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Hi,First time here. I'm hoping I can get some help. I'm a bit of a jack-of-all-trades/do-it-your-selfer type and I have always wanted to learn welding. This summer I found a Lincoln 135t 110 mig welder at a yard sale for $100 so I bought it. It came with a big spool of flux core wire and it turned out to be in great shape. (I had the local supply house give it the once over) I have been practicing on bits of scrap for a while and welded some tabs and brackets etc. on some bike projects just trying to get aquainted with the gear and process. But now I have a need to repair a very small spot on a motorcycle gas tank that is seeping fuel. Looking for some advice; first of all I understand i need to throughly clean the tank and eliminate fumes. so I'm wondering if any of you have tips for that and then just the actual process. I'm ready to upgrade the welding rig with shielding gas etc. so no problem there. should I even try this? Is there a particular wire I should use etc. I'm a pretty thorough and competent person but I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.Thanks in advance!Diesel450
Reply:Youll find 0.030 which is the smallest flux core wire too hot for the job. Try welding with solid wire 0.024 and gas on a similar gauge stock as the tank. I dont think youll be happy with the results. What Id do, is send the tank out and have it TIG repaired.
Reply:".......I have a need to repair a very small spot on a motorcycle gas tank that is seeping fuel"A very small hole, sounds like corrosion pitting. If that's the case (which isn't unusual on MC tanks),there just may be a bunch of other pits that become holes.Suggest you inspect the inside of the tank, after cleaning it.Blackbird
Reply:Originally Posted by diesel450Hi, I'm ready to upgrade the welding rig with shielding gas etc. so no problem there. should I even try this? Is there a particular wire I should use etc. I'm a pretty thorough and competent person but I don't want to bite off more than I can chew.Thanks in advance!Diesel450
Reply:Enjoying older bikes like I do, I have run upon many that had "seeping" issues.On a couple I tried brazing, on a couple others I tried welding, and I always had less than scintillating results due to the sad condition of the internal surface of the metal around the "seep".The only thing I have used over the past 20 or so years is the tank repair kit from these folks: http://www.por15.com/Fuel-System-Res...n/products/12/Following the directions to the letter, I have never, to this point, had an issue with a tank repair done with POR-15.RexLast edited by rode2rouen; 12-04-2009 at 09:35 PM.Reason: speelage
Reply:Figure out if you have a pinhole or a crack or what the exact source of the leak is.At the shop I worked at we used to wash the tank out best we could with soapy water then fill it as much as possible with water so only a small area where you were going to weld was dry. This worked pretty well. Since then I have learned a really good way to do it is to flood the tank with shielding gas purging the combustible atmosphere.Either way should work well as long as you are careful. Either way I would try and remove as much fuel as possible with soap and water.To remove any water residue afterwards do a flush with isopropyl or denatured alcohol and blow it out with air till it's dry. I usually repeat a couple times to make sure there is no water left.If it's a pinhole I would turn the settings pretty hot and do a quick little spot weld. If you do it right you should get good penetration and a very flat low profile weld that will be easy to make look nice. If it's a crack you could do simlar using short bursts to keep low profile welds without punching through the tank or you can turn your heat down a bit and run a single bead.I always assume it should go without saying but I'll say it in case lol.Clean up the area to be welded real good. all paint, rust, bondo, etc remove anything to bare metal within a couple inches of the repair. Also inspect the tank inside and clean it as best you can where you will repair. If it looks pretty clean it shouldn't take much If you see a lot of rust or crud it will most likely F you up.Also make sure there is no sealant or other lining in the tank. Once your welds are complete and once you grind it down (If you choose to do so) fill it back up with water and look for leaks. If you have the ability to give it a little bit of pressure this can help but I am talking like a psi or something. With all that surface area and especially depending on the shape of the tank it can be real easy to deform it or blow it out.Give it a little while. Maybe 10- 20 mins. Come back and look for any seepage. If you can't see any you should be ready for paint.They do have resins designed to line your tank. I have never used them but I do believe they are a good idea.As Dave said there could be thin spots (pinholes in a weld) or rusted spots or things like that which could cause problems in the future. this sealant will prevent that from happening and prevent further rusting inside the tank.Try practice welds on thin material. Try to replicate the problem and use it to dial in your settings and technique.Lincoln precision TIG 275Millermatic 140 MIG
Reply:I've restored a lot of gas tanks in my time.First, I flush it thoroughly using a mixture of water and muriatic acid (swimming pool acid). Do this several times time remove any barnacles inside. Next, flush it thoroughly with a garden hose for an hour or so until the water runs clear and the acid smell is gone.Then, I explore the leaking area to make sure I open up any pinholes or leaky seams to their full extent. After that, I braze the areas up tight.Follow with the POR15 gas tank sealer mentioned above and you're good for many more years.A note about tank sealers, I have used them all including RedKote and Kreem. None of them come near the quality of POR15 product.I actually did a tank last week out of an old truck.I powdercoat my tanks after brazing but before the POR15. That's certainly not a necessity, but powdercoating is what I do, so I have that advantage.Sorry the last picture is so blurry. I can never get a good picture of a part inside the powdercoat oven. I don't know if it's the heat waves or what. I use a good camera too.Kevin- Springtown, TexasTruck:Chevy cab/ chassis 1 ton dually, big block and flatbedMiller BobcatVictor cutting rigTool boxes crammed full of stuffShop:Millermatic 250Lincoln 135Lincoln 225AC tombstone
Reply:Originally Posted by piniongearI have done this many times. For the welding Irecommend you use .023 size solid wire (ER70-6) and 75/25 gas. Set the welder for 1/16 thick steel.For the tank prep wash out the tank throughly with water and remove ALL traces of gasoline.Then start a car up and stick the mouth of the gas tank over the tailpipe. Let it purge the tank for 10 minutes. This should be safe to weld now and is the method I use.If you have a pinhole, just weld a nice button of weld over the pinhole location. Then take a grinder with a flap wheel and grind the weld smooth and flush with the tank's surface.If the leak is larger and at a seam you will have to re-weld the seam.In either case, be sure the tank is clean and free of any paint or oil.pg |
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发表于 2021-9-1 00:40:16