Tanks

[mastergunny]

From all I have been reading about tanks, it sounds like it would be great if we could find someone to fabricate new ones! This whole tank liner thing is new to me. Did all tanks have this coating from the factory when new?

I don't have my pair of visions yet, should get them in abount a week. I have no idea what to expect in the way of tank problems. If I ever got the tank clean on the inside, why in the world would I want to recoat with some more gunk?

[Tanno]

They did not come lined with anything from the factory.

[Tiffanator]

I'm sure that my posts are the ones that are scaring you about the Vision tanks. 
Here's a brief (I hope) story on my tank. It had a Kreem liner in it, Kreem is known to flake off if additives are used in the fuel. Mine had indeed begun to flake off. There were also dozens of tiny pin holes in the tank that had to be drilled out and patched. I didn't want to patch them until I had cleaned away the Kreem and rust from the inside so I could get a good bond. Thats where the clay fiasco came into play. I finally got a good bit of Kreem out and dunked the tank in muriatic acid and got the rust off, then inspected only to find Kreem remaining. I patched it with JB and put more acetone in, and the acetone dissolved the JB over 7 days. I cleaned the JB off and used epoxy putty, then did the POR process and the tank is now lined and curing in my living room.

In short... what caused the most problems with my tank was a combination of Kreem, rust, pinholes, and the pinhead trying to do the work. Yes these tanks do rust, yes they do get pinholes, but if no other liner is involved the tank can be repaired in a weekend or less.

As for fabricating new tanks, you can get a carbon fiber/kevlar tank custom made, but be prepared to pay for it. I have found a step by step outline of a carbon/kevlar tank that was made and intend to try this process once mine is smooth and ready for a mold to be made of it. If it works, and depending on the labor involved I may be willing to make these tanks to sell.  I just don't know how much they would cost. The hardest part is creating a mold that is smooth enough to produce a perfect tank.

You don't have to coat it with more gunk... thing is...  POR or Caswell will last for a long, long time without peeling or chipping. Kreem was weakened by some fuel additives so it failed, POR and Caswell aren't affected by them. You line the tank because water tends to settle in the four corners of the tank that are lower than the level of the petcock, it then rusts. You can keep this from happening by regularly adding a water treatment to your tank. Since mine was already rusted I'm not taking any chances. I believe Tiger and H2O have unlined tanks that have had no problems, but they are good about running water treatment through.

[ironb12s]

Correct, Tanno and Tiff, the lining of tanks by the OEM is only a recent development, and not very widespread.  Therefore, Vision tanks were never lined from the factory.

The angular design of the Vision tank is what causes it to rust out, as Tiff stated.  Water is heavier than fuel, and pools in the low points, rusting the tank out from the inside.  If an owner was lucky enough, got a tank that was clean and rustfree, using fuel dryer on a regular basis kept the tank in pristine shape.  After hearing the horror story about a fella that found the tank leaking when he stopped at the light, by the legs of his jeans being fuel soaked, I went right out and got the liner and completed lining the tank by the following weekend.

Tiff, your tank had been lined because it was rusty in the place, long before you got the bike.  The PO didn't do a very good job of installing it, or you wouldn't have found more rust after removing the Kreem.  The liner was put in to seal the leaks that the PO found.  Moreover, if you DO plan to start manufacturing Kevlar/Fglass tanks for the Vision, you don't need to line that one that you're working on, just use it to make the molds that will be needed-you'll need at least 2.  And, if you're not sure how to do it, we do have another source to manufacture them, at $600-$800 a pop.

[mdskinner731]

thats one thing i need to do... POR my tank or somthin like that it has surface rust in side and b4 and pin holes form i need to get it fixed

[kwells]

it's an easy thing to do if you do it before it gets bad

[Tiger]

 :) I don't have either my '82 or '83 gas tank's lined...or last winter's project "V" that Lil'Blaster bought from me, or this year's '82 winter project "V"...and...touch wood, have had no problem's.
I do, however, run gas additive's through on a monthly basis. Of late I've been picking up "Berryman's" gas add' at WalMart on my trips across the border to Niagara Falls New York.

I think that if I had any pin prick's, I would rather braze them...Just call me old fashioned ;D :D :D :D :D

                 8).......TIGER....... 8)

[XZv2]

My son-in-law and I use and used four tanks up to now. I bought a dentless fifth tank recently. All tanks just have a little bit of rust inside: you have to look very good with a torch to the lowest points. Not one has been lined. The only thing we do is empty the tanks totally during winter time and let it dry out completely. Any water that may collect in them is removed on a yearly base by this method. When they are not used for more than a month they are filled completely with gas.
Looking inside the tanks, I think they are good for another 25 years. We use the additional gas filters in the line tank-carb and renew them yearly.
XZv2