Topic: Derustifying 78 550K gas tank.

[Kelvin8]

I recently bought a 78 CB550K, which is cosmetically nearly pristine; however, the tank is rusty on the inside. If I have it boiled out, I loose the original paint and decals. Having never done a tank cleaning and lining, how difficult is it? What's the best brand of liner? Any tips or tricks I should know? BTW this is my third CB, previously I had a 72 350FOUR and a 76 750F and I did my own maintainance on them (wish I still had my four guage).

Found the "Safest Rust Remover" by doing a search of the forum. I think I'll try that. Shoulda tried that first. Doh.

[mylittleho]

try the search function.. you will find a TON of information...

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=3538.0

http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=2893.0

[dusterdude]

try the yamaha tank cleaning kit,worked for me.

[Chris Liston]

you could try the POR-15 Marine clean to basically eat the rust and then the metal prep.  From the looks of that tank you probably don't need to seal it, just fill it with gas right away after using the metal prep.

Did you buy that of Justin NJ on this site, looks like his.

[cjackel]

I bought the 5 gallon bucket of Safestrustremover.

Works great.

It took 3 days of soaking it and the tank looks brand-new. No need for a "liner" or "coating."

I keep the tank topped off with gas and 6 months later it looks as good as new.

[Buffo]

the absolut, hands down, best tank treatment you can get is POR-15

there is no sense in not treating and coating the tank if you  want to keep your bike in top notch shape

[eldar]

What BTEAS said.

[ProTeal55]

CJackel -

Did you rise out the tank with the rust remover , or did you submerge the entire thing ?
I have a minor rust buildup in the new tank for the CB project , and refuse to cream/line it.

EVERYONE I know that has lined a tank , has had issues down the road with the coating comming off and getting clogged everywhere....

[eldar]

The kream product has been known to do this, but I have never heard it aboutthe por-15. The 15 is a faialy new product whereas the kream has been around for years with no changes and just does not seem to work as good.

[Buffo]

kream SUCKS. And it looks like #$%*.

[78_SaltLick]

Other than ordering POR-15 tank cleaning kit online, where else can you get it? Not at home depot. Can you only get it at the motorcycle dealerships?

[gaijin]

I haven't found anyone who stocks it (I called around a bit), but I suppose it's possible. Bought mine online from their website.

[TwoTired]

I did the Kreem process on a CB550 tank about 7 years ago.  Cleaned, rinsed, dried, and coated an already painted tank.  I fan forced air into the tank to thoroughly dry the coating (about 2 weeks).  Over the years the coating turned from the as new cream color to a grey brown.  However, there was no peeling, scaling, or deterioration I could find when I sold the bike a month ago.  There were also no particles in the carb bowls either when I drained them to check for debris.  I only use the in-tank filter (75 model).

I don't think you can do a good Kreem job in one or two days.  And I expect many who have tried just that determined the Kreem process "crap" when it failed later.  Any paint system can fail when the prep work is shody.

"Tis a poor musician who blames his instrument for a wrong note played".
Cheers,

[cjackel]

1. Drain gas from tank.
2. Remove tank from motorcycle.
3. Pre-clean tank with warm water and Simple Green or other degreaser-type soapy water. Rinse well.
4. Remove petcock and plug and/or duct tape hole.
5. Fill with Safestrustremover. Top with water to fill to the very top of tank.
6. Let sit for 2 days.
7. Drain into a bucket. Rinse tank with clean, warm water.
8. Refill with safestrustremover. Let sit for another day or two.
9. Drain but do not rinse with water.
10. Reinstall petcock and reinstall tank.
11. Fill with gas, treat with Fuel Stabil or similar product.

The inside of the tank looks like new metal. No etched surface, no need for coating, no chance
for making a mistake with improper coating application. This stuff is great.

You can reuse the chemical over and over. It's biodegradeable and non-toxic.

[ProTeal55]

Thanks cjackel ,

Once I get all the welding finished on my tank , I will follow those steps..

[cjackel]

Also, the remover does not damage paint.

The only issue is this treatment does nothing for your tank in case
you have pinhole leaks caused by the the corrosion.

Of course, you'll know this after the treatment. But at least you'll have a clean tank to start with
in case you're forced to line the tank with Por or Kreem.

[Buffo]

why would you go through all the trouble to get your tank back to "new" on the inside only to leave it untreated and unprotected. If your tank had any rust in it it has pits and pores in the metal that are VERY tiny...it is almost impossible to get that out with out the proper treatment...POR-15 does.

Gas floats on water...water WILL get in your tank eventually...the bottom of the tank will rust.

dont try and save a few bucks...do a proper job.

[cjackel]

You don't need to "protect" the tank if you keep the gas always topped off.

Same reason a garaged motorcycle stays relatively rust free. The moisture
gets a chance to evaporate and the various parts don't corrode as rapidly.

My 8 year old Kawasaki Concours has a spotless tank interior and I ride
2800 miles a month, year round, in rainy weather, etc.

No special coating, etc. I simply top off the tank every 150 miles of riding.
This keeps the tank at least half full and minimizes any effect of moisture,
condensation, water in the fuel, etc.

[ProTeal55]

Buffo -

Can you email me some pics of your bike ? I would like to check it out to get some ideas 4 my
project. Joe@Americasopenroad.com

[eldar]

how many people want to stop at the gas station every couple of days thought to put in a gollon just to top off a tank, which is impossible anyways unless you can get the tank to sit perfectly level and fill to the brim and have some gas come out when you put on the cap. See what I mean? A por-15 kit will protect your tank for the rest of the life of the bike with less than 1 week time and little effort. Those of us in the more humid and damp climates cant rely on keeping a tank topped off as moisture will find it way in somewhere.

[Buffo]

you dont see water but it is there...sitting at the bottom of your tank...rusting it out...in the worst possible places....

this is the last time I will reply to this post...the right way to treat that tank is with POR-15

Do what thou wilt

[Sam Green Racing]

You tell em Buffo

[KB02]

Will the safestrustremover stuff work on a tank that has already been Kreemed? They guy who owned my bike before me kreemed the tank due to rust.

[Kelvin8]

This is the first tank I've had a rust problem with. The 350 I rode every day for a year and a half (sole mode of transportation), so fuel turnover was high. The 750 I rode maybe once or twice a week for the heck of it. Both these bikes spent their lives with me in Los Angeles (I don't live there anymore, but still live a dry climate). I suspect whether or not to line the tank depends on where you live and how much you ride. As far as water being in the gas, there shouldn't be a significant amount, and if it is a concern, a little isopropyl alcohol in the gas will put it in suspension and render it harmless. I'm still debating whether or not to line the tank.

[eldar]

I use 10% ethanol to control water. When I can, I will do the por-15 and use the liner. I know the ethanol is not quite as good as regular gas but I would rather protect my tank and lose a small amount of power than not ride at all cause I need to repair a tank.