Hi, My fuel tank is rusting through, one pin hole on the top and one pin hole at the bottom back, I tried the Rostio tank rust remover with some success however it wasn't that great a product in my opinion, it helped but so did half a litre of bleach and 5 litres of warm water, that really cleaned up the inside of the tank, especially when I used the kitchen sink scrubber brush that we used for washing dishes. I'm sort of at the point, do I buy a good 2nd hand tank or try and repair. I've read about por15, if I'm going down the repair route I want to fix the issue once and not have to worry about it again. Ideally the holes need properly repairing, I thought about lead filling, but who does that, a plumber maybe, coating the tank inside and getting the tank resprayed. ...or look for another tank. It's a 750ss ie It's my fault, I've been too busy and I've read ecently I should have drained the tank and sprayed the inside with a protective coating, ...I wish I had known that earlier. Any suggestions or know anyone that professionally restores MC tanks. Thanks Ian
So, I've got a little experience with this. I've done about 4 different tanks with POR 15. There are other tank sealers out there too. Some folk say they wouldn't use tank sealers, however mine been done a few years now and no issues. Key is to get rid of all the surface rust and make sure its proper dry before coating. There's various ways to remove the rust, spirit of salts for example. If you have holes, POR 15 do a putty I've used too, that you put in there then I put the sealer over. However if you want it done right, it's best getting it welded/braised up. This is going to increase cost. Putty is the cheap option. The tank sealer is about £30 now, it used to be half that. So it may actually be cheaper for you to buy a decent secondhand tank. I've saved tanks using this, the latest being a rusted through Honda 125 tank for my XR125. Cleaned it up and sealed it, using Evaporust this time then POR 15. Now no leaks. Good luck whichever path you choose, I can answer questions should you want more info
https://por15.com/products/patch?_pos=4&_sid=1e93143b2&_ss=r This is the putty I used. Its suitable for fuel tanks
I’ve also used POR-15 a few times and the key is to prep it properly. I’d buy the full tank kit they sell as it has all the rust removers, degreasers etc. none of my tanks have failed since and some where done years ago.
I would echo what desmoquattro and zeus have said. I have repaired two 1950's steel tanks that had split through a combination of corrosion and vibration. One I had braised, the other tig welded along the split. I then used por15 to seal the inside. Preparation is the key to getting it right and takes about half a day of de-rusting, degreasing and etching before the por15 is applied. (other sealants are also available). You hear horror stories about failed tank sealants, but I suspect most are down to people not doing the tank prep properly (or at all). My tanks have had it in for a few years and covered thousands of miles without problems.
Thanks guys for your input, very much appreciated . So, my plan is to paint stripper the outside so I can get a clear picture of all the damage, top and bottom. I found a metal works place that do precision mig/tig/laser welding and brazing. I think I'll give them the tank and once they have repaired it get it POR 15 treated using the 3 system method that's mentioned above, finally painting and a new tank cushion. I think if I go this route the tank will last for years and I'll also be on the lookout for a good 2nd hand tank too. I've learned a lesson from this...drain your tank at the end of the season...I've got a couple of BMW's but luckily they both have plastic fuel tanks, looking at the pitting and the state of the inside of the tank on the Ducati, I'm guessing it was on its way when I bought it about 2.5 years ago. It had fuel in it and tbh I never even thought about checking the tank condition. If anyone is thinking about buying the Rostio product, I would say I had better results with half a litre of bleach and say 2 gallons of hot soapy water and our kithen sink scrubber brush. The plan is just take my time and get everything done right first time and of course be on the look out for another tank...I think the 900SS ie tanks are the same on some models, I'll post some pics as the tank restoration gets underway and let you know where the brazing or welding is done with pics too so you can see how it's going. Also costs involved with everything so if somone finds themselves in a similar situation hopefully they will find this information useful. Thanks again for all the input, really appreciate you all taking the time to respond. Best regards Ian
No worries, I wanted to protect mine before it got to this state. The new fuels separate and water sits at the back of the carb tank at the bottom. They are known for rusting here because of that. With the tank sealer this is no longer a problem and I keep my tank full over winter usually with stabil or some other fuel stabiliser mixed in with the fuel to minimise separation. Its worked so far. Good idea to post here, for future SS owners to learn from
The link below to fuel tank repair options may be of interest: https://www.frost.co.uk/fuel-tank-repair/ . Also this link to corrosion treatments may help: https://www.frost.co.uk/rust-corrosion-treatments/page/1/ . This link to Evapo-Rust, mentioned in an earlier post, may be of interest: https://www.evapo-rust.com/ . It is available from a number of suppliers in UK. These threads from this forum may also help: https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/petrol-tank-rust-900ss-por-15-coating.85976/ . https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/opened-up-a-can-of-worms.84724/ . https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/fuel-tank-woes-what-to-do.97781/ . https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/900ss-fuel-tank-surface-rust-inside.71193/ . https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/threads/how-to-remove-rust-from-inside-a-tank.49626/ . Good luck. Tom.
