to seal or not to seal

[bigmikecar]

hi all any reason to have to seal new repop tanks . bike always in dry storage m.c.

[sirhrmechanic]

Yes. The welds are generally marginal. And the steel has a high recycle content (unlike a lot of vintage tanks, which used virgin metal), so likely will be more rust prone. There are some great repro shops out there that do small lot stuff and their welds may be fine. But the smallest pinhole (or thin spot) and you will have an issue.

Have the sealing done by a professional outfit like GasTankRenu, not the Hirsch products that you do at home. Getting the tank(s) clean enough (even with a new tank) is tough. Any oil/grease/surface issues inside and the stuff just won't stick. Professional sealing is not expensive for bike tanks. And if your tank leaks and you have to strip paint to repair (and then seal) it's very cheap insurance!

Cheers,

Sirhr

[fillibuster]

My new welded tanks lasted 4 yrs (left) and 5 yrs (right) without sealer, with a lot less riding than with the old tanks. Disappointing. .. no report on failure of seal job, yet.

[Tom Lovejoy]

I sealled all three of my restored machines gas tanks. Two had alot of repairs, were in bad shape. Especially my 25 Scouts tank, I did it at home myself. I don't remember the name of the stuff, but it was what the model T guys recommemded. So far - 17 - 21 years and no leaks or problems, knock on wood. It has worked very well for me, but I have seen plenty of folks have alot of problems. With the different seallers, some nothing but problems. It is real frustrating to watch your paint job git all screwed up after all the work envolved. I think asking advise here is a good way to go, best of luck.

[redfred84]

I take ALL my tanks: new, used, bike, car, what ever to my local radiator shop for their top secret sealing system. If anything, it acts as a preservative, or protector out West here on the Salty coast; should the vehicle fall into decline or miss-use. Howard St Radiator in San Carlos, CA is my shop of choice, but I'm sure there are others.
RF.

[harleytoprock]

I have had no problems using Caswell's epoxy tank sealer. The stuff even sticks to rust. And no issues with todays gas.

[Chris Haynes]

Every new aftermarket tank I have had gave instructions to seal them before painting.