Total Motorcycle Community Forums

::maybe this is in the wrong forum, if so please let me know so i can get some feedback::

i have read about people using por-15 to clean their gas tanks in many places, and all the good things they say. my problem is i dont really have the time or place to do such a hard core cleaning and sealing.
a friend of mine suggested i use naval gel to de-rust the inside of my tank, i also have rust spots on the outside of my tank..
is there any reason using the naval gel to de-rust the inside of my tank is a bad idea? i know it wont seal the gas tank, so i could end up with rust later, but im not worrying too much about that now, maybe ill get a seperate sealer kit when i have the space to put my tank and work with noxious fumes.

i figured i would rattle around some nuts inside to loosen the really loose stuff, clean out the tank thuroughly, then throw in the naval gel, and on the outside sand off the flaky stuff and paint on a little bit of naval gel as needed.
sound ok?

and once i fix up the rust spots on my tank what should i use to keep it rust free outside? i know there is some kind of auto base paint something for that.

thanks

edit: i went to the auto store here and 1) they were out of naval gel, and 2) the guy said you need to rub naval gel and stuff, so it would not be good to use inside a tank.. i guess that means im gonna end up getting something like the por-15 and figure out some place to deal with all of it.. working on a bike in college dorms SUCKS!

also.. this bike has been sitting around for a while and i read a post which basically said:
"It doesn't take long for oil to run off of the upper
engine parts and make its way down to the crankcase.
This leaves most of the metal in the engine bare and
unprotected."
" The next stage is corrosion. Even light coatings of
rust on cam lobes and cylinder walls will eventually
act like an abrasive. Even if the bike comes back to
life after you've changed all the fluids, it will
start wearing itself out internally. "
" One other problem with bringing bikes back to life
is rubber deterioration. Sitting for years makes
rubber parts dry out and crack. It's not just tires.
Things like petcock diaphrams, seals, and carb
diaphrams may all have to be replaced. "

well my cams are currently making a pretty bad knocking sound, so i think they might need some professional work.. but how could i get some oil up to them? is running the bike for a while gonna do it fine? or will that mess them up more cus they are running for a little bit totally dry? so should i take off the cover and put oil directly up there?
also a friend of mine pointed me to Zmax.. anyone know anything about this product? would it be helpful for me? - http://www.zmax.com/

thanks-


oh also.. i am gonna re-build the carbs, new gaskets and whatnot for those bad boys

oh and another thing about the cams..
anyone know a quality and friendly place near irvine, california that could work on my 78 honda?

How bad is the rust in the tank?

My spare tank, which I painted a couple months ago, had some surface rust inside. I just put a handfull of nuts and bolts in with water and laundry soap. Shook it around for a while. rinsed really well with hose, then dried in the sun with shop-vac blowing through it.

There is still alittle rust inside but nothing serious. I also put a small filter between the petcock and carbs.

I'm not sure what naval gel is but sounds like the rust converting stuff that I used on the outside of the tank. It turns the rust black and stops it from spreading.

Knocking sounds from your cam; have you adjusted the valve clearance? It's pretty easy to do. You just need basic tools and a feeler gauge.