcap came off without damaging it), armed with good intentions, a KBS Motorcycle Tank Sealer Kit & my recently delivered Clymer XS11 manual I set out yesterday to restore my tank to a usable condition.

It started like a motorcycle version of The Castle, first I had to move the GPX750, then the GPX250, then my wifes Galeta 125 scooter, before I finally had some driveway space to start the work.

First I took off the saddle and tank. Then a few photos to show what I was working with:
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-T3LBMGVnH5Q/TtLO66LSz4I/AAAAAAAAAI0/6FXtpsChdQI/s400/2011-11-27%25252012.42.07.jpg" height="300" width="400" />
<img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Dh_j-1KS73A/TtLPoZJkijI/AAAAAAAAAJU/2IX1tCplaAg/s400/2011-11-27%25252012.42.35.jpg" height="400" width="300" />

not a pretty look.

I then got stuck into the cleaning. I removed all the fittings on the tank and taped up the holes. (As an aside, I found both duct tape and gaffa wouldn't give me a decent seal, even after cleaning the surface extensively. Any suggestions for a water tight seal?) and poured in the first litre of cleaner, along with a handful of stainless steel nuts to give it some abrasive power.

After about two hours of shaking it all about I completely failed to take a picture of the tank. I rinsed out the tank and put in the second litre. Another hour of shaking and more photos not taken. I then replaced all the tape and put in the etcher. I spent an hour rotating the tank and wiping off the leaks, before emptying the tank and rinsing it out with copious amounts of water. I set the tank in the sun to dry, aided with the Missus' hair dryer.

While it was drying I took all the fittings and dumped them in a bucket with more Aqua Klean, instantly turning the water brown. Having a look at this petcock you can see why:

<img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-b6THbGN0dW4/TtLPUy2Tz8I/AAAAAAAAAJE/kXEEd2cF0i4/s400/2011-11-27%25252014.20.46.jpg" height="300" width="400" />

It was about then I decided in for a penny etc etc, so I removed the carbies. Intending to clean them out. At this point I was reminded that it was my turn to cook dinner, so I put everything away and will do the sealer coat this afternoon hopefully.

There are a few more pictures of the bike sans saddle/tank on Picasa