Topic: stripping old tank liner. HELP!!!

[Cafe550CHAMP]

hey there, this is my first post so I hope I'm doing this right. i just purchased a '79 CB550 cafe racer restoration project, and I'm having some problems. It seems the previous owner applied some kind of tank liner in the tank, which is now disintegrating and flaking off into my gas. He also appears to have removed the fuel filter, causing this stuff to get into my petcock and fuel lines and clog up the carbs. The bike has trouble idling, which implies that the pilot jets are clogged. However, I believe I need to strip the inside of the tank before I go about flushing the fuel lines, fixing the petcock seal, and cleaning out the carbs and jets. Can anyone confirm this train of thought as correct? does anyone have any method of removing tank liner, or any experience with Methyl Ethyl Ketone/Xylene? Thanks for the help!!

[phil71]

There is no 'removal'. MEK will work, and is probably your best bet, but nothing is going to just make it pop off. You're gonna be rinsing and shaking and reapplying a LOT.. to get all that crap out. and even then, it'd be really good to get that screen back in your petcock. Once you get it mostly out, then you have to think about the rust that was there, prompting the original coating
Lots of people jump the gun on lining a tank before it is really all that far gone.. and maybe the rust wasn't even all that bad, but i can say that if you have the normal demands of a regular job, a girlfriend, a wife, a family, you're looking at a week of dicking with it(at least) before that thing is usable. If you're outta work and single, you can do it 2 days.

[Cafe550CHAMP]

The thing is, there is no rust. This is a custom cafe tank, not the original tank, and just has all the liner and then metal. I've heard that the MEK will eat away at the exterior paint if any gets on it. Is there anything I can put on the exterior that the MEK will not eat through? thick plastic sheeting maybe secured with tape? This is turning out to be more work than I thought!

[onepieceatatime]

hey there, this is my first post so I hope I'm doing this right. i just purchased a '79 CB550 cafe racer restoration project, and I'm having some problems. It seems the previous owner applied some kind of tank liner in the tank, which is now disintegrating and flaking off into my gas. He also appears to have removed the fuel filter, causing this stuff to get into my petcock and fuel lines and clog up the carbs. The bike has trouble idling, which implies that the pilot jets are clogged. However, I believe I need to strip the inside of the tank before I go about flushing the fuel lines, fixing the petcock seal, and cleaning out the carbs and jets. Can anyone confirm this train of thought as correct? does anyone have any method of removing tank liner, or any experience with Methyl Ethyl Ketone/Xylene? Thanks for the help!!

 As stated, MEK will be your best bet, but a lot of time and shaking involved. I do not know a way to protect the paint from it either. Honda did not make a '79 CB550. '78 was the last year of production, and '79 was the first year of production of the CB650.

[luap]

acetone will eat through the sealer also. least it did with the kreme liner on one of my tanks

[BeSeeingYou]

This is turning out to be more work than I thought!

Welcome to the world of vintage bikes.     After you get that crap out don't put a new tank liner in.  They are only needed for leaky tanks weakened by corrosion.  In a good solid tank they are more trouble than they are worth.

You are just going to have to be careful as anything that will take the liner out will remove your paint.  Like the other guys said MEK or acetone seem to be the two things that do the job.

[ekpent]

I have done them quickly with a good quality water soluable paint stripper,not the "green' stuff.The trick is being VERY careful to not get any on the paint. Rubber expandable plumbers plug for the filler hole,good sealing petcock arrangement is a must. Couple of coats of very heavy unbuffed Turtle Wax,wet towels and a garden hose to constanstantly keep the tank exterior water flushed incase of a spill.Nuts-bolts etc for a little rattle and roll. Be careful also because pressure can build inside and you can get a surprise when you loosen the bung. Sounds easy Ehh       

[solo 2]

Anything that will eat through liner will strip paint. Use acetone over MEK as it is less toxic. Wear safety goggles as both these are extremely corrosive to your eyeballs. Do I need to say keep away from ignition source.

[MotorFist]

Looks like I will be picking up some acetone tonight after work!  I pulled this ginormous chunk of liner out of the 400f tank last night when I removed it while stripping the bike. 

 

[ekpent]

See a lot of rust on the underside of that material.

[MotorFist]

Yep
After the acetone I will work on that.  The tank seems pretty solid though I am no expert.  The bottom seam doesn't have any cancer that I can feel or see so I am thinking the tank was not lined to fix a leak.  I am guessing the P.O. put the liner in when he saw some rust.  Judging by some creative wiring and drastically wrong sized tires the bike had on it when I picked it up, the PO wasn't too mechanically inclined.  Despite all this it still ran great so I brought it home!  The PO's had screwed it up enough that it was further from taking it back to stock than it would be to have some fun with it.
I love a project either way so I'm happy!

[Eddie]

KBS coatings has gotten great reviews...
http://www.kbs-coatings.com/cycle-tank-sealer-plus-kit.html

[Thousandson]

I've seen it never tried it but burn it. Place the tank on a gas stove(outside), and burn it. It will destroy the paint, and the liner, you'll need to repaint but it will burn off the old tank liner. Link below.

http://hutchinsoncycle.com/2012/03/29/prepping-a-fuel-tank-for-paint/

[Rigid]

Wow, cancer, explosion hazard, blindness, toxic chemical burns, pressure build-up on a sealed tank and then burning?  Weeks of work? This is quite the series of disasters waiting to happen.  How about getting another tank and reduce the drama?  Btw, that is not an aftermarket tank, looks like about 1979 CB400 to me.  You are correct that repop tanks come with instructions to seal the new tank.  I guess the Chinese don't trust their welding.  Out of 16 new tanks I have never sealed and never had a leak. If in doubt, i pressure test under water before painting. 

[MotorFist]

Hey 550champ! How did your liner removal go? I finally filled my 400 tank with acetone tonight. Used a cork for the petcock bung. I was told acetone won't eat a non-synthetic cork. I guess I will know in the morning!

[lucky]

acetone will eat through the sealer also. least it did with the kreme liner on one of my tanks

Acetone absorbs more moisture than MEK. So to dry the tank out use Acetone.

A short piece of heavy chain is easy to fish out with a magnet and helps break up the old liner. Use Caswell's liner next time with white colorant from TAP plastics.