Steel Tanker restoration

[peter kane]

The snow has melted enough up here for me to find my way to the shed and my Six Day.  In the past two days I've torn it down to only the engine sitting in the frame.  It's been over 30 years since I've gone near it with a wrench.  After wrenching on the three street bikes I've owned in the past four years I couldn't believe the ease in which this came apart.  Simplicity at its best!  I was amazed to see that over 30 years of sitting in a tin shed has left my bike in such good shape.  The expected mouse turds and nests cleaned up and so did all of the oil and grease.  There'll be some necessary chrome plating, rims, rear brake stay, tri-clamp center nut and maybe the fork tubes.  I'll be tumbling all of my hardware in plastic blasting media.

Can someone help me out with a few questions?  Pleeeeze!  Here goes:

My steel tanker has the foot pegs with the rod that goes through to both sides as pictured in 30B of the Steel Tank Questionnaire assist page.  The rod is bent on both sides but I managed to get it out.  However, the ends of the tube were slightly bent when the rod got bent.  Both sides are kicked back about 10-15°.  Question: does anybody know if there is any temper to this piece and can both sides be bent back with heat without damaging anything?

In keeping with Kip's advice regarding the aluminum on my forks and tri-clamp, "don't make them too pretty," I want to clean up the spokes, nipples (some are a little bit rusty), all nuts and bolts and I would like to have them cadmium or zinc plated.  Sure, I could buy new hardware and it would be bright like it was when I first got the bike, but then they wouldn't be original.  Cadmium or zinc would put them back in the state they were.  Does anybody have any thoughts or ideas on this?

Of course I have the usual chain damage to my flywheel housing.  About 1 1/2" of casing is gone and about the same amount is missing from the cover.  I want to have this repaired before I ship the mill off to the Master for a rebuild.  I've been shopping around for a welder to do this for me, but I need to know a few things before I make my decision.  First, I have a spare clutch cover I can scab some magnesium from to do this repair – is it necessary to repair it with magnesium or can it be repaired with aluminum?  Second, is it necessary to split and empty the cases or can it be welded as it is with the engine together?  Does anybody have any tips on welding this casing and cover that I may be able to pass on to the welder?

I have a slightly distressed swing arm from a bad shock.  I bent it back 30 years ago and it looks fine.  Will a new set of shocks remedy this?  If not, has anybody out there beefed up their swing arm and if so how and with what?

I know I've said and asked a lot here but I really need some help with this.

As always, thanks for your input!  




Peter Kane
1970 Six Day
Plainville, Massachusetts
[email protected]

[Kip Kern]

Peter,  You can heat the tar out of the peg mounts and bend them back OK, common steel on the frame so no worry.  Zinc plating is what I recommend on the original hardware, Cad is a British thing and not as durable. Any good welder can repair the cases to original, I am blessed with such a guy but he is semi retired and I can only "pester" him on occasion!  The swing arm will be fine, not intended for Supercross, if you want, put a 71 arm on it, it has gussets already on it!  Good Luck!;)

[cubfan1968]

Peter, looks like you got a full plate fixin' that baby up. The best advise I got when I bought my 6 Day was from Al. He said I need to decide if I'm gonna ride it or display it. My bike looks pretty good but I've dialed down the restoration abit cause I'm having a blast riding it.

Good Luck on the project. I'm looking foward to seeing it in the Featured Bike section.

Rod Whitman

[BrianTaylor]

Peter I use to spend hours trying to wire wheel any rust away but I now use a product named Evapo-Rust ...... it is people, enviroment friendly .... just throw the parts in it for 2 days .... wash off with water and it is truly amazing .. Brian T.

Brian Taylor

[peter kane]

Thanks Kip, Rod and Brian.  These are very helpful tips for me.  Kip, are you saying that a good welder should be able to weld the case without splitting them?  Thanks!

Peter Kane
1970 Six Day
Plainville, Massachusetts
[email protected]

[Rain Man]

I got a question on welding on the frame.  Is it gonna wreack havoc with the motoplat ??

Raymond
 Down East Pentons

[Kip Kern]

Peter, that is correct, I have it done all the time.  Raymond, I never have had a frame welded with an engine in it, mine are always welded after total blasting and cleaning so as to spot any other cracks hidden by crud.

[TGTech]

Peter,

   Re: the engine case welding. The cases are cast aluminum, and you can use either some wrought aluminum or a piece of another cover, if you've got a junk one. Doug has brought me cases to weld up with aluminum "patches" as well as some that I've worked over the original material. The quality of the cast aluminum is not that great, but if you take your time, you can make it work.

   I don't know if I would try to weld the case up with the engine assembled, but it could probably be done. When I'm doing cases, I like to have the raw case, cleaned within an inch of its life, because it is absolutely easier to weld an antiseptically clean case, than one with a bunch of dirt all over it.

Dane