Yet another problem! Damn GS. What a day though...

Method · World Chat Champion Joined: 02 Nov 2004 Karma :

Well, went on a fairly decent treck yesterday with the g/f, totted up about 85miles in total, there and back.

Put the bike away at night and went down the pub. Came down this morning, picked my mate up and brought him back to mine...

Parked up and something smelt realy petrolly, i thought it was just the unburnt fuel out my exhaust because it was a miserable day etc, and she runs rich as it is...

Turn out she's actually got a petrol leak, aswell as an oil leak. Thinking that it would be the same as last time, a split hose, i took the tank off and had a look.

Nope, not the hoses... it was a sequence of holes in the side of my tank Shocked

With petrol pouring down my leg i panic'ed. Removed the tank and set draining it. As it got closer to empty it became more aparent that it wasnt just one or two holes, but there was a few more a little way down!

Anyway, i tried patching it with some super immense duct tape... nope. Tried exhaust gum gum... nope, ran out of ideas and gave up.

My mate then put me on his insurance policy for his RS125, turns out its only £25 for the entire year to add me to the policy, so we did that. Ended up riding around all over town all day on this RS with him as pillion - Tell you what its a seriously quick bike Laughing

Although it needs the powervalve cleaning out as its a bit hit and miss with its running.

Anyway, im back home now and the upset is starting to set in again as i am bikeless yet again. Realy starting to upset me and i have no idea what to do now.

I can get a tank from a guy on ebay for £50 + pnp probably, now that sounds expensive to me, but a local dealer want £266 Shocked

Ive been told of a bloke that sells a repair kit for tanks, but i dont know if that will work or not. Its only £12.50 posted, but still i dont realy know how to do it - or if it will work...

Here are some foto's i took of the tank and the two main holes (i sanded the surrounding area off to clean it up a bit, but to the side there is at least another 1 - 2 pinholes that also leak...

https://img375.imageshack.us/img375/5251/picture361qn.jpg

https://img397.imageshack.us/img397/9575/picture370hk.jpg

Ideas please anyone?
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Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado Wink

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mr.z · World Chat Champion Joined: 04 Feb 2004 Karma :

Theres something called petaseal, for sealing tanks, but its propper pricey (£30? soemthing daft like that)..

I'd have thought that chemical metal would work? (its chemical proof afaik, they use it on ships hulls e.t.c.)

If you were very brave + got all the residual fuel out, possibly solder a patch on the tank holes, a small piece of sheet stainless steel/aly/tin, whatever.. solder it on as a patch.. the area would need sanding all the paint off..

Just a thought.. its not gonna cost much (i'd try the first one though if it is petrol proof)

Try your local breakers (or less local ones), £50 seems steep for a tank unless its in sheeit hot condition..
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nrml76 · Brolly Dolly Joined: 05 Nov 2005 Karma :

24 quid, and you are ready to go. https://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8222

Hex · Party Boy Joined: 04 Feb 2002 Karma :

Get some epoxy metal, only costs a couple of quid from the likes of halfrauds.

That will hold it untill you repair or replace it.
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Rob W · World Chat Champion Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Karma :

Method · World Chat Champion Joined: 02 Nov 2004 Karma :

Ok right ive source another tank but its going to be red Shocked

and it wont be here till some time next week because of the easter hols.

Dont know how confident i would feel about taking the bike out somewhere with a bodged tank - just because i know what my workmanship is like with things like that Laughing

Wouldnt be the worst thing ever, but i wouldnt be overly impressed with having ridden somewhere, to find im stuck there because my tank had drained itself through the holes again whilst i was doing something else Sad

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CBT Aug '03 ... Gilera GSM 50 ... Honda NSR 125 Aug '04 ...
Full Test Dec 04... Suzuki GS500 Jan 05... Suzuki SV650 Mar 07... Gixxer 6 K5 May 08... Oh and my 'Rado Wink

My Bikepics.com - No Brakes, No Gears... No Fear.

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

Those holes are too big for petseal.

JB weld (epoxy) will do it.

Or you could de-gas the tank and get it welded, brazed or silver soldered up. De-gas by washing it out with hot soapy water then clean cold water and drying it out thoroughly. As an added precaution, you can flood the inside of the tank with MIG welding gas before you start.

Any back-street or agricultural engineer will know all about welding up petrol tanks and would probably do it in their lunch hour for a few beers.
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