Topic: How many here have used Red-Kote? & how did it turn out ?

[grcamna2]

I'm going to use Red-Kote on my tank after doing the vinegar treatment a few times which left the metal of the tank(it was very rusty in some spots..) thinner than I'd like inside.Have any of you folks here used Red-Kote w/ success and how was your experience w/ it ? How much prep work did you do and what products did you use to degrease/steam clean the tank and then dry it up as dry as an old bone before installing the liner? Did you use MEK or acetone to thin out the Red-Kote ?
I'm trying to find out all I can before doing the job so it adheres to the inside like it should, & considering all the junk they put in the fuel now which could mess-up the liner I want to do my Best to make sure I've done it correctly the first time.
thanks 

[xtravbx]

It's my favorite. Works amazing. Stays flexible unlike kreem / caswell / epoxy liners. I had a Caswell fail on me (granted I didn't do the install) but the tank was pretty shot after that. Flakes and chunks of it peeling apart inside. Almost impossible to get out the rest of the way, and who wants bits and pieces coming apart in there.

Anyways. RedKote is my go to.

Vinegar, flush it out with water, use compressed air to get it as dry as you can. Get a rubber stopper from Home Depot. Plug the petcock end. I used acetone to get the rest of the water out. Treat immediately, doesn't matter if you still have acetone in there, it mixes fine with the RedKote.

Get a funnel ready. Pop the stopper out of the petcock end when you have it all rolled around real nice, and funnel it back into the can. Treat it second time with the leftover for a nice even coat. Fill it with gas the next day. Done and done.

[WhyNot2]

Will it fill in pin holes?

[xtravbx]

Will it fill in pin holes?

Like magic.

It is by far the best out there.

[grcamna2]

Will it fill in pin holes?

Like magic.

It is by far the best out there.

I used to send all my customers tanks from my Cape Cod location over to be lined w/ Red-Kote from my repair business I had a few years ago in MA.;the radiator shop guy Al would do nice work.He did them for a few yrs. but the MEK started getting to him and so he gave up doing them because of health issues.. I'm going to do this one and it's my first one considering he used to do all my other ones.
I hope to use acetone rather than MEK because where I'll be doing the job(up in W. MA.at my buddies place)they may not carry MEK,also the instructions on their site said that acetone can be used as a substitute.

[grcamna2]

Red Kote works fine, Bill. Differently, I prefer Caswell. I find it to be better at curing and off gassing more quickly. I've done about 20 tanks this past year with it and not had a single issue with it. I also prefer that it cures clear, rather than red.

I'll be using Red-Kote this time because I have a sealed gallon of it in my storage and it's avail. 
Thanks Cal,I certainly won't forget about how you helped me and will get to you on that too  !

Cal,as far as a comparison,since I've never done either Red-Kote or Caswell myself could you give me any pointers so I do the best job on prep ? I want to make sure it adheres 100% to the inside of the tank and holds on the longest time.

[faux fiddy]

I have a tank that came with a bike that had been kreemed. It apparently had a crinkle around the head tube collar that leaked, so the PO kreemed it, but it failed.  It still leaks from the kink in the seam and now has a thick coat of BS inside. Considering the condition of the tank otherwise, rust was probably not an issue.

[grcamna2]

I have a tank that came with a bike that had been kreemed. It apparently had a crinkle around the head tube collar that leaked, so the PO kreemed it, but it failed.  It still leaks from the kink in the seam and now has a thick coat of BS inside. Considering the condition of the tank otherwise, rust was probably not an issue.

I hope acetone will remove that old Kreem liner.

[grcamna2]

Acetone will remove any of these liners.

Bill - clean the tank well. If there's any rust (and usually there is some on the underside of the top of the tank that doesn't get treated) get it out. When I apply the liner, I do it in two parts: first half I pour in through the petcock to treat the underside of the top. Second half I pour in thru the filler neck. This way I'm guaranteed to treat the entire tank. Gently tumble the tank between each application to spread the liner and set it up to drain the excess.

If you can apply the liner while the tank is warm, I you'll get better results of coverage. Caswell sets in about 20', cures in 24 hours. Red Kote takes longer, and you'll know it's cured when the odor has dissipated.

Cal,
Excellent information;I wouldn't have thought of going through the petcock hole but that will get it directly on the top surface of the tank where I'd never know it was even rusty. Thanks 

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

I had Red-Kote fail on my first tank.  It got into my fuel lines and carburetors.  I've sworn off the stuff.  Now, I only use Caswell.  No failures.

[Terry in Australia]

For every treatment out there, there is at least one failure story, usually because the person who did the job didn't take the time to  do it properly. I had a POR-15 fail, and I'm sure I did it properly, but I used the same product from the same can on two other tanks, with no issues.

Whatever you do mate, stay away from MEK. (as opposed to "All the way, with LBJ") It is a fantastically dangerous product, and the fumes alone can dissolve your eyeballs. I loved it when I did what must have been the only successful Kreem job in tank sealer history (going by the way people here slag it off) but it is just so dangerous, I'll never use it again.

The best way to dry your tank after acid washing it (vinegar is an acid too, just not as effective as phosphoric acid, the best and safest tank cleaning acid) and then flushing it with plenty of clear water is with a heat gun or hair dryer. Just stick it in the fuel filler hole and crank it up to "high", then let it sit for awhile with the hot air running through it.

Once it heats the metal up to "uncomfortably hot", any water left in nooks and cranny's will dry out real quick. Compressed air alone won't remove ALL moisture, and that's where most tank sealers will fail. Do it once, do it right. Cheers, Terry.

[grcamna2]

For every treatment out there, there is at least one failure story, usually because the person who did the job didn't take the time to  do it properly. I had a POR-15 fail, and I'm sure I did it properly, but I used the same product from the same can on two other tanks, with no issues.

Whatever you do mate, stay away from MEK. (as opposed to "All the way, with LBJ") It is a fantastically dangerous product, and the fumes alone can dissolve your eyeballs. I loved it when I did what must have been the only successful Kreem job in tank sealer history (going by the way people here slag it off) but it is just so dangerous, I'll never use it again.

The best way to dry your tank after acid washing it (vinegar is an acid too, just not as effective as phosphoric acid, the best and safest tank cleaning acid) and then flushing it with plenty of clear water is with a heat gun or hair dryer. Just stick it in the fuel filler hole and crank it up to "high", then let it sit for awhile with the hot air running through it.

Once it heats the metal up to "uncomfortably hot", any water left in nooks and cranny's will dry out real quick. Compressed air alone won't remove ALL moisture, and that's where most tank sealers will fail. Do it once, do it right. Cheers, Terry.

DRY  you said it 

[dave the welder]

red cote  works great  follow directions to the letter  i  doubled the dry time just to make sure it was dry(4 coats)  the first tank of gas had a slight red tinge but caused no problems  after that no coloring of gas

[MoMo]

Seen Red Kote fail but as mentioned it was most likely in the prep.  I had to get the customers tank relined and also had to pull the carbs and completely clean. I do not like the red lining as an aesthetic point of view.  One thing you can do that I've read on several threads is set the tank on your blacktop driveway when the liner is curing.  I do not like doing tank lining and have only done one-it was done with Kreem and was successful.  Good luck with it Bill...Larry

[grcamna2]

Seen Red Kote fail but as mentioned it was most likely in the prep.  I had to get the customers tank relined and also had to pull the carbs and completely clean. I do not like the red lining as an aesthetic point of view.  One thing you can do that I've read on several threads is set the tank on your blacktop driveway when the liner is curing.  I do not like doing tank lining and have only done one-it was done with Kreem and was successful.  Good luck with it Bill...Larry

Larry,
The blacktop driveway for the rising heat on a sunny day for curing the liner ? That sounds like a good idea.

[MoMo]

Seen Red Kote fail but as mentioned it was most likely in the prep.  I had to get the customers tank relined and also had to pull the carbs and completely clean. I do not like the red lining as an aesthetic point of view.  One thing you can do that I've read on several threads is set the tank on your blacktop driveway when the liner is curing.  I do not like doing tank lining and have only done one-it was done with Kreem and was successful.  Good luck with it Bill...Larry

Larry,
The blacktop driveway for the rising heat on a sunny day for curing the liner ? That sounds like a good idea.

That is what I thought!

[Terry in Australia]

Yep, hot driveways are great heat sources, when I painted my K1 frame with epoxy enamel I did it out in the driveway to avoid getting overspray on my bikes in the garage, and it dried rock hard very quickly in 100(+)  deg F temps, my concrete was probably 150! Cheers, Terry.