Another bad Kreem job

[racerrad8]

Well, I have a new owner of the FJ that the General had for his 2018 USA adventure. I got the bike all sorted and running. I noticed the bike ran poorly which was strange because Cap'n Ron delivered after the WCR rally and was telling me he was impressed by how well it ran and pulled.

So, I dropped the bowls to check the pilot jets to find the carb bowls were full of rust. I looked at the rear of the carb throats and was shocked to see the rust colored mess coming from the fuel outlet orifices. Those carbs were built less than a 1000 miles ago and were spotless. Everything looks good from the air filter side and even inside the bowls don't look bad.

Needless to say, a quick look in the tank and all looked pretty good. I could see some tank liner that appeared to be "thick" but nothing obviously rusty other than the gas cap ring.

I drained the tank and pulled the float, petcock & cap and let it dry out overnight. I come in this morning and the sealer is now pulled away from the tank floor. I was able to reach in with my small parts grabber and start pulling out these chucks of sealer from the floor of the tank.

I am not surprised, another bad Kreem job. The coating is almost an 1/8" thick and the surface wasn't properly prepared to prevent future rust under the coating. I can also see now, the side cavities are completely full of the coating and I am concerned about what is under there.

Oh well, time to start stripping and then see what there is to work with. If anyone has any thoughts of applying a coating to their tank, please research other products other than Kreem. I used POR15 on the last tank I did for FJScott after the Kreem failed on the used bike he purchased. I am looking at the KBS Coating system this time.

One thing I do know, when I did the tank for FJScott it took me close to a week to do the job. From the stripping to make sure it was fully stripped, to the surface preparations and then finally the coating of the inside of the tank. It was a ton of work, I am not not looking forward to doing again but it is what it is.

Randy - RPM

[Pat Conlon]

Randy, are you going to do the electrolysis method of rust removal?

[racerrad8]

Randy, are you going to do the electrolysis method of rust removal?

No, the paint will be ruined. Since this bike is a custom painted green, I can't take the chance of damaging the paint. Just like the tank for FJScott, I am going to strip the Kreem out, prep the inside and then seal it properly.

The KBS cycle tank kit looks like the ticket to try this time: https://www.kbs-coatings.com/cycle-tank-sealer-plus-kit.html

Randy - RPM

[mtc]

i can consider myself lucky, as the tank innards in mine are pristine, and it obvious the owner is a "money is no object" kind of FJ Lover, i like my FJ less,and if i had to deal with that type of neglect, I would call it quits.

and besides, he could have sourced a better tank , if he went through the hassle of custom painting it.

[racerrad8]

Randy, are you going to do the electrolysis method of rust removal?

So, you got me thinking and then I remembered this thread: http://www.fjowners.com/index.php?topic=17783.msg179424#msg179424

I think I'll give this a try. Not sure if it will remove the Kreem from inside, but if over rust like the pieces that came out of the tank, then it should remove the poor coating job.

Experimentation will be commencing shortly.

Randy - RPM

[JMR]

 I just used Evapo-Rust on my 87 tank....that has been babied since I bought it new. Used 4 gallons in the tank for 5 days. Mint. Absolutely mint.

[mtc]

otoh rescue is always commendable, they don't make 'em no more

[ribbert]

I just used Evapo-Rust on my 87 tank....that has been babied since I bought it new. Used 4 gallons in the tank for 5 days. Mint. Absolutely mint.

Rust is why you should always leave your tank full. I was taught that in school and my father's advice was, "it costs no more to run on the top half of your tank than the bottom half." Even though I know this to be true, and have passed this pearl on to my children, I have ignored it most of my life, in cars anyway. The Prado (with standard tank) costs $300 to fill, I can't bring myself to do it, even though I know if I filled it when it got to half it would be the same thing. Maybe one day if I win the lottery I'll fill it up and try keeping it in the top half.

Trivia Alert: beep... beep... beep... beep......

My second car was a V8 Monaro, I couldn't believe I could squeeze a whole $5 worth of petrol into it in one fill, even if I drove it until it was running on fumes. (this may not be surprising at US prices) My previous car when run dry would never take much over $4 worth.

I always fill the FJ when I get home after a trip so it's parked up with a full tank, for just this reason.

Noel

[JMR]

I just used Evapo-Rust on my 87 tank....that has been babied since I bought it new. Used 4 gallons in the tank for 5 days. Mint. Absolutely mint.

Rust is why you should always leave your tank full. I was taught that in school and my father's advice was, "it costs no more to run on the top half of your tank than the bottom half." Even though I know this to be true, and have passed this pearl on to my children, I have ignored it most of my life, in cars anyway. The Prado (with standard tank) costs $300 to fill, I can't bring myself to do it, even though I know if I filled it when it got to half it would be the same thing. Maybe one day if I win the lottery I'll fill it up and try keeping it in the top half.

Trivia Alert: beep... beep... beep... beep......

My second car was a V8 Monaro, I couldn't believe I could squeeze a whole $5 worth of petrol into it in one fill, even if I drove it until it was running on fumes. (this may not be surprising at US prices) My previous car when run dry would never take much over $4 worth.

I always fill the FJ when I get home after a trip so it's parked up with a full tank, for just this reason.

Noel

I live by the "full tank" school of thought too. It is even more important in the climate I live in where it can be below zero F to 100+ degrees. I pull the tank off the bike and put it in the heated cellar in the winter. No matter what you do some rust forms after 30+ years especially since the introduction of ethanol (which attracts water) in fuel.
I am so particular I use VP small engine fuel in my FJ (actually all my bikes). It has no ethanol and is 94 octane. It isn't cheap but I can let the bike sit for 6 weeks .....or over the winter.....and it starts up like it was run the day before.

[racerrad8]

All of these internal tank rust issues would be eliminated if everyone followed the user instructions in the owners manual...

Randy - RPM

[1tinindian]

I have always subscribed to Noels suggestion to always leave the bike sit with the tank full. The fuel creates a barrier from the atmosphere to the metal surfaces inside the tank.
I have been doing this since 1981 and have yet to have a rust issue on any of my motorcycles

Leon

[Old Rider]

I used Bill Hirsch tank sealer 3 years ago very satisfied  no flake off or particles in the carbs and it can tolearate ethanol.

[chiz]

RED KOTE the only real tank sealer I will not use anything else...

https://www.dimecitycycles.com/red-kote-fuel-tank-sealer-liner.html

[racerrad8]

The science experiment has begun. Plugged in a 1 amp cell phone charger and bubbles appeared immediately.

In just 15 minutes,  already have scale on the anode rod.

Going to let it run for a couple if days and see if the old sealer is coming off or if I have to use the stripper.

Chiz, we got a set of carbs in today and the bowls were full of red.  The owner said he hopes that is just from the red kite liner,  not rust. But looking at them as we dug in further,  I'm leaning to rust.

Randy - RPM

[Pat Conlon]

Put a 10 amp battery charger on it...send some serious current thru there.

Go ahead, in the name of science, I dare ya....

You know you want to....