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Gas tank leak, again...

9K views 18 replies 8 participants last post by  jondog9 
#1 ·
So this is the third time its leaked...with they different fixes.

first was jb weld, it failed

then was this "fuel safe" gas tank sealer, it failed

then i managed to actually find this patch kit... it lasted the longest, but today, i walk out and there is effing gas all over the place.

now i can't get the gas tank welded, no one will do it. i could buy another tank, but i really am sick and tired of dealing with this problem.

Is an sp2 tank a solid fix?
or am i just missing something in the automotive world, and the terms fuel safe actually means fuel safe for a limited amount of time.

i need a new tank...i cant keep fixing this one...this patch stuff i don't even want to remove. i feel there is just to many "failed" attempts. i know the stuff was applied right cause it would last a year. my guess its the cold weather (-40*C)that makes it fail(aside from the jb weld, which the fuel actually ate away, it turned into mush). So if i can't weld the tank...what can i use to make sure this will never happen again?
 
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#3 ·
i saw things like that, the issue is, is that i think when winter comes, it gets bloody cold, and the bike get stored in an unheated garage. i believe that is what is making these chemicals fail. its the only theory i got since none of them really say they are rated for that weather, all three times i have cleaned the tank, applied the stuff over the entire hinge and scraped the tank before doing so. i haven't ripped apart the tank yet as i just noticed it today, but i my guess is it will be lkike the last fuel safe stuff, it was still hard as a rock, but is peeling off. which could make sense if it saw 6 months of winter. not only that winters here are chaotic. i mean in one 24 hour cycle, it could be say -30*C during the night and then jump to +10*C during the day. and it could do this for a few days, then just go back to staying cold, which i have seen temps of -50*C. and its those days that i have trouble getting my car started, and its a ford. So my theory is that its just expanding and contracting too much and breaking lose from the tank, then is tart riding and tossing the bike around, hitting bumps, and it just makes its way back to the hinge and starts leaking again. that's all i got. the chemicals themselves aren't breaking down.

its a hazard, and i need my bike because i use it as a second vehicle to get to work when someone else (my gf) is using my car. and i hate riding it when its liek this cause its dangerous and its a waste of precious gas.

point being i would love to try this stuff, but will it really handle the environment out here.
 
#4 ·
I got my bike with that failed sealer all gummed up in the tank. Plugged the filter and burned the pump. I thot the only chance of a perm fix was welding. It worked. I could reach in the tank pretty good, clean out all the ****, and scuff out most of the rust. Seems like only the lower part of my tank was affected. I used the wasted fuelpump/flange as a cap later to pressure test the tank after welding. My favorite radiator shop did all the welding and testing. Cost abot $100. But he showed me the ta-k holding a little pressure. So i scuffed the inside as best i could, including putting the scotchbrite on the end of a paint stick. Washed it real good, replaced pump and filter assy with one found on craigslist, and so far, so good. Been about 6-8 monhs.
Oh yeah, burn from welding was minimal. Could have gotten away without painting cause the seat covered it all up.
If you know a good rad shop, you could do the rest, but consider the burn factor.
 
#5 ·
i'll look into that.

is it true that the sp2 tanks are significantly less prone? i also read some where on this forum that there was a recall...but the guy was looking for information on it.

i would love to weld it, but i never thought of the burning the paint...i know for sure that it is just around that hinge. there were two rust spots inside the tank and i figured that was the source of the leak. the last stuff i used was almost a fiber glass, you laid this patch down and then applied a resin almost. it was nasty and didn't smell very good. i had to use gloves with it. my i try to see if there is a place that speciallizes in gas tank repair or something. i have called all the main bike shops and they won't do it, and the honda stealership offered me a new tank for like 1500 bucks. I must say that honda really pisses me off when it comes to parts, like why they won't let other shops sell parts is beyond me. but that's a whole other story, and i don't even wanna get started on that.

maybe i will talk to a welder at work... see what his opinion is. he is an excellent welder and may be able to point me in the right direction, if he can't do it himself.

can you show me the paint damage? is it anywhere visible? i wasn't going to do all that till next year. this year its the clutch, sprokets, chain and ignition. next year is making the bike look really nice. this freaking machine is becoming a headache. it sucks that i love it so much.
 
#6 ·
Be aware it doesnt take much off that stuff to plug your filter. And a filter is pretty hard replace. Assuming your pump survives starvation, which it wont for long. Used pump and filter assy will cost $200 or under, i had no problem finding several to choose from.

General knowledge is SP2 tanks never suffered the leaky weld.

Use the advanced search to find gas tank posts and define my user name if you want to see pics. I got a few up. Sorry, i am crippled on my smartphone for the moment and dont know how to upload pics from another source.
 
#7 ·
^^ no worries, i may just see if i can find a sp2 tank then, that sounds easier. like i said, i am pretty much done trying to fix this issue as its been an issue three times. if not, or maybe in the mean time i'll just get it welded. then use that sealer stuff to finish the job. like i said i am probably going for a custom paint job next year with new fairings, so as long as it doesn't look horrible i won't care.

as for the fuel pump starvation, no issues yet, but i check for that leak nearly every time i get onto the bike, so i catch it quick.
 
#8 ·
the kbs stuff was a 3 step deal. 1st cleaned the tank. 2nd acid etched the tank. 3rd was almost a epoxy paint. $40 problem fixed. I know im not in canada but over the winter it is in the single digits in my garage. no issues. You just slosh each step in the tank. this stuff will work on very rusted tanks it is pretty hardcore. I dont work for them or anything but it did work.
 
#11 ·
thanks for the input. i am looking into that kit to see if i can get it shipped to canada. hopefully the email address provided on the site will respond back.

looking into this more it looks like this almost creates a new inner-seal. almost like making a new gas tank inside the one you already have. i'll keep you guys updated and maybe start a new thread once i get it all organized, because i am sure im not the only one with this issue and looking for a permanent fix.

so yea thanks again
 
#12 ·
I just got mine back from Honda and they replaced the tank with a new one for free. BUT they made sure that no one had tried doing a repair on it first and if you have any dents in the tank at all you're out of luck. Luckly I had purchased this bike in December and it did not leak until I got it so no one had done any repairs on it.
 
#13 ·
^^ Really?!

Hm odd. i have tried to repair the tank, but only with sealers, i never welded it or anything. i wonder if that counts. Im pretty sure i have asked the dealer ship in the city and they said they won't do anything. the honda dealerships here are real douche bags. it almost like they don't care if you go their cause in the end, they know you have to otherwise you a going online. which i do anyway unless i need an oil filter or something really small. they pretty much double the price on everything except oil and tires. and i only buy oil and asscoiated parts cause its just not worth the wait to get it online.

get this, barnett clutch shipped to my door was 170 bucks. oem clutch shipped to honda, was 285.
 
#14 ·
Funny part was I had the tank off and they said I had to bring the whole bike in to make sure it had not been in an accident. Plus the Honda rep wanted to see it. Initially as soon as I got there and mentioned I had an RC51 with a fuel leak you could tell he knew what was going on. He said they were aware of a problem and that depending on the situation Honda had been telling people everything from "Get lost" to covering everything completely. I told him I had just bought the bike and had no real knowledge of its history but I had just put a lot of money into it and really did not have the cash to buy a new tank. 1 week later new tank and zero dollars out of pocket. :) They will not admit it but it has a LOT to do with your service manager and his relationship with his Honda rep. The dealer can make or break that deal.
 
#15 ·
I had that problem 7K miles ago, welded it and haven't had a problem sense.............probably the easiest way.
 
#16 · (Edited)
I also have a 2001 RC and had the tank leak and here's what i did ! First i called HONDA NORTH AMERICA and filed a claim and they said take it to your local dealer to have them take a look ! My bike at that time had 32.000 miles on it and i was the 2nd owner ! They gave me a claim number when i called honda and thats what i gave the dealer and the dealer took pics of my bike and of the tank where it was leaking from ! The dealer said we are waiting to hear from honda and the next day i get a call saying they are gonna replace the tank under the good faith policy ! It took a little over 6 days to have it done and buttoned up ! The only thing i paid was an hour of labor and got a 1400.00 new tank !!!!:) One more thing is i did have JB WELD on my used tank and told them i was at work stuck so i tried that stuff to get me home ! They had no problems with that !
 
#17 ·
I also have a 2001 RC and had the tank leak and here's what i did ! First i called HONDA NORTH AMERICA and filed a claim and they said take it to your local dealer to have them take a look ! My bike at that time had 32.000 miles on it and i was the 2nd owner ! They gave me a claim number when i called honda and thats what i gave the dealer and the dealer took pics of my bike and of the tank where it was leaking from ! The dealer said we are waiting to hear from honda and the next day i get a call saying they are gonna replace the tank under the good faith policy ! It took a little over 6 days to have it done and buttoned up ! The only thing i paid was an hour of labor and got a 1400.00 new tank !!!!:) I JUST FOUND THE NUMBER TO HONDA NORTH AMERICA 866-784-1870 GOOD LUCK !
 
#18 ·
Some Honda terminology you folks with this issue can use:

Honda "A" rank is one that can cause fire or death to a customer. If you have a diificult time with the dealership, use that Honda number and let them know you understand their language. (A bit, anyway.)

This is why Honda has been replacing these tanks pro bono for the most part, its cheaper than a lawsuit for a know recall.
 
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