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Sprint RS fuel tank swollen

6.2K views 4 replies 4 participants last post by  steventhechef  
#1 ·
I'm trying to put a 2000 Sprint RS back together and got down to putting the fuel tank back on. It won't fit!!

The tank has about 2 to 3 gallons of fuel in it, and it's been there for about 3 years. The tank was removed from the bike about 18-20 months ago, and now it won't fit into the frame. I fear that the fuel must have had ethanol in it, and sitting on the concrete floor of my cellar shop, it seems to have stretched.

Is there any way know to fix this? I do have a dry (empty) spare tank, but one of the plastic quick connectors is broken off. I'm not sure how I can get the crappy old fuel out of the old, swollen tank so I can switch out the fuel pump plates between the two.

Any ideas on if the swollen tank can be fixed or how I can safely swap out the fuel pump assembles?
 
#2 ·
You can either just dump it out the top into a tray, use a cheap transfer pump, or remove the plate with the tank on its side and empty it through there. There is some hope that it will shrink back down enough to fit again if given some time to dry and air out.
 
#3 ·
First of all, I wouldn't know how or where to safely dispose of the old fuel. I live in a tight neighborhood, so I can't just light it afire and burn it off.

I thought that I should just get a replacement female fitting for the dry (still in shape) fuel tank. Any ideas where I could get that? The hoses have the recall fittings of metal, but neither tank has the female side in metal. If I can get a replacement fitting, I can swap out the fuel cap mechanism and away we go.

Then I still have to figure out what to do with the half-full/half-empty, distorted tank.