Topic: Holes in gas tank, Red-kote?

[MoMo]

Agree, I new tank is the way to go, you're lucky to find a good one...Larry

[kawabunga]

Those are some non typical rust out areas and they seem to be spread out over a pretty large area. The metal inside the whole tank must be getting pretty thin and a good de-rusting could open up even more areas. Think you have made a good decision. Shame the ole' girl sat so long. Did you ever hear the reason why ?

It was stored with fuel in the tank for sure, the bottom of the tank isn't pretty.

This bike has actually been in the family since new.  My grandparents purchased it and I can remember, as a child, seeing the bike sitting in the shed.  It never moved, nobody touched it for as long as I can remember.  Not sure why they let it sit.  My guess is it just gradually got used less and less over the years until it just got parked.  As with many of these old bikes, they get lost in time.
I'm taking it upon myself to bring it back to life and get 'er on the road again.  Somewhat of a tribute to my grandparents I guess, as they've both passed already.

[ekpent]

 Was the engine froze up after sitting that long ? Nice history to motivate you.

[Geeto67]

FWIW a lot of what people think is rust in the bottom of the tank is usually varnish. Fuel when it turns into varnish turns an ugly brown sludgy consistency with some additives crystlaizing. Since we are used to seeing gas as a slighly amber liquid it is easy to assume the nasty hardend rust looking stuff at the bottom is rust, but it isn't always. And yes sure there is probably some rust as well lurking there but I find that a lot of the time if you just clean out the varnish with some solvents you find that most tanks aren't that bad.

pinholes though are hard to get around and you need a liner. I have had perfectly clean and painted body sets that have developed small pinholes (I had a trident tank that did that, made a huge mess). 90% of the surface could be great but if you get a little rot between the spot welds that hold the tank together it can leak and you wouldn't see it till it's to late. Always pressure test unknown tanks. 

[kawabunga]

FWIW a lot of what people think is rust in the bottom of the tank is usually varnish. Fuel when it turns into varnish turns an ugly brown sludgy consistency with some additives crystlaizing. Since we are used to seeing gas as a slighly amber liquid it is easy to assume the nasty hardend rust looking stuff at the bottom is rust, but it isn't always. And yes sure there is probably some rust as well lurking there but I find that a lot of the time if you just clean out the varnish with some solvents you find that most tanks aren't that bad.

pinholes though are hard to get around and you need a liner. I have had perfectly clean and painted body sets that have developed small pinholes (I had a trident tank that did that, made a huge mess). 90% of the surface could be great but if you get a little rot between the spot welds that hold the tank together it can leak and you wouldn't see it till it's to late. Always pressure test unknown tanks.

Oh, I believe it that a bunch is just cruddy fuel.  However, the bottom of the tank looked no better as far as holes are concerned.  A bunch of them.  At least this way (with a new, hole-free, tank) I'll know for sure that I'll have a dependable tank.

[kawabunga]

Was the engine froze up after sitting that long ? Nice history to motivate you.

It is!  I've already heard a bunch of stories from the family.  One of them including my grandmother+bike+lilac bush that ended in a good laugh.
I even have a photo of my mother and great-grandmother on the bike taken around the 1978 area.  Very cool. 

[ekpent]

Was the engine froze up after sitting that long ? Nice history to motivate you.

It is!  I've already heard a bunch of stories from the family.  One of them including my grandmother+bike+lilac bush that ended in a good laugh.
I even have a photo of my mother and great-grandmother on the bike taken around the 1978 area.  Very cool. 

Good Stuff

[kawabunga]

Was the engine froze up after sitting that long ? Nice history to motivate you.

It is!  I've already heard a bunch of stories from the family.  One of them including my grandmother+bike+lilac bush that ended in a good laugh.
I even have a photo of my mother and great-grandmother on the bike taken around the 1978 area.  Very cool. 

Good Stuff

Sorry, just realized I never answered your question.  It wasn't froze when I found it.  However, my uncle said he tinkered on it a number of years ago (how many I don't know) and he said it was froze but he got it freed up.  But, he said it was since frozen again when he revisited it between his first attempt and me working on it.  Like I said, it wasn't frozen when I started working on it so I don't know what's up with that story...

[thrutheframe]

I had a dream that people were talking about bridging pin holes in a gas tank with RedKote.

[PeWe]

shotgun holes?

[ohiocaferacer]

A few months ago I sealed a GS1000 tank with the Caswell.....AWESOME PRODUCT!!
Tank has had gas in it now for a couple months with no issues.

Here is a reply with pics I posted in another thread.
http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=125089.msg1422400#msg1422400

Curious: Are you using ethanol gas? I've heard that is what eats tank liners and makes them fail. Caswell is supposed to be impervious to ethanol but I haven't tried it yet.

Yes....gas I am using has ethanol. Been sitting in the tank for a couple months and have had no issues.

It covered large holes in the bottom of the tank and a 8" split(with a 1/8" gap) in the side of the tank.
Caswell liner is amazing stuff!!