| Author | Message | ||
     Steveford |
Does anyone know who made the tanks for the tube frame Buells? I'm going to try and seal them with an epoxy resin on the exterior and then prime and paint but want to speak with the vendor. Thanks in advance. | ||
| Jolly |
this is a slow painful rabbit hole to head down! I am still...months later...waiting on a company that is looking into using low temperature powdercoating to spray the tank with...they have great success with powdercoating other materials (non metal) so there is a chance that it will work for this product as well...however they are doing this as a "one off" test and "one off" tests end up on the back burner so I am trying to be patient! if you solve this may the motorcycle gods grant you fair roads for eternity! | ||
| Steveford |
I have a buddy helping me on this one but first I need to know exactly what the tanks are made out of and exactly what resin was used. | ||
| Steveford |
There is no one who worked at BMC who can answer this question as to who made the tanks or what they were made out of? | ||
| Dannybuell |
there has been a small tank across town at a shop that works on choppers for at least years. It may still be there. | ||
| Kc_zombie |
I don't know specifics, but I understand the tanks are roto molded nylon. Not sure if that is correct or not. I know there are some folks who know more... I am one of the lucky ones and have never had a bubbling issue on my 98 S1W...  | ||
| Onespeedpaul |
I have been told they are roto-molded nylon as well. | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
It might be easier and better to simply use a stock tank as a male plug to make a two piece female mold in fiberglass/epoxy. A tank made from that mold in fiberglass/epoxy would be true to shape and the epoxy resin would not be affected by ethanol in fuel like polyester resin is. Fiberglass marine fuel tanks were once made using polyester resin and they worked fine until the introduction of ethanol in gasoline. When ethanol was introduced, they turned to mush and dissolved polyester resin contaminated the fuel contained therein. Modern epoxy resin has solved that problem but folks have been so freaked out about the problems with polyester resin fiberglass fuel tanks that there is continuing (unfounded) resistance to using modern epoxy. A few years ago I made a small fiberglass bottle using WEST Epoxy resin and filled it with pure ethanol as a test. After 3 months it was fine. | ||
| Steveford |
I'll see if DuPont doesn't have something suitable. My old S1W didn't bubble, either, but the S3 did after a bit. The S1W might be bubbling now, I don't know as it went to Norway. | ||
| Wildbuellrider |
This is interesting: http://www.buellxb.com/Buell-XB-Forum/Buell-X1-M2- S3/Rare-Buell-Prototype-Fuel-Tank-Mold | ||
| Alfau |
PAINTING FUEL TANK. •Although there are products being marketed that claim to have successful adhesion to polyethylene, Paints with adhesion promoters will work for only a limited time before peeling is experienced. Polyethylene has a high thermal coefficient of expansion and contraction that causes the adhesion failure. | ||
| Dave_02_1200 |
If someone from Badweb could buy or borrow that mold I would really like to make some epoxy/fiberglass tanks from it. I am sure we could work something out that would be good for everyone. | ||
| Jolly |
if ther eis a process to making new tanks I would be willing to "invest" (?) some money towards purchasing the mold to ensure it didnt just go into collection status and then loan it to someoneone that can make the mold, if that person didnt want to own it themselves.... but, I do have a limit on the money I could put into purchasing the mold... | ||
| Steveford |
DuPont said no dice as you'd want to use some sort of internal sealant. Would fiberglass hold up with gasohol? | ||
| Steveford |
Has anyone tried Caswell liner? http://www.caswellplating.com/restoration-aids/epo xy-gas-tank-sealer.html | ||
| Buckley |
Has anybody tried painting a pre-painted tank? Can't seem to find any black tanks for sale. If I bought a different colored tank and roughed up the surface but didnt sand down to the actual tank would I be able to paint over it? | ||
| Littlebuggles |
1313 answered this question a while back when someone had a thread regarding trying a plastic powder coating process. Jolly, is my memory that bad? I thought you were working on that. I can scan the archived threads for it later, the thread may have been titled "Powder coating plastic tank" or something to that effect if someone wants to google search it. I'm heading out to walk the dog with my girls. | ||
| Dannybuell |
a small black one. | ||
| Jolly |
Littlebuggles...yep STILL working that one...its been painful but possibly somewhat self imposed. the shop agreed to take it on as a special project as a test to see what they could do and if it was a capability they wanted to explore as a by order job in the future. I took that to mean about a month turn...they are extremely busy and it is really taking some time to get through the test phase of this and now I am not getting returned phone calls. I am "hopeful" that this is a sign of summer business and not a complete lack of interest. I have been calling daily and no returned phone calls at this point so now I need to start emailing them on web site address. | ||
| 1313 |
There is no one who worked at BMC who can answer this question as to who made the tanks or what they were made out of? PM sent to OP. Sorry I just got back from Germany when this thread was started - and even though I was back in the states I still had over 1,000 miles to ride before I could be considered to 'be at home', 1313 | ||
| Huck_farley |
I found the Caswell kit easy to use. I procrastinated for a year or so before I re-coated a fiberglass tank for my streettracker. The supposed anti-ethanol coating on this Omar's tank came off in chunks. I patiently folowed the directions and allowed it to dry for days before I applied the two part epoxy. It flows nicely and dries clear and hard.Since it stuck to this non metallic coating on a fiberglass tank I would guess the Caswell kit would work on a nylon tank. | ||
| Jolly |
I heard back from the company working the powdercoating capability for these tanks. my tank had been repainted multiple times and they are having difficulty completely stripping it down to the base material. they have tried multiple commercial strippers and still having difficulty. I told them to put it in the oven and run the heat up, either fix it or destroy it in the process of "science"! but get something done! I think in the end we may end up with a possible solution if they have a perfectly clean and stripped tank as they don't seem to want to be in the business of stripping these things...and they do have marked success of powder-coating nylon materials, so Im still hopefull... I will keep everyone posted as this continues to unfold..... | ||
| Gusm2 |
has any one checked out the thread on UKBEG about new alloy tanks for tubers | ||
| Steveford |
I just did and registered on the site. It looks like alloy is the solution, doesn't it? Thanks for steering me there. | ||
| S1owner |
Yes there are many threads on alloy tanks very expensive! Wilcox will do tgem in the us also | ||
| Buell_lee |
I have an alloy tank on order from HoltWorks in the UK. I emailed him a couple of weeks ago this is his reply; We had a few problems with the tooling for the underside which we had to get redone, but Tony has been working on the new underside all week and we should be making the undersides next week. Over the next couple of weeks we should be able to get some dates as to when they will be ready as we hope to make huge leap forward with the tanks. We have nailed the top of the tank so if the bottom goes as well then we should be getting some complete over the coming weeks. | ||
| Jolly |
Ive heard people voice concerns over aluminum tanks being fragile and possibly cracking due to Buell vibrations....is this a realistic concern? Anyone have an aluminum tank on a Buell that could over some relevant experience?...by the way, Im still working on the possibility of powdercoating the nylon tank...Im due for an update today or tomorrow..... | ||
| S1owner |
I am going the route of wrapping it in leather! | ||
| Jolly |
what about wrapping it in CF or even fiberglass bonded directly to the tank? I have seen a tank that was vacuum bagged and CF wrapped but the company doesnt do it anymore...how about instead of making a shell just actually laying the fiberglass directly on the tank then paining that? | ||
| Hootowl |
Has anyone considered blow molding a PE or PP liner. |
