How long does it take.....

[Sin_Tiger]

you got a plastic arse then sin and if you have why you dunkin it in petrol, thats gotta sting 

[nickjtc]

But.............. again I ask. WHY NOW? Why not over the previous 17 years or so?? Or is there some kind of alchemy going on where the tank kisses the cold hardness of a garage floor for the first time and decides that it needs to enlarge itself and mess with my mind. 

And, why only on one side...???

And, the tank is almost empty so it's not like there is a lot of ethanol in there to mess things up. What fuel there is in there has been stabilised.....

Aahhh the joys and idiosyncracies of Steamer ownership.

[nickjtc]

When you take it off and set it aside, are you supporting it in the tunnel or are you setting it down on a flat surface with the wings touching the deck? If the latter then I think that's your problem.

Just took it off and put it on the floor.... just like I have done at least once before. I'm at a loss to see how that would do anything if the problem is swellage caused by the crap in the small amount of fuel in the tank.

[dave NL]

Maybe coz of the adding of ethanol in the fuel, all gasoline has a small percentage ethanol mixed in, and maybe also other additives.

My bike also has the same problem, even have to loosen up the bracket on the frame with the 4 M6 bolts to get the tank on properly!

Maybe as suggested before is to store the bike with an empty tank, so the tank can ' dry' during winter time.

[nickjtc]

Mines the same. These tanks were made by ACERBIS,not Triumph

Now I come to think of it the Acerbis tank I put on the XR650 was an absolute bugger to install. They even mentioned that in the installation instructions. But the next time I took it off and put it on it went nice and smoothly.... just as if it had stretched in the vital contact areas. Hmmmm......

[nickjtc]

Maybe as suggested before is to store the bike with an empty tank, so the tank can ' dry' during winter time.

That will have to wait until next winter because I am not going to take the tank off again unless I absolutely have to. :icon_wink:

Having said that I will want to check the valves at some point this year..

[nickjtc]

Thanks for this post. Reading of this issue in the past before I bought my Steamer, I misunderstood, and thought the problem was the plastic panels shrinking. This had me thinking about making up a simple angle iron jig with holes drilled in the correct locations to mount to the side panels whenever they were removed to prevent this shrinking from occurring. Other plastic (actually a form of nylon I believe) tanks have expanded and distorted because of the ethanol, so it sounds like the actual issue is not shrinkage of the side panels, but expansion of the fuel tank itself.......I will be pulling my side panels and fuel tank off for the first time this spring, so I haven't done the deed yet. Is it possible to drain the tank first, remove the side panels and then the tank, and immediately reattach the side panels to the tank while it is sitting to one side waiting to be reinstalled?

Anyone ever tried this?

[Geoff W]

It's not the petrol affecting his arse, it's the ethanol!

[Henry James]

I leave the panels attached and remove the tank and panels together.  I have not tried heating or cooling the tank or panels. But looking at your photos it apears the panels have shrunk and you said it was in an unheated garage.  So why not take the panels into a heated place for a few hours and see if they expand?.
John

[nickjtc]

So why not take the panels into a heated place for a few hours and see if they expand?.John

It's worth a try, just for s's and g's. Will do tonight.

[threepot]

and remember the youngest steamer is still 16 friggin years old .
[/quote]

Yas,let's not forget that.
I had a little encounter with a newish looking GS Sunday . He tried to catch me,but.. He caught me at a traffic light. Wonder what he was thinking when he saw my plate and realised my Tiger is 17!!!

[rybes]

nice one threepot 

[Sin_Tiger]

Wonder what he was thinking when he saw my plate and realised my Tiger is 17!!!

The old girl's still got it 

Geoff - I figured out the alcohol goes in the other end now 

I like the idea of leaving the panels on the tank and setting the whole lot on a suspended bit of pipe. Can't say about temp differences, haven't had it off (the tank Geoff the tank) Singapore which never went below 30C. Have you tried taking all the screws out and start connecting from the tank going forward?

[97tiger885]

More fun is coming your way.  Wait until you begin to have problems getting the seat to latch because of the tank stretch.  That is the next phase after struggling to attach the tank and to attach the fairings.

[nickjtc]

More fun is coming your way.  Wait until you begin to have problems getting the seat to latch because of the tank stretch.  That is the next phase after struggling to attach the tank and to attach the fairings.

Oh, the humanity!!