1976 XL 350 Vintage Baja Project!

[1962siia]

Ok so more progress on the tank. Three thin layers of filler got it to where I’m happy. Never worked with this stuff before and gotta say its super satisfying. :thumbup

 

[1962siia]

READ POST #66 for anyone considering welding on a gas tank!!

Note to self. Repair holes in tank before doing filler.

Managed to burn off some of the filler repairing the hole I drilled in the bottom of the tank. Lol!

Hole was about .5” or maybe the size of a dime. Cut a small piece of aluminum flat stock and got some brazing rod from the local welding supply place. Hope it holds liquid. If not I’ll smear some jb weld.

 

[auntiebling]

This stuff seals pinholes and can survive CA Booze/gas

https://www.caswellplating.com/epoxy-gas-tank-sealer.html

 

[1962siia]

Yeah a friend sealed a pine hole in a 990 tank with that stuff. I’d prefer not to coat this tank so I’m planning to take it to Norman Racing next week and have it tig welded. That caswell sealer is good stuff though. :thumbup

 

[1962siia]

When I built mine, 38 (!) years ago, no one could get the Betors to work well, so switched to Simons (the conventional, 38mm version). Powdered the lowers silver, and most people couldn't tell the difference. They worked a lot better, and after Phil Douglas worked 'em over, even more so.

If I could have found a pair of Simons forks that’s what I would have wanted but they are tough to find at a good price.

When you built yours did you have the option of saying what tank you planned to use so they could build the frame to fit? I’m wondering if my frame was built for the Don Vesco tank. I see pics of bikes with honda tanks that look perfect on the frame so they must be different than mine.

 

[elemetal]

Another cool build D, good to see you off the deep end on another. One thing to point out: be super careful welding on a tank of any kind.

Tanks get materials of whatever they were holding embedded in the surface; these may not come out with thorough cleaning but will vaporize with heat. In a closed space mixed with air that becomes an explosive hazard; many welders have been hurt/killed from this.

3 guys died in one accident at a Naval yard I used to work in; dry dock hull repair on a liquid holding barge. Welders were outside and inside when the vapors ignited and blew up the hold they were in, two inside one out. When I do gas tanks, even if old and dry, I fill as much as I can with water. Helps keep it cooler (less distortion) and less air volume to mix with vapor.

Not saying you didn't take precautions but would hate anyone reading this to take on a similar fix without knowing the risks and how to mitigate them.

 

[1962siia]

Excellent point to bring up for sure. I had rinsed the tank out pretty thoroughly and had been heating the outside gently with mapp gas many times before I tried to fill that hole. But I’m not an expert and it could have gone differently for sure.

Hope you and your family are well elemental. :thumbup

Just modified my original post for the tank repair to reference your post elemental.

 

[OldGuy]

If I could have found a pair of Simons forks that’s what I would have wanted but they are tough to find at a good price.

When you built yours did you have the option of saying what tank you planned to use so they could build the frame to fit? I’m wondering if my frame was built for the Don Vesco tank. I see pics of bikes with honda tanks that look perfect on the frame so they must be different than mine.

The Simons forks were $$ even back in the day. My buddy Allen Kenyon (National #88) was working at West Coast Cycle Dismantlers on San Antonio in Mtn View (wanted to drop that info for the South Bay veterans :afm199 ), and they got in a used set. Better yet, they took the Betors in trade :thumbup

I was wondering the same thing about the mounts when I saw how the MT tank fit. I bought mine from the original owner, and he gave me the build sheet - in pencil, on a piece of binder paper - that spec'd the MR175 tank and a CR250 seat. Most of the ones I've seen have CR tanks (I think 125); I assumed the mounts were the same for all.

Sorry I can't offer more info. C&J's still around; here's the contact info:

CANDJRACINGFRAMES@GMAIL.COM
(208) 949-9538

Good chance someone there's been around long enough to dig up the tank mount specs.

 

[1962siia]

The Simons forks were $$ even back in the day. My buddy Allen Kenyon (National #88) was working at West Coast Cycle Dismantlers on San Antonio in Mtn View (wanted to drop that info for the South Bay veterans :afm199 ), and they got in a used set. Better yet, they took the Betors in trade :thumbup

I was wondering the same thing about the mounts when I saw how the MT tank fit. I bought mine from the original owner, and he gave me the build sheet - in pencil, on a piece of binder paper - that spec'd the MR175 tank and a CR250 seat. Most of the ones I've seen have CR tanks (I think 125); I assumed the mounts were the same for all.

Sorry I can't offer more info. C&J's still around; here's the contact info:

CANDJRACINGFRAMES@GMAIL.COM
(208) 949-9538

Good chance someone there's been around long enough to dig up the tank mount specs.

Great idea to ask them. Thanks!

 

[RichardBryant]

Tanks

I have a cr125 reproduction steel tank and a CR250M tanks you can try for fit if needed. My trackmaster MX frame takes a CR250M tank.

 

[1962siia]

Thanks for the offer, but I'm now convinced my frame was designed for a yamaha tt/xt500 tank. The Don Vesco tank that came on it is for sure from one of those bikes. :thumbup