Back after 11 years !

11 years ago I parked my 30 and life took over. Brought a gsxr750 99 and had (still do) all sorts of issues.. then the other day I noticed my 30 sitting there. She hadn't been moved at all for 11 years, so...

Pump up the tyres, cut the chain, remove all the calipers and she is rolling. Then removed the sump and rocker covers and suprised there is oil! And nothing has rusted up.

Removed the plugs and dropped in some 2 stoke oil (just incase) and got the battery from the land rover (1000cca!) And she turned over.



So what now?

Well she's had the block removed to find gum (best description I can give!) In the water galleries but the bores are okay. Checked the valves and they are sealed still from the lapping 13 years ago. The tank however... well think sieve! So after several attempts to remove the rust using caustic soda, spirits of salts, Doex-c and then electrolysis, all I need to do it weld up a few holes (electrolysis from a 15amp supply probably wasn't the best idea) and pour in por-15, paint the outside and job done on the tank front!

However. All this excitement of getting her back on the road might have found a stumbling block. Is it just me or is it to quote some one "it's like rocking horse poo with unicorn horn sprinkles on top" damn near impossible to actually get hold of a clutch cover that isn't battered to hell!?

It would appear that when honda built the 30 it was built to last.

Will be posting lots of questions as my knowledge has moved to land rover.. aka the 'mecc-a-no!' set

Mike

When I used a tank sealer in my tank I unknowingly blocked the breather doins inside. It seems it's not just a hole in the top but after poking around with a dentist mirror and a torch there's some plastic gubbins in there - maybe some sort of one way valve. Anyway I had running issues after due to vapour lock in the tank, which I 'cured' by connecting a tyre pump to the breather and pumped till the blockage was removed (with a big bang).

Just thought I'd mention it.

SmallFrowne wrote:When I used a tank sealer in my tank I unknowingly blocked the breather doins inside. It seems it's not just a hole in the top but after poking around with a dentist mirror and a torch there's some plastic gubbins in there - maybe some sort of one way valve. Anyway I had running issues after due to vapour lock in the tank, which I 'cured' by connecting a tyre pump to the breather and pumped till the blockage was removed (with a big bang).

Just thought I'd mention it.

I posted up some pictures of a couple of rusted tanks I cut in half...

It's a plastic box with some baffling in it to prevent slosh making it out.

If you do seal it as above I suggest doing it straight away but blowing a bit of compressed air throuhg the breather port (remove the one way valve) just ot dislodge any sealer out the plastic slosh box

On the electrolysis front; it is the best method for corrosion removal......

Yes it sometimes leaves holes where rust/scale has been removed but far, far better to sort it at this stage than to find a leak at a later date cos scale was not removed .....esp. if painting has been done. !

Well... update on the electrolysis on the tank.

Erhm.... not good news!

It turns out that as the process gets underway it builds up small carbon deposits, now since carbon is a great conductor and that I had decided to leave it over the weekend it quickly became very much like a scive. So I took the tank in to work and after a day of weld a hole grind it back make a new hole then weld that... and repeat for 2 hours I give up.

Not to be known for quiting on this I did see what was the general strength, I taped it with a chipping hammer and it went through.

So what I can deduce is that it made the tank paper thin in multiple areas and as such it was way too dangerous to continue with it.

So looking for a replacement tank to clean up and spray.

Mike.