Started to paint my bike and found holes...

As the title states i started to repaint my Interceptor since the paint was getting faded in spots and it mismatched because of the change to black front fairing and lower chin fairing. Now the bike is all black however a problem was discovered during this process. I had removed a section of bondo from the tank because it had pealed away and started bubbling the paint. Initial inspection indicated it was just because of poorly prepped metal. Removed the paint from the sides of the tank to get rid of any bondo lurking under the surface. Laid down a couple coats of primer..and found out the real reason why. 3 pin holes that revieled themselves as the primer dried. I do have a spare tank here but its got a thick rust colored sludge in it...Not sure if it can be cleaned enough to be used. So at this point im looking for options...

Have considered taking the tank into a body shop and seeing if they can cut out the affected section and weld in a patch and possably lining it with some sort of product after patching.

Suggestions?

looking for either ways of repairing the original tank or how to clean the spare. Keep in mind the Interceptor has a built in fuel petcock in it so im not sure what will be required to remove it if that can be done.

 

ouch, sorry buddy. firstly, yes, it is possible to repair holes in a gas tank. Its not very safe, and much precaution must be taken, so take it to a professional mechanic to get it done. There are gels for neutralizer of the fumes you can coat the interrior of the tank prior to welding to accomplish this task.

however, if you have a second tank, and its just dirty... you are better to spend your money to have it power cleaned... I would also recommend getting it coated for ~ $80, to prevent any further rust or damage to the interrior... then use the spare. once you have the spare in good working condition, you can decide if its worth your money and time to get the original one repaired or not.

 

welding on a fuel tank

here is a neat trick I learned from an old auto body repair man. to weld/braze on a fuel tank. ensure it is empty then get a hose that will fit over the exhaust pipe from a car, put other end of hose in fuel tank, DO NOT SEAL, start car let it run for 15 mins at least. the exhaust which contains fine particles of carbon will absorb all the gas fumes. you can then weld or braze to your hearts content.

 

huh

why the exhaust pipe rig? Ive had quit a bit of success with oxy/acetalene brazing with brass and nickel/lead on fuel tanks of semi tractors

 

oops

without using any exhaust pipe rigging..I have made these repaires with empty tanks and tanks with diesel in them.

 

gas has a much lower flash point than diesel. The exhaust trick really just fills the tank with co2, pushing all the oxygen out which would keep the gas vapors from igniting.

 

yeah what he said, try that on a gasoline fuel tank and you will blow yourself into the next county depending on how far the county line is. its all about flash point. sorry I left that out, we weren't talking about working on Semi Tractors fuel tanks. and no i should have said that after 15 mins you can turn the car off and weld the tank. the soot from car exhaust is pure unadulterated Carbon. it has nothing to do with CO2. Carbon will instantly bond with other hydrocarbons effectively removing them from the enviroment. It is how a carbon block filter works when you purify water, or air for that matter. Gee didn't any of you take Organic Chemistry. LOL I don't know why not, it was soooo much fun. not! Just some useless information that I found a use for.
Keep the rubber side down and have fun.

 

I ran into this same problem (albeit not hidden like yours) on my '82 Yamaha.

Another problem with welding/brazing on gas tanks is that you WILL make those pin holes much bigger until you find "good metal". You'll simply burn up any of the metal on the tank that is rusty (not to mention creating a sloppy weld that might or might not hold).

I woudl personally try to clean out the spare tank, seal it up on the inside, and call it a day. The first tank sounds like it needs a lot of help.

 

I just aired out my tank for a week, Silver soldered the pin holes shut (had two), acid wash, MEK, coat of kreem, good to go.

Many people don't like kreem, but my tank has been like this for the 5 years since the repair was made and no issues.....

 

Give these guys a call: Norman Racing Group - Berkeley, CA, 94710 - Citysearch

They have one of the best welders of thin sheet and exotic metals on staff. they should be able to help you out.