Pin hole in tank - using POR15

[Matt]

It's winter here and due to the high annual cost to register my bike for the road I put the registration on hold for at least three months.  The garage started smelling of petrol and I discovered a small leak, and an area of rubbery paint about 30mm across.  No fuel was on the floor, so I'm assuming the leak is pinhole, and it looks like it's along the seam on the RHS near the seat.

I've drained the tank but there's still some petrol in it that's not coming out easily.  I'm intending to use POR15, which will require me to get all the petrol out then wash the inside a few times.  I'm not sure what to do with the sensor components and petcock but assume I have to take these off the tank.  I've attached a few pictures.

Questions:

Can I simply unscrew these components?
Do I have to be careful that these areas don't get coated in POR15 when the final coat is applied, so that screw holes don't get filled?
Any hints and tips as far as how to ensure the tank is 100% dry?

Thanks in advance!

The Tank leak area


The sender


The petcock

[Rhino]

I used to belong to the yamaha vision forum and those guys swore by POR15.

Remove and block off the petcock and sender. The guys over there usually used an old non functioning unit to block the holes.
After washing out the tank, a lot of the guys over there stuck a hair dryer into the fuel cap hole and sealed it forcing hot air through the tank and out the petcock/sensor holes.
They said it had to be bone dry for it to work.
It's apparently not a coating but a chemical reaction to the metal or something. If there's still moisture in the tank it won't work so well.

[squidley63]

You can remove them and clean out tank. Make sure it is dry then just use duct tape to cover the holes for coating. You can also use a little from the can on the outside to be doubly sure it seals any area that may be leaking.

[movenon]

Here is some information with a lot of pictures to look at. Scroll down through it. Lots of information there. Hope it helps or gives you some idea's.
George

http://www.svrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=154997&highlight=tank+rust+removal

[skymasteres]

The best advice I can offer with respect to POR-15 is to follow the surface preperation directions TO THE LETTER. If you don't you end of with a high strength, etreemely chemically resistant film that will peel off in short order...

[jscgdunn]

The best advice I can offer with respect to POR-15 is to follow the surface preperation directions TO THE LETTER. If you don't you end of with a high strength, etreemely chemically resistant film that will peel off in short order...

Yes...not sure which system was used but we have a tank where the coating is peeling off inside.  Is there any way to get it out?

Thx,

Jeff

[Matt]

Many thanks for all your comments and special thanks for the SV Riders' link - very informative and encouraging!

Cheers

Matt

[movenon]

Many thanks for all your comments and special thanks for the SV Riders' link - very informative and encouraging!

Cheers

Matt

There is also this product http://www.kreem.com/downloads.html . A PO (I am the 3rd owner) did this to my tank and so far I have had no problems with it but my bike is a 1990 with fuel pump and filter in the system. I suspect there are some You tube clips on using it also.

I would think the key to either product is cleaning and prepping the tank. I have used POR 15 in auto restoration and it is tough stuff. Wear rubber gloves and old cloths while dealing with it. What it get on its staying on..... And I have no ideas how you would remove or strip POR 15 or Kreem once in the tank... I honestly don't think you could remove POR 15 once in your tank, it's that tough.

George

[rktmanfj]

I would think the key to either product is cleaning and prepping the tank.

+1

I have an '89 tank with really nice paint that someone did a poor Kreem application on.

A lot of it just peeled off, but I'm not sure if I could ever get it all out.

[movenon]

I would think the key to either product is cleaning and prepping the tank.

+1

I have an '89 tank with really nice paint that someone did a poor Kreem application on.

A lot of it just peeled off, but I'm not sure if I could ever get it all out.

What I would do is "chain" and/or both use a bunch of small bolts and nuts to rattle around in it to knock off what I could and then "media" clean it as best I could.  Maybe the manufacture of Kreem has a solution to dissolve or clean up there product. Might send them an e mail ? I am just throwing out stuff here? I have no experience with trying to remove there coating.

Another thought to inspect inside the tank, if you can locate one someone with one of the newer digital inspection cameras. Some mechanic's now have them and heating and cooling service repairmen use them. Harbor Freight has one to but I don't know what they cost. I would just locate a serviceman and give him a 6 pack or what ever to run his flexable probe in take a look. "Tankoscopey" Maybe run her into the emergency room at the local hospital.

Then I would flush the crap out of it with gas and run the tank for a while changing out fuel filters at first every few hours of operation and cut open the filters to see if there is any or how much crap is coming through.

After it settles down I would recoat the tank as per the manufactures directions.

A lot of work and time involved but if it's a good tank that's roughly what I would try. Good tanks are getting harder to find. All the 20 -30 year old metal tanks out there are aging and more pron now to rust (alcohol laced fuel is not helping the problem).  That's one of the reasons I have been promoting the idea of converting the older FJ's to a fuel pump, so a decent fuel filter can be put in the system.

My tank has Kreen coat in it and so far I have no problem but it was probably put in before it had a chance to rust.  I just made a deal for replacement fuel tank that was coated when it was new. I will do a tankoscopey on it before I  use it. Might be in the same boat as you.....

Sorry about the rambling post, just throwing crap into the fire...

George

[jamesearthdrum]

The best advice I can offer with respect to POR-15 is to follow the surface preperation directions TO THE LETTER. If you don't you end of with a high strength, etreemely chemically resistant film that will peel off in short order...

I will second this statement. I just did my tank and so far so good. The directions are very good that come with the kit. You must use some form of forced hot air to dry the tank. I used a hair dryer in the fuel fill to dry the tank for 4 hours. Kept checking that all areas of the tank were warm from the hot air. I also did not have any coating left over to pour out. You can use a Q-tip to clean out the holes for the petcock and fuel sender bolts. Be careful not to pull the swab off and have it fall in the tank! I didn't, but did think at the time that that would not be good.

HTH,

james

[Matt]

Well, I did the POR15 treatment and it went very well indeed, the interior of the tank looks great.  The instructions were to let it cure upside down for at least 4 days, as I was headed away for a week it was the ideal opportunity to leave it.

I struck my first problem when I came home - the fuel cap wouldn't open.

I can see into the tank through the sender hole and using a torch can see that there may have been some POR15 near the locking mechanism.  The key turns but the catch pin doesn't retract.  The thing that I am most upset about is that I had the cap open and was concerned that it could seal shut and so I cleaned up the rear of the cap and the pin, testing it worked fine before shutting it up and leaving it.  It wasn't let completely level, so any drips would have fallen to the front of the tank.  Some must have however dripped on the rear of the latch.

I cannot take the whole mechanism out as I need the cap open to undo the last screw that holds it onto the tank....

I've tried WD40, oil, heat and got another key cut so I could be rough with it, moving it back and forth.  I've tried hammering a long handled screwdriver from the sender hole onto the locking pin and it hasn't budged.

Drilling the lock out wouldn't help as its the pin that's stuck.

I am resigned to the fact that I will need a new cap, but wonder if anyone has any ideas on how to get the old one off??

Kicking myself here!   

[movenon]

Well, I did the POR15 treatment and it went very well indeed, the interior of the tank looks great.  The instructions were to let it cure upside down for at least 4 days, as I was headed away for a week it was the ideal opportunity to leave it.

I struck my first problem when I came home - the fuel cap wouldn't open.

I can see into the tank through the sender hole and using a torch can see that there may have been some POR15 near the locking mechanism.  The key turns but the catch pin doesn't retract.  The thing that I am most upset about is that I had the cap open and was concerned that it could seal shut and so I cleaned up the rear of the cap and the pin, testing it worked fine before shutting it up and leaving it.  It wasn't let completely level, so any drips would have fallen to the front of the tank.  Some must have however dripped on the rear of the latch.

I cannot take the whole mechanism out as I need the cap open to undo the last screw that holds it onto the tank....

I've tried WD40, oil, heat and got another key cut so I could be rough with it, moving it back and forth.  I've tried hammering a long handled screwdriver from the sender hole onto the locking pin and it hasn't budged.

Drilling the lock out wouldn't help as its the pin that's stuck.

I am resigned to the fact that I will need a new cap, but wonder if anyone has any ideas on how to get the old one off??

Kicking myself here!   

Yep.... I have the answer if its a 1989 or newer. What year is yours ?
George

[Matt]

Mine's a 91.  I'm bamboozled.  I went back out to the garage after leaving it for an hour or so, and it just opened.  The pin is still in the out position, so I have no idea how it came open.  Never mind, I can get a new one as it's seized pretty solid and yep, looks like it's been POR15'd. 

[movenon]

Good Matt ! I was going to tell you where to drill a hole over the top of where the bottom hidden Allen screw is located. Next time you have your tank lid open take note of where that one screw is. It is a short screw and all you need is an access hole in the lid to get an Allen wrench on it. Then you can remove the whole Assembly. Replace the unit or just install a small plug in the hole....  
George