Dumb kid needs gas tank help

So, I've my 78 kz650 for about 6 months now and decided to do a diy paintjob. In the process of pulling the badges off the tank the screws were so stripped that they had become a permanent part of the tank and I ended up drilling out the screw holes. Long story short I now have a hole in the tank that is "approximately" 1/16 of an inch in diameter. (don't ask me how I know.) It's also a problem because it's hard to get to, being directly behind the badge mount. The question is:

Will any of the touted tank sealers fix a hole of that size effectively? The whole reason I am painting it myself was to avoid anything costing a lot of money. Did I just screw myself by having to deal with this repair?? Any help is appreciated.

Jcleesport wrote:

Will any of the touted tank sealers fix a hole of that size effectively?

Doubt it. Highly doubt it. And even if it did plug the hole temporarily, I wouldn't bet a plugged nickle (excuse the pun ) on such an attempted repair holding up any length of time.

The whole reason I am painting it myself was to avoid anything costing a lot of money. Did I just screw myself by having to deal with this repair??

Well, that depends on what kind of tools, materials and experience you have available.

The *best* - most permanent and foolproof repair is also the most technically difficult; that would be to braze the hole shut. That entails having access to a torch, some rod, and preferably a little experience with the rig to do the cleanest job possible - which could be done *very* cleanly. To the extent that once filled, the mount could be re-drilled and tapped to accept a new screw.

I'm gonna take a guess that since you had to ask the question, it's a good bet that you're short on said experience.

Best alternative in that case would be to hunt around for welding/radiator shops in your area, and find an old timer that immediately understands the problem and knows what to do about it - and let him take it from there.

Find the right old timer, and you could get it done pretty cheap - say $20 - maybe a little more.

Another possibility is using JB Weld, or some likewise two-part epoxy to fill the hole. Done right, that type of material can also be drilled and tapped, but its long-term gas resistance is suspect at best, and naturally, it won't support/hold a screw as well as metal would.

Depending on being a stickler for looks - it's also possible that you could go up one screw size - one large enough to thread into your new hole - and have it do double duty; plug the hole and hold the bage to the tank. It's certain to be somewhat obvious to a practiced eye, and it'd be a good idea to use some type of thread sealer in conjunction with the screw, but it _is_ do-able...

Post edited by: Pterosaur, at: 2006/12/21 04:45

Most of the Kawasaki tanks I have seen have a plate tack welded into a recession into the tank. The plate is drilled and tapped for the embelems, not the tank itself. Is this what you have?

del

JMKZHI wrote:

You aren't the first person to do this. There are some dumb geezers too!

...Getting it welded is probably the sure-fire fix.

All good stuff...

...but speaking as a *geezer* of some repute :whistle: in a very small circle of admirers... :lol:

*Welding* in this case will certainly do the job, but is both technically a little harder to pull off and a bit of overkill.

A good braze takes place a a significantly lower flame temp than welding, is easier to bead, flow and get to *suck in* to nooks and crannies than steel rod welding - and structurally, it's way capable of both sealing the tank and providing a base for a mount screw - providing one doesn't use it as a chain anchor for getting yanked out of a ditch...

The lower temp aspect makes it easier to control the surface temp of both the tank surface and badge mount with wet rags, minimizing the chances that some kind of surface warpage might occur - a real possibility when you've got two gauges of metal spot welded together - the tank and the badge mount..

Just a *Geezer-Gram* FYI.

Dumb Kid, like was said here, don't beat yourself up too bad. I've been watching this thread myself. I had one stripped/ broken screw on the tank emblem on my '78 bike. Luckily I had seen the threads that JMK posted here, and knew not to go drilling away willy-nilly at the stub. I drilled very carefully, with a small bit and a slower cordless drill, to make sure I didn't hit the thin steel of the tank. Twenty-twenty hindsight for you now, huh?:pinch:
Anyway, the problem as I see it now is that the tab that accepts the screw thread stands away from the tank; you need to seal the tank behind that tab, correct? I don't think you want to try to bend the tab out of the way; I guess I would try some of the fixes mentioned here- and good luck!

Nevco48 wrote:

...Anyway, the problem as I see it now is that the tab that accepts the screw thread stands away from the tank; you need to seal the tank behind that tab, correct? I don't think you want to try to bend the tab out of the way; I guess I would try some of the fixes mentioned here- and good luck!

No, you don't wanna try bending that tab out of the way unless you're into OCC-op-art shaped gas tanks.

If I recall correctly, the tab center stands off maybe 1/8" or so from the tank wall inside the recess.

Here's the hot ticket: (lousy pun intended )

Flush the bejesus out of the tank with water - and preferably, remove the gas cap ENTIRELY.

Get yourself a pile of COTTON rags and soak the hell out of them in water.

Stand the tank on its side, supported by cushioned wood blocks or whatever - so it sits in a stable fashion.

Take the wet rags and arrange them in a circle around the badge/hole area, in a 1 - 2" in diameter.

With the SMALLEST usable flame - and it won't be very big, orient the tip of the flame straight down through the badge mount hole toward the hole in the tank. Get the area around the hole a nice red. It won't take long, and it won't take much - you gotta WATCH what you're doing.

Pull the flame and IMMEDIATELY stick the rod down through the badge mount hole down to the level of the hole in the tank. Re-apply the flame to the rod at the level of the badge mount hole. The rod will melt almost immediately. Pull the flame.

Look down the hole and see if the rod has melted and pooled out to cover the hole. This takes an experienced eye. Re-heat gently until the pool spreads to cover the hole - don't mind if it puckers a little. Pull the flame. Cool the area with wet rag.

Water test the tank to make sure leak is sealed.

Re-insert the rod into the hole until its standing on the freshly patched hole. Apply heat gently to the rod again, allowing it to soften and melt into the badge-mount hole. Again, let it pool and *suck in* to the irregularities in the hole. Cool area.

Re-drill and tap badge mount hole...

CAREFULLY!

Howzzat?

Thanks for all the replies.

Cjhansen: Yeah, I've got tank with the badge plate welded on

Everyone else, thanks much for all the assistance. I think this repair probably falls out of the purview of my limited experience with repairs dealing with fire. Not that I don't like fire, I just lack the experience to keep me from making the whole thing worse/blowing up my garage .

I think I'm going to put in a call to an uncle of mine who's probably got the necessary equipment and see if I can bribe him to give me a hand with the fix.

like pt said id try a radiator shop and have it soldered;)