Tanks and the modern fuel

[Dale Sonnenschein]

My friend has a saracen with a fiberglass tank. He recently pulled it from his fathers barn and got it running. He left gas in the tank and the tank blistered badly and the tank is ruined. Is there a coating that can be done to the inside of the tank to keep this from happening? Or is draining the tank everytime you ride the only way to save the tank?
Is aviation fuel safer to use?

73 Jackpiner
73 Husky 360 WR/RT
76 Husky WR360
78 husky cr250
10 ktm 250xc
02 bmw r1150r

[Richard Toghill]

You will need an epoxy resin sealant - a company called Caswell do a kit that will do the job. I have just restored a 74 Hare Scrambler and sealed the tank with a similar product as modern fuel destroys fibreglass. So far, it seems to have worked.

Hope this helps,

[brian kirby]

Ethanol is a solvent that dissolves polyester resin used in fiberglass. I do not recommend Caswell or any other epoxy tank sealant, it WILL eventually peel off potentially seizing your engine from plugged petcocks. I have 5 tanks that were all sealed with Caswell, all were done with meticulous prep, and now they are all worthless because the sealer is peeling off in small pieces plugging the petcocks. It might work if you could prep the surface by sanding it like you would any other fiberglass surface, but unless you cut the tank open you cant do that, shaking some screws around inside the tank is not going to do it.

The only solution, in my opinion, is non-ethanol fuel.

Brian

[Richard Toghill]

...or an aluminium tank. Looks like a business opportunity for someone.

[brian kirby]

Since my tanks are ruined, I am going to try cutting them open, sanding out the Caswell, and sealing them with plain epoxy resin and a layer of glass, then putting them back together.

Brian

[Dale Sonnenschein]

There is a small airport near me. Is aviation fuel non ethanol?

73 Jackpiner
73 Husky 360 WR/RT
76 Husky WR360
78 husky cr250
10 ktm 250xc
02 bmw r1150r

[derek martin]

Visit the pure-gas.org website. You may find a gas station near you that sells straight gas.

[brian kirby]

Yes Dale, the FAA says ethanol is too dangerous to be allowed in aviation fuel, but I would not use it straight, mix it 50/50 with some non-ethanol pump fuel. Most boats have fiberglass fuel tanks, and as a result almost every marina will have non-ethanol fuel.

Brian

[454MRW]

The biggest problem is that once a tank gets contaminated with oil/gas mixture seeping into the fiberglass resin when the Ethanol begins to break it down, that it is next to, if not completely impossible to get the oil removed from the fiberglass matting. Tanks that I have coated successfully with POR-15 clear paint remain unaffected by Ethanol, but a few others that were probably already contaminated with oil have lifted or failed like the Caswell coated ones that Brian is referring to. In a tank that is not already contaminated, the fix is permanent, as POR-15 is impervious to chemicals including Ethanol, as attested to by a piece or fiberglass cloth treated with POR-15 and submerged in gasahol over a long period of time, even with the back side of the fiberglass cloth left unsealed allowing the gasahol to penetrate to the POR-15 Clear paint from underneath with no change from when 1st introduced to the gasahol. POR-15 will not tell you this will work and will try to sell you their fuel tank sealant which is a much softer more gel like product, (and I do not recomment), than the rock hard POR-15 paint. They do not want to be responsible in case of failure. You can remove with limited success failed Kreme coatings with Acetone, but even Acetone with not phase POR-15 Clear Paint. Mike

Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 175-400'S
1975 Can Am 175 TNT & 77 250 Black Widow
1979 Husqvarna OR390
1976-78 RM & 77-79 PE Suzuki's
1974 CR250M 07 CR125R 79 CR250R

[brian kirby]

I agree Mike. My Dad uses black POR-15 in his Mustang car restorations, so I know it is good stuff. I plan to use it in one of my tanks that I cut apart.

Brian

[Dennis Jones]

quote:Originally posted by Dale Sonnenschein

There is a small airport near me. Is aviation fuel non ethanol

LL 100 AvGas will solve all your problems. Use it in your bike, chainsaw, leaf blower, weed whacker...........they will always start and your tank won't self destruct.

Dennis Jones

[Vince V]

A bit off topic. What would you recommend using to clean out a 74 125
plastic tank that had gas in it from a round 1980. Its very gummy.
Thanks
Vince

[454MRW]

Original formula PineSol.

Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 175-400'S
1975 Can Am 175 TNT & 77 250 Black Widow
1979 Husqvarna OR390
1976-78 RM & 77-79 PE Suzuki's
1974 CR250M 07 CR125R 79 CR250R

[Vince V]

Mike

Thanks, actually have a big bottle in the shop.

VV

[gregbrooks]

The VP race fuel I use is ethanol free.I know it is expensive but I have had no issues with the fiberglass tank. You can get it with lead or unleaded depending on the requirements of your engine.