| Author | Message | ||
     Petethekiller |
I've painted several M2 tanks, the first paint job failed as it bubbled rather quickly. After much thought and a few tries, I so far have fixed the issue. It's rather simple... Let the paint cure for about 3 months before you put gas in the tank. It works... I used Nasson primer, base and clear no issues if I let them cure for about 3 months. Issues appear if I dont let the paint cure for less than 1 month. So far my paint jobs that are holding up are as old as 4 years old... I know thats not very old, but its a lot longer than some of the other paint jobs I've seen done. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
I'll second that extended cure time, though four months, wow, that's a long time. I had my body work painted in August and the painted told me to leave them in the sun for at least a week. It ended up being several weeks, baking on my deck in the summer sun. Then a couple more sitting in my garage before I was able to get to assembling the bike. So I think I got about a month of cure time too. No problems at this point. That was Summer of 2006, so 4+ years for me too. | ||
| Badsix2 |
did you guys use epoxy primer | ||
| Someday |
Only time will tell. My repaint lasted a year then the bubbles started. Happened over the winter so I'm wondering if the winter gas formula had something to do with it? | ||
| The_italian_job |
I'm freaking out about these bubbles! I had to repaint my bike 4 times already, I'm ready to pull the trigger again, but I wonder if I'm going to waste my money one more time. apparently, nobody has the perfect cure, for sure... I hope I'll have it done once and for good this time! | ||
| Kilroy |
Has anybody ever used this? Supposed to seal the tank from the inside so the fumes never make it to the layers of paint on the outside - Kilroy  | ||
| Beltfedman |
Has anyone ever fabed a metal tank for these? I have a 97 S1 im repainting right now. no big deal, black satin job but still dont want to see it bubble thats for sure. maybye ill put only a half gallon in it when im done. Wondering this also. my top vent doesent seem like a free flow vent i have blown on both ends and no air goes through it, is this the cause for peoples bubbles? maybe to much gas pressure in the tank and it pushing though microscopic holes with in the tank leading to bubbles. can someone shed some light on the vent hole contraption at the top of the tank. | ||
| Whitetrashxb |
someone on here fabbed an aluminum tank that looks killer.... | ||
| Blake |
Matt at Trojan-Horse/Adrenaline Moto did the metal tank I think. One of the vital keys to protecting against bubbling is to thoroughly clean the sanded surface of the tank prior to the first primer coat. Use alcohol. I mean 100% white glove test clean, nothing but pure clean Buell fuel tank surface should remain. That combined with thoroughly cured finish prior to adding fuel ought to ensure a durable paint job. Good question on the primer. Seems like epoxy primer might be advantageous. On the liner/coating... what if it won't stick well to the inside of the tank. Usually that kind of coating requires acid etch and rinse of steel tank prior to application. | ||
| Hootowl |
Jasco metal primer is an etching primer, and is not a paint (it has the viscosity of Windex). It might work as a primer for the tank sealer. You can buy it at Lowes/Home Depot. It also converts iron oxide to iron phosphate, so if there's rust in your tank there won't be after priming it. | ||
| Mr_wizard |
When I repainted the tank on my M2 house of color makes a really good epoxy paint that is for plastic. It had gas in it a couple weeks after it was done and it is still fine. I also changed the breather hose. The hos shouldn't run all the way back to the back of the bike. With the breather hose that long it is way to easy to get plugged and thats how you get fume build up in the tank. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Well, just to reiterate, a moth of cure time has left my tank un-bubbled for the last 3.5 years. I'm doing a manual search of the archives. I distinctly recall seeing a post with pic of a bike from CA during the summer of 2002. Hopefully I can find it, this may take a while, assuming the photo is still here... Don't know if it was the same, but there was one featured on the back page of a BRAG magazine a few years ago. | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
For the Aluminum tank http://www.wilcoxmetal.com/usa.htm Also discussed here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/476 23/603877.html?1291965402 | ||
| Kilroy |
Ouuuccchhh! | ||
| Brother_in_buells |
yep it,s Pricey ,but no more bubbles under the paint thats for sure!  | ||
| Tdukerich |
The aluminum tank is too pretty to paint. | ||
| Terrycoxusa |
$2,000 for a gas tank? That's what I paid for my whole bike. | ||
| Littlebuggles |
Cool, thanks for that link Mees, Illeagle's bike was the one featured in the Fuell magazine. Sure wish I could find that other, have searched the quick board archives and am working my way through the general message board archives. Maybe it's under the KV archives under body work and such. Hmm. | ||
| Kaput |
This post presents a new suggestion which I'm definately going to follow (thanks killer) in the paint job I'm doing but I'm surprised that I've never seen anyone use another brand metal tank and tried to fit it. Anyone know of or have pictures of such a swap? | ||
| Beltfedman |
yea., anyone have other tanks from any other bikes on a old school buell? that actual looks like it goes with the bike? | ||
| Kaput |
Exactly. Anyone?? | ||
| Petethekiller |
No problem, Kaput.... Just thought I'd share what seems to be working for me. | ||
| Skntpig |
"Jasco metal primer is an etching primer, and is not a paint (it has the viscosity of Windex). It might work as a primer for the tank sealer. You can buy it at Lowes/Home Depot. It also converts iron oxide to iron phosphate, so if there's rust in your tank there won't be after priming it." There shouldn't be any rust (or metal for that matter) in a plastic tank...Just sayin | ||
| Hootowl |
You're thinking of X1 and XB tanks. |
