BAR296

I just started working on my '78 Hawk, and came to realize that there is rust inside the gas tank. One of the guys at my work, who used to be a Honda motorcycle tech said that the bike is garbage now. Is there anyway to repair this damage so i can continue to restore this gem?

falcongsr

yes there are rust treatment, prevention, and coating kits for old tanks, if it isn't rusted through completely somewhere.

the former motorcycle tech is probably trying to tell you that the bike is going to need a lot of time and money to fix, not that it is total trash. but it is fair warning you're probably in for more than you bargained for. i lack both time and money to tackle such projects but if you have the desire and the time it might be worth it for the experience.

BAR296

cool, well good to know that its not a total loss. i bought the bike for $200 and i would like to keep/restore it so i'm ok with dumping some money into it. Do you happen to know the names of some of these products or companies that may do it?

falcongsr

hit up google...

good writeup
http://www.motorcycleanchor.co....html

reviewed product
http://www.rusteco.com/MotorcycleCruiser.htm

good advice
http://www.britbike.com/ubb/cg...3;p=1

falcongsr

btw, $200 bike, how many miles are on it, how many years has it sat? be aware that ALL of the rubber material/gasket/hoses may need to be replaced....this means:

carb gaskets, diaphragm, rubber intake ports to cylinder head, brake lines, brake cylinder / caliper gaskets, tires, seat, clutch cable, fork seals, wiring harness connnectors and insulation, rear shock seals etc etc

you might spend 1-2k replacing all this.

.RJ

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by falcongsr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
you might spend 1-2k replacing all this</TD></TR></TABLE>

You shouldnt need to replace all of that - most of the time the seat, fork seals, wiring, intake boots and rear shocks are just fine.

You will need to rebuild the carbs, fuel tap, ignition bits and brakes though, and budget for new tires/tubes.

Should be able to get it on the road for a few hundred bucks and your time.

There's plenty of ways to clean the rust out of the tank without spending a ton of money - most of them involve some sort of acid (i've even heard of toilet cleaner used) to dissolve the rust, lots of rinsing out with a basic solution (like laundry detergent) to neutralize it, more rinsing with water to get everything out and drying with acetone or WD40.

Old hondas
Good luck

falcongsr

few hundred bucks...odds are against that sir.

.RJ

I've gotten a 'few' older bikes back on the road It can be done without a lot of cash

falcongsr

**** i posted right when my boss interrupted me, i meant to say more.

i'm making an educated guess that a $200 bike is a bit more of a basket case than something that just needs a carb rebuild kit and a good once-over.

.RJ

Maybe true, who knows. I bought a $200 bike that I rolled out of a guy's backyard earlier this year - sold it to a friend but after rebuilding the carbs and front brake, new points/plugs and putting on a chain and a few other odds and ends it was on the road.

Not much really to go 'wrong' when those old bikes sit and parts are pretty reasonably priced.

Evs-One

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by falcongsr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">**** i posted right when my boss interrupted me, i meant to say more.

i'm making an educated guess that a $200 bike is a bit more of a basket case than something that just needs a carb rebuild kit and a good once-over.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

My wife's uncle picked up a '77 XS650 from the original owner for 50 bucks. It had been sitting under a tarp under his porch for 12 or so years in the PNW.

Had a retired motorcycle tech rebuild the carbs, line the tank, replace a few bushings, chain, sprockets, and tires. He's in the bike TOTAL 1200 bucks and it is SOLID! All it needs is the seat recovered- runs smooth, chrome is legit, etc.

If one were to do all the work himself, he could have had it in the same condition for under 600 bucks. Not bad at all

CivicWagonRUS

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by falcongsr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

btw, $200 bike, how many miles are on it, how many years has it sat? be aware that ALL of the rubber material/gasket/hoses may need to be replaced....this means:

carb gaskets, diaphragm, rubber intake ports to cylinder head, brake lines, brake cylinder / caliper gaskets, tires, seat, clutch cable, fork seals, wiring harness connnectors and insulation, rear shock seals etc etc

you might spend 1-2k replacing all this.

That's absolutely rediculous. Unless you're doing a full blown concours level restoration, only a fraction of that list needs replacing. On the parts bike I bought, which looked like it had sat outside for the last 10 years, the carb to cylinder head was fine, the diaphrams were perfect, rear shocks were fine. One of the front fork seals needs replacing, the brakes needed to be cleaned out and bled, and the carbs needed a good cleaning.

For my $150 parts-turned-rat bike, I have spent $0 so far. Just by cleaning and adjusting, it's almost up and running. I will need a front brake reservoir and clutch lever assembly, both of which were missing.


</TD></TR></TABLE>

falcongsr

sorry i misunderstood the intent of this thread. yeah you guys can get "on the road" with a cheap bike that isn't a basket case. but it isn't reliable transport to me. and yes the majority of my work on old bikes has been taking them down to the frame. and that's only all of 2 bikes, so i'm no expert like the rest of you.

CivicWagonRUS

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by falcongsr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">sorry i misunderstood the intent of this thread. yeah you guys can get "on the road" with a cheap bike that isn't a basket case. but it isn't reliable transport to me. and yes the majority of my work on old bikes has been taking them down to the frame. and that's only all of 2 bikes, so i'm no expert like the rest of you.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I've helped out on more thorough restorations, but as the old adage says: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." All of our bikes were reliable enough to ride out to California and back, albeit with a few hiccups that were fixed on the spot. Most were related to electrics: bad rectifier, bad CDI box, bad alternator. My bike, due to its high mileage (over 42k miles at the time of the repair) just needed it valves lapped. I don't exactly know what kind of reliability you're looking for.

falcongsr

i realized old bikes and reliability don't go hand in hand. i just got really **** from working in my field (engineering in defense/aerospace). my dad overdoes everything too. i really don't enjoy working on old bikes anymore as there are too many unknowns, like you said. and it is just the nature of the bikes to lose rectifiers etc.

since moving to CA and being a bicycle commuter i have to bring a full complement of wheel maintenance tools (cassette remover, 17mm wrench, chain whip in addition to the standard tools) on my bike just in case i break a spoke etc. in my defense i tend to break spokes but i couldn't stand having to bum a ride from someone etc.

ShaunRR

I read about a clever method of removing tank rust from someone on svrider. I've never tried it though.

To remove the rust, do this:

Get your battery charger. 2amp, .75amp, doesn't matter.

Drain your tank. Remove the petcock. Seal off petcock hole. Fill with water.

Add a tablespoon of WASHING SODA, not baking soda. You can find it at the grocery store.

Hang a section of bare wire into the water. MAKE SURE IT ISN'T TOUCHING THE TANK.

Attach the + side of your charger to this wire.

Attach the - side of your charger to the tank.

Electrolysis will remove the rust from the tank and deposit it on the wire in the water.

You may need to remove the wire and wipe the crud off it periodically.

The 2amp charger will do it in a couple of hours, the .75amp in a couple of days.

Best part is, unlike acid etching, it will not remove any 'good' metal.