Ariel Owners Motorcycle Club

Hi,
I took the tank to be repaired yesterday and it duly was and pressure tested all as I observed the proceedings. It was the seam at the bottom the tank in the region of the petrol tap. Not too much damage was done to the paint work but it is still going to be a bit of a challenge to make it invisible - think it will be beyond my skills to make it invisible.

One thing does concern me however, and that is how to get the tank really dry after treating it prior to the liner and also how to get the liner both fully swilled around everything as well as draining out any excess. Unlike the 1951 NH tank which is straightforward shape, this panel tank has about 1cm if much between the centre ridge and the top which is quite restrictive because the filler is way off to the left, not straddling it (as for the 51 tank). Also excess liner is not going to drain out of the tank filler because this reaches below the top of the tank since it protrudes below the recess for the instruments. I'm sure someone out there has dealt with this and I'd be interested to know how!

keith

When I resealed my 35 VH panel tank in 2000 , I used "Slosh" sealer from a vintage car spares dealer ,now sold by Draganfly I believe.
I didn't go to any extreme lengths ,just shook the rust loose by rattling round a load of nuts ,washed it out with paraffin,then degreaser,finally water.
I left it to drain /dry out in the sun for a couple of days and then just poured the sealer and swirled it around as suggested and drained the surplus out. I left it till dry to the touch and have had no trouble ever since.

Ian

Hi,
The following picture is of the damage to the paintwork after repair by brazing.
I hope my painting skills are up to achieving a decent repair standard. Any advice, hints / tips etc. gratefully reveived, please.

Thanks,

Keith

Paint that over and you won't notice it below the knee grip. If you are still worried, slacken off the rocker oil feed unions for a short while to give a decent oil leak and after that you certainly won't notice !

If repair has been effected by brazing, why do you want to use a sealer ? Personally I hate the very idea, if it's got holes, braze/solder/weld. If you're worried about ethanol absorbing water and rusting the tank, put a capful of two-stroke oil in at each fill up.
Everyone to their own, but it seems to me reading all the various forums and club mags, that it seems to have become de rigeur (hope I spelt that right !) for fuel tanks.
Present day liners may be ethanol proof, but what's to say that in 5 or 10 years they put some other dreadful chemical in petrol that the liner companies didn't think about.
Perhaps I'm a Luddite, but I'll stick to fixing the holes with more 'mechanical' means.

I'm with you on the tank liner. I've never used it but have acquired tanks where they have been treated. ALL have given problems by coming off due solvent action. Just enough to give blocking problems with the fuel system. Many tank painters won't do the tank without linering it, as they get the blame for it leaking later . It's terribly hard to get all the rust flakes out. If you could it would be nice to have it zinc plated. (just the inside) That's got to be possible. What's the point of growing old if all you get is rusted tanks? Nev

Hi,
I really am at sixes and sevens over whether or not to treat the tank.

One thing for sure is that the way it is, it will never drain completely unless I take it off the bike, because the rear is lower than the petrol tap. It seems to be a fact of life that tanks rust from the inside. What do modern manufacturer's do to prevent this or do they simply work on the premise that the average vehicle will be condemned before its fuel tank rusts?

Concerning the paintwork, I know it probably won't be that noticeable but I spent so much effort trying to get it 'right' that somehow something in me says NO!

Keith

I would go for a decent sealer... I did have positive experiences with this brand, however there may be more brands?
http://www.tankcure.nl/Engels/indexuk.html
I did understand they upgraded the formula, so the sealer can withstand unleaded petrol with 10% of ethanol.

This is the sealer I put in my tank in 2000 . I took minimum precautions , in fact I put it in to hold all the particles of rust I couldn't rmove. Ebay 192298493478
It has lasted OK all that time, never shifted or leaked and I would recommend it to anyone with a rusty , leaking tank. In fact I use it in any tank I have to work on and my brother uses it for his Vintage cars as well.

number does not work with ebay