Cafe gas tank?

Here is the pics. I went for more of a Norton tank look. Anyone think this thing can be saved? Lots of pinholes. The more I would weld the more i would burn.

ouch!if it has the basic shape you want grind it all down really good and pressure test it to find where your leaks are at then take it to a welding shop or bodyshop shop that welds a lot of thinner gauge metal to have it finished up,get it all ground down really good first so it will be easier for them and cheaper for you.then seal the inside of tank.

Ok I have top portion of the tank finished except for the final grinding filling etc, and I must say it's turning out way better than I imagined! I will post up some pics tommorow when it's light outside. I still have to make the bottom, but I figure sice nobody will see it, I can just mangle some sheet metal into the general shape of the frame tube, weld it all up, and call it good, LOL.

Now I just need to see if I can win a sport-bike or aircraft style gas fill off ebay.

Bkitchin, I feel for you man. After using a friends Harbor Freight welder the other day, difference was like night and day, very hard to keep a steady arc going with that thing and it wouldn't feed the wire at a constant rate and kept jamming. Made me glad I spent the extra three times as much for a nice Lincoln. It's gone through a few dozen spools of wire in the last five years, and never had any problems. My checking account would have been much happier with the Harbor Freight welder though. Also I don't know which you were using, but it's way easier to weld thin metal with sheilding gas as opposed to flux core wire. Less splatter too. That tank looks fixable though...just needs a little grinding.

Post edited by: Maxwedge, at: 2006/04/17 16:22

Man, I hope your tank comes out nice Max. Can't wait to see it. I've been toying with the idea of making a stainless tank.

bkitchen wrote:

Here is the pics. I went for more of a Norton tank look. Anyone think this thing can be saved? Lots of pinholes. The more I would weld the more i would burn.

Intersting idea. Where did you get this from ? Is there any rusting going on inside the tank ?

Ok here is the progress so far. Obviously it still needs a bit of finish work, but I set it on the bike just to get an idea. I think it's looking sweet so far. By the way can anybody tell me how to post pics on here without linking them or making them really small?



kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_ponygal...6&func=detail&id=939

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_ponygal...6&func=detail&id=938

kzrider.com/index.php?option=com_ponygal...6&func=detail&id=940

Maxwedge wrote:

Now I just need to see if I can win a sport-bike or aircraft style gas fill off ebay.

Check the boat stores in your area. Some often have a Lemans type gas fill cap and neck.

The tank is looking pretty darn good.
Fish

Thats looking good! What you using 16 or 18 ga.? I know Kirk sells some nice looking gas caps for sport bikes, but they are like $100.

That was a CSR tank I got off Ebay for $10.00 Fonzee. I then cut it and formed the sides with 16ga. sheet. It only started rusting after I tried pressure testing it. LOTS OF PINHOLES!! :laugh: Oh well was just toying with the idea.

Post edited by: bkitchen, at: 2006/04/17 22:09

WharfRat wrote:

Thats looking good! What you using 16 or 18 ga.? I know Kirk sells some nice looking gas caps for sport bikes, but they are like $100.

It's 16 gauge, but In retrospect 18gauge would have been much easier to form and lighter, but at least it's really stong. $100 isn't gonna fit in my non-existant budget too well. I do have my eye on a couple alternatives though. If nothing else, I can always just cut the one out of my stock tank and weld it on:

I have several tanks I will part with an 84 KZ700,74 suzuki T500,76 suzuki GT500(larger than the 74)and maybe a 76 H1 500 maybe....and a couple of smaller hondas