best way to clean fuel tank?

[bigswifty]

well the bike died on friday. looka like it isn't getting gas. I would probably have it running by now, but luckily i got a bad cases of conjuctivitis the same day, which leaves me half blind and fully miserable...It could be the carbs, but i going to check the tank first.

So after i clean the petcock out, what should i do with the tank?

[Gummiente]

but luckily i got a bad cases of conjuctivitis the same day, which leaves me half blind and fully miserable

I'm not sure why you think that makes you feel lucky.

What you do with the tank depends upon what you find in the petcock. If there's a lot of paint and rust flakes clogging the inlet screen then it's best to drain, flush and Kreem coat the tank. Check the fuel lines for any blockages as well. What kind of bike is it? If it's fairly new then chances are it has a vacuum operated petcock - check to make sure the vacuum line is still attached and not kinked or torn.

[bigswifty]

I'm not sure why you think that makes you feel lucky. Shocked

my lame idea of sarcasm...
its an 83 nighthawk.
yeah, its a vacuum operated valve. line appears good.
I assume i'm gonna find a mess in there.

it's best to drain, flush and Kreem coat the tank

flush, what would you use and how? just more gas, or some cleaner?
Kreem coat? looking to avoid $$ if this is expensive.

[Gummiente]

I'm not sure why you think that makes you feel lucky. Shocked

my lame idea of sarcasm...
its an 83 nighthawk.
yeah, its a vacuum operated valve. line appears good.
I assume i'm gonna find a mess in there.

it's best to drain, flush and Kreem coat the tank

flush, what would you use and how? just more gas, or some cleaner?
Kreem coat? looking to avoid $$ if this is expensive.

It depends upon what you find inside the tank. If there's lots of paint (I can't remember if Honda paints the inside of their gas tanks) and rust flakes and if you shine a flashlight inside the gas cap opening and can see lots of rust then the Kreem procedure is your best bet. It involves removing the tank, flushing it with hot soapy water, then hot clear water, plugging the petcock hole and filling it with an etching acid solution (supplied with the kit) and a couple handfulls of small pebbles or nuts and bolts, then pouring the coating in and rotating the tank for several minutes to evenly coat the interior. A bit of a labour intensive process but if done right it's a long term repair. Not sure of the price these days, but it should be somewhere around $60 for the whole kit.

OR... if the tank is fairly clean with no major internal rust spots then you can get by with using a hot soapy water wash (with a handfull or two of small nuts and bolts or pebbles) followed by a hot water rinse and a THOROUGH shaking out and drying process.

But before you get into all that, do a quick check of the vacuum operated petcock. Remove the fuel line at the carb and place it in a small jar. Remove the vacuum hose at the engine end, turn on the petcock and, um, "suck" on the vacuum line. You should get good fuel flow. If not, the petcock needs to have the internal diaphragm and/or spring replaced.

[Randy]

Do new motorcycles come with painted gas tanks, or that are treated in any way? Is it an option from dealers to get them sealed or something. I'm getting ready to buy a new bike (probably a Kawasaki Z1000) and I would like to know what to ask them.

[Gummiente]

Do new motorcycles come with painted gas tanks, or that are treated in any way?

It depends on the manufacturer. I think pretty much all of them coat/paint the inside of their tanks these days, but I'm not positive on that. It shouldn't be much of an issue unless you live in an area with hot summers and cold winters and store your bike in an unheated garage in the off season.

[Randy]

Thanks Gummiente, Unfortunately I am moving to New Mexico, home of cold winters, hot summers and you guessed it, I am going to store the bike in an unheated garage. I don't think my wife will let me keep it in the house. Any suggestions (other than ditching the wife)?

[Gummiente]

Unfortunately I am moving to New Mexico, home of cold winters, hot summers and you guessed it, I am going to store the bike in an unheated garage.

Cold winters? Really? I thought NM had a stable, warm climate.

Anyway, if you do end up storing the bike in an unheated garage in a damp and cold climate, there are some things you can do to prevent corrosion inside the gas tank. There's a product called "Fuel Stabiliser" that's made just for this purpose (and for the boating, lawnmower and ATV industries, too). You fill the tank to the top with fresh gas, pour in a bottle of the stabiliser, turn off the petcock and drain the carbs. This stabiliser stuff ensures that the gas doesn't go bad or turn to varnish over the winter months and the full tank prevents rust from forming on the inside surfaces. In the spring you just fire it up and away you go (although just to be safe I usually drain the tank anyway and fill it with fresh fuel - I then put the old gas into the car).

There's other things you should do to the bike before winter storage, like removing the battery and storing it in a closet inside the house, spraying the bike with WD-40 to prevent rust from forming in the nooks and crannies, removing the spark plugs to squirt a couple shots of light oil into the cylinders to prevent rust, rolling the tires onto pieces of wood to insulate them from the cold concrete floor and stuffing oil soaked rags up the exhaust pipes and dry rags into the air filter intake to prevent mice and other rodents from nesting there over the winter. You do NOT want to know what happens when you fire up the bike after mice have used your bike as a condo. Don't ask me how I know this.

[Randy]

Once again, thanks a lot. I will cut and past this to my PC so when the time comes I will be prepared.

[Telesque]

It shouldn't be much of an issue unless you live in an area with hot summers and cold winters and store your bike in an unheated garage in the off season.

Friggin great.

Michigan temps range from 85 F / 30 C to 10 F / -12 C.

Maybe I'll just wheel my bike into my bedroom for the winter? Looks like the bed will have to go. Maybe I'll just sleep on the couch.