Leaking Steamer fuel tank

[gosling1]

Last fall, just a few weeks before my next phase of the TAT, the fuel tank on my '95 Steamer started leaking around the uppermost wellnut that secures the front fairing/cowling. I researched online at various sites and came across Mustang's procedure to "drill-out" the offending wellnut, enlarge the hole slightly, and then place JB Weld into the hole and reinstall the wellnut. I did this and allowed it to dry for ~72 hours. Initial tests showed all to be okay, but by the 2nd day of the TAT in the AR Ozarks, a bad washboard road caused the wellnut to pull out of the tank. Didn't have an issue with leaking after this for awhile, but noticed it'd started leaking a few weeks after I got back from the trip. Anyone have any ideas on a different kind of sealer, etc. to use? One that is obviously gas-resistent and may dry flexible? Would like to have my full fuel capacity back again...TIA

[Mr. Jetmoto]

Hey, I've got the same prob as you. I did a search for the repair thread you were talking about and couldn't find it. You wouldn't mind giving me the link would ya?

Thanks

[Mustang]

http://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/msg,29875#29875

[Mr. Jetmoto]

http://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/msg,29875#29875

Thanks mustang!


It's a love hate relationship I have with my steamer. It's a beast when everythign is working right. But sadly, that is not that often.

[JetdocX]

I definitely feel your pain, bro.

[Mr. Jetmoto]

So, mine leaks sporadically from the second uppermost hole. It only happens occaisonaly.

Can I just plug the hole? I don't really care about putting the fairing screw back in if I don't have to. Can I just stick some JB weld in the hole to plug it?

[nightrunner]

I've been lucky.  Never had this problem.  But I have read the fix.  My only concern is with JB Weld.  Its rock hard and fiberglass is a bit flexible.  Would it work to use a fiberglass repair kit and those types of resins?    

Also you don't have to salvage the old thread inserts.  McMaster Carr will have thread inserts that one could glue in.  I'm just thinking that you might not have to drill out the hole bigger.   Or, it might work just as well to use a grommet nut (brass female thread embedded in a rubber grommet.   I'm just throwing out ideas here.  I've never done this repair.  FWIW

[akendall1966]

Hi all,

Picked my my 98 steamer in Jan 09 with 5K miles on it, quickly discovered the RH top fairing screw was siezed into the insert in the tank and was spinnnig freely. To cut to it I ended up with a hole in the tank were the insert was.... S**T

Solution that has held up OK for 4 months now was to machine up a 'top-hat' flanged stainless bush blind tapped to take the fairing screw opened up the hole in the tank to make it a good push fit and scraped the paint off a roughened the surface under where the flange would sit and glued it in with Araldite 2011. After a fair bit of research came accross 2011 which sticks reasonably well to nylon (which the steamer tank is) and dosen't loose strength after immersion in petrol. It expensive though £30 a tube, I was in luck and found one on Ebay, still cost £20 for the glue though :o

Fortunate it ws the highest insert on the RH side so it will rarely sit covered in petrol (hell I fill it up to ride it not park it) but its solid and leak free so far.

Hope this helps someone out there...

[Dr. Mordo]

Thanks, that's a great tip.  I have one that leaks a tiny bit, so I'd imagine at some point I'll end up having to fix it.

[MIMbox]

Hi guys

Please refer to my previous post, re tank bolts and the amount of material that surrounds them.
Its a bit worrying.
I have replaced my bolts with  6x25 SS grub screws and use a nut and bolt to draw them tight, but really, if yours is leaking there is not much material to work with..
Regards
Phil

http://tigertriple.com/forum/viewtopic. ... ght=#36369 (http://tigertriple.com/forum/index.php/msg,36369&highlight=#36369)

[akendall1966]

Its the lack of material that gave me a problem the insert was so loose in the tank and the screw well seized that eventually the it broke away the material holding it in leaving a hole. Thats why I made a flanged bush that pushes in from outside to give a good surface area to adhere to when glued.

So far so good ....

AK

[coachgeo]

...Thats why I made a flanged bush that pushes in from outside to give a good surface area to adhere to when glued....

Drawing or photo's of your flanged bush please?  The term Flanged Bush is meaningless to some (or is that just me?) so we can't draw a mental image about what you've done.

[offtheback]

I tried JB weld around the leaking tank and it did not work for me.  I found some gas can repair that worked awesome..

[nightrunner]

...Thats why I made a flanged bush that pushes in from outside to give a good surface area to adhere to when glued....

Drawing or photo's of your flanged bush please?  The term Flanged Bush is meaningless to some (or is that just me?) so we can't draw a mental image about what you've done.

He is probably talikng about something like a T-nut.  A threaded insert with the flat flange on one end so it wont push all the way through the hole.  The flange provides some glueing surface.  McMaster Carr sells a variety of weird hardware including T-nuts, and other threaded bushings.

[coachgeo]

....He is probably talikng about something like a T-nut.  ...

That is my assumption too but one should never assume  :D

Eventually he might reply