Topic: Need Recomendation for Bronco Bike checkup-tank is off, now what??

[smithrelo]

Ok, right now Bronco Bike is in pieces in the garage.  Seat and tank are off.  I want to do what I can for "general cleanup and maintenence" while it is in this condition so I need advice:

1.  what do I get to clean out the gas tank?  It seems to have some rust inside, but outside is pristine.  How do I clean it and with what??  Do I drain the cleaning fluid out the petcock or syphon it out of tank?? (you can see I'm a complete novice on this.)

2.  wiring is visible and I can SEE (just had lasik Friday!) so how do i check wiring for crimps/breaks/shorts/ etc.   I cannot start bike, so how do I use ohmeter?  Can I simply turn on key and start touching wires at different places?  Other ideas??

3.  How do I check carb, floats, etc. etc. without disturbing the settings? 

I don't want to make it harder to find my problem, I just want to take advantage of tank and seat being off to do things like:  replace air filter, install fuel line filters, check all visible wiring, etc.
I downloaded the manual that was linked to this site, but we were unable to open it yesterday...I'm going to see what I need to do to get that manual open and read up on the above stuff.  I will buy a new air filter, and also gas line filters Monday.

Thanks in advance and if there is some specific "warning...do NOT do this" things, that would be most helpful...I don't want to do more damage as I work on it.

Linda

[dusterdude]

linda not sure about all of it,but yamaha sells a good gas tank treatment,used it on mine and it did a real good job,good luck with your bike

[mcpuffett]

hi linda, do you have any friends near by that are good with bikes ? if you do i would enlist their help if your knowledge is not that good ,that way they can show you how to do/check things which will help you more than some one trying to tell you what to do ,hope this helps a bit   mick.

[smithrelo]

Workshop book sounds good - Dear Hubby wants to send me to the Motorcycle mechanic school and I'm inclined to do it!  Do you have a name of a good workshop book?  I can order from internet and get it by Wednesday!

Linda

[Bob Wessner]

Linda,

See this post, it is for a 500/550 manual through '77 model on a CD.

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=816.0

[douglascoolgrey]

Linda...

Is this the first time you've taken the tank off? If so, congrats. Don't worry about checking EVERYTHING while you've got it off... fix one thing at a time, test to see if the fix works, and move on to the next thing.

Is there a local radiator shop near where you live? Take your tank to them and ask their advice. They'll have acids (and more importantly, places to dispose of acids) available. See if you can't find a place that'll let you hang out and watch while they're working.

Once you've got the tank repaired, you'll quickly move to meditation on the mechanic's mantra: "gas, air or spark?"

[CB500_k2]

I just brought a neglected CB 500 back to life.  The tank was full of rust and the petcock needed to be rebuilt due to crud accumulation.  I recommend Kreem Fuel Tank Liner (available at most bike shops).  This is a package which contains enough phosphoric acid to completely eliminate the rust in the tank and a plastic resin solution to coat the tank, seal any minor leaks and provide a fuel resistant internal finish.  It is necessary to make a plug for the tank where the petcock connects.  I used a piece of thin wood drilled to allow the petcock attachment screws to secure it.  I glued a strip of EPDM rubber onto the wood to make a liquid tight seal.  I used a cork to plug up the fuel filler opening. Phosphoric acid is tough on rust but is not toxic and the spent solution can be flushed down the drain.   Some people have expressed concern about the potential for the solvent in the product to eat up paint.  If you plug all the openings in the tank carefully you will have no problems.  I found that if a little of the product did get on the tank a quick cleanup left no damage.  It is possible to get the petcock rebuild parts at a Honda dealer.  It is so great to have a company support 30 year old products .

Good luck on getting your machine back to life.

Tom

[SteveD CB500F]

There have been mixed reviews of Kreem on this site.

Run a search and read them before lining your tank.

[Jonesy]

Another lining I've been told to look at is called POR-15.

[Bob Wessner]

After 22 years of storage, my tank was rusted, nothing serious, just a good deal of surface rust on the interiour. I researched the Kreem issue and decided not to go that route. I then decided to go with the POR-15 kit. However, after the first step, cleaning and degreasing, followed by the second, phosphoric acid, it looked brand new. I opted to skip any kind of liner. My rationale was if it has held up this well after 35 years and 22 in storage with little, sad to say, care, with some effort such as keeping it topped off, etc. it should last another 35 years.

[SteveD CB500F]

I've just followed my own advice and read the "Kreem" threads.

It seems that you don't need the liner if your tank is in good overall condition. Just use some acid to remove the rust and keep fuel (see - I've stopped saying "petrol") topped up.

My new 550K3 has rust in the tank and no doubt I will have to have a go at this one day.

Anyone in the UK done this?  What stuff did you use?

[Einyodeler]

I found a dent free tank at the local boneyard but it had rust on the inside,I used phosphoric acid and since there was no rust through I also decided not to mess with a liner.When you drain the the acid,put it in a pan of baking soda and this will neutralize it.Also spray some WD-40 in the tank after the etching and keep it filled up with fuel when it`s parked.Haven`t had any problems and the tank still looks great after 1 year.