Tank sealer removal ?

[Russ W.]

Hi all , after 3 weeks of waiting and swilling the tank round and round and upside down , the Caswell tank sealer remover still has not made much impact on the POR15 tank sealer , even though Caswell claim that it should bubble up within 10 minutes . I even put in twice the recommended amount. Have any of you guys any suggestions ? I'm seriously considering a new reproduction tank for £270 , but ideally I would like to keep the original tank.

[kevski]

Have you tried nitromors paint stripper.?

[Russ W.]

I haven't tried that , but I seem to get the impression when searching forums that ordinary paint stripper isn't strong enough.

[Nurse Julie]

I would have thought the previous owner put POR 15 in for a reason, such as a holey, leaky tank and if you do manage to remove it you would still have a tank with holes in.

[Russ W.]

The sealer was only put in as a precautionary measure and the tank didn't leak , but the sealer hasn't been applied as per the instructions and has bubbled up in  the bottom .  I really would like to remove it to prevent any rust forming within any of the bubbles .

[tom400f]

Likely the tank wasn't completely dry when the paint was applied.

The virtue of, or in your case problem with, POR15 is it's indestructibility. Your best bet might be to clean the flakey stuff as much as possible, for example using gravel and agitation or perhaps blast inside, then re-seal with... more POR15. Go through the clean/etch process (assuming you will have bare metal where the stuff can be removed).

[Nurse Julie]

The sealer was only put in as a precautionary measure and the tank didn't leak , but the sealer hasn't been applied as per the instructions and has bubbled up in  the bottom .  I really would like to remove it to prevent any rust forming within any of the bubbles .

Precaution against what if it wasn't leaking?. You could contact forum member Menno to see if he has had to remove POR15 from tanks prior to painting and how he does it.

[petermigreen]

Not used the sealer remover myself but their sealant is very good.

Think it's called Petseal. Check it out.

http://www.tankcareproducts.co.uk

[kettle738]

Precaution against what if it wasn't leaking?

People do this all the time....it's madness, I've had two bikes with tank sealer, both of them were flaking and blocking the carbs, both of them were an absolute nightmare to remove and neither of them needed it in the first place.

Tank sealants are right up there with powder coating ........ seems like a good idea at the time, utter pain in the a**e to get rid of.

Mick.

[JamesH]

Have you tried MEK or Acetone?

[kevski]

For many years now I have used Oregon fuel stabilizer when I fill up, and I drain the tanks completely every year without fail and don't suffer water or rust in my tanks.
A lot of tanks get lined for no good reason when all that is needed is annual drain downs and a few ml of stabilizer on top ups.

[Menno]

You can send the tank to me and I have it cleaned at this company:

http://www.entlackungszentrum-zweibruecken.de/oldtimer.htm

I cannot guarantee it will be removed completely but 90% of the innercoatings dissapear.

[Russ W.]

Whereabouts are you Menno ? How much does it cost and does it require the tank bottom cutting out ?

[Greebo]

Whereabouts are you Menno ? How much does it cost and does it require the tank bottom cutting out ?

Why have all the hassle Buy a new tank. I know it wont be the Original but you will have got rid of the pain ... & if you ever decide to sell the bike as "original" stick the old tank back on.

[Menno]

I'm located in Germany.

The tank will be put in a bath filled with chemicals.
Well... different baths actually.
Since I'm a regular client at this company I can always ask if they can put it in 2 or 3 times till the inner coating is gone.

I'm going to pick up a tank this week which had a really thick innercoating.
I'm curious how much of it is left...

It will cost 50 euro.
Tank is totally clean - bear metal after cleaning.

No, nothing will be cut.