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Just finished cleaning/sealing my Legend's gas tank with POR-15.
Had to do this - had a terrible 2005 season with dirty carbs, sticking float, fuel causing hydraulic lock and diluting engine oil.
Got the carbs cleaned by two folks - the second says the first fellow only did a partial job. He says the float needle will seat now, but there was evidence of rust.
Got my Legend in March of 2000. Never a fuel problem until last season.
POR-15 Job
The first time one tries a new task, it takes a while ... Should have been 2 hours, 3 hours tops. Actually, it took more like a day and a half. Must have driven for 3 hours for bits and pieces.
First, rinsing out with water showed how hard it would be to seal the tank so the goop would not get out onto the paint. Discovered the little hose/relief valve assembly leaked. The hose was split just at the top of the standpipe. Was this leaking fuel too? Maybe you should check this next time the tank comes off ...
Dealer wants $142 Cdn for a new petcock. It's a Mikuni and I will look for a japanese equivalent. When removed, the hole in the tank will be the main drain for water/cleaner/acid/sealant. Four steps ...
Used some of the cracked hose, doubled over in a vise and tied with wire to seal the standpipe. Used a carved artificial wine cork to plug the oval petcock hole. Used duct tape to seal the tapped holes that fasten the petcock to the tank.
Sealing the gas filler hole was basically impossible. I tried two types of replacement gas caps that almost fit. I tried a cork for the big hole and wire for the standpipe and multiple other holes in the gas filler neck. Could not get a seal. Tried all those plus duct tape over the filler hole. Nothing would keep the water off the paint. So, the acid and sealer would mess up the tank.
I did cover most of the upper tank with duct tape and used food wrap plastic for the rest.
Then, for the acid, I left the filler open and carefully moved the tank around. I have been working out in a Gym for two weeks, thankfully... No spills. Did this outside. Cold, but sunny. Tolerable.
Used a heat gun to dry the tank. Tank metal was quite hot after 5 minutes. Let it cool and did it again. At first, I could hear some ater sloshing. After 3 cycles, not a sound and metal was getting pretty hot very quickly.
Same open gas filler with the sealant. This time, I did it at the workbench. Made sure I was seated, when it came time to drain. Sort of like bicep curls with elbows on the bench. Got about half the sealant drained out.
Did I get all surfaces coated? Hard to say. Don't have a borescope or such device, so can't see inside. Actually, I did quite a bit of moving the tank around, so I think I got it all ... Whatever, it is much cleaner and will stay cleaner a lot longer.
The sealant is a small tin, so it is less likely to spill out than the half gallon of detergent or the quart of metal prep/acid.
So, next week the sealant will be cured. Hope to have the new petcock by then. Will reattach carbs, new gas line, new in-line gas filter, and when the weather permits - back riding.
All this seems so anal, I know ... but if your floats stick, you will know why I am doing all this ... :-D
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