Basket Cases

Need help finding information or parts for that old machine in your shed? Someone in here will know!

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David Lahey
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Re: Plastic Fuel Tank Tank

Postby David Lahey » Fri Mar 09, 2018 3:13 pm

David Lahey wrote:
Greg Harding wrote:Waiting.........................
Anyone got any theories?

Theory No 1 - no change and I'll buy you a cappucino at Juan's cafe if there is any improvement to the tank from the soaking.
Theory No 2 - if there is a fire in the boom room it will be a good one.
Theory No 3 - the Italjet tank manufacturer sourced their raw plastic beads from the same manufacturer as whoever made the PE Suzuki tanks


Following on from Theory No 1
Being stuck at home with a virus I finally did some research on the Italjet fuel tank material. From what I found, the chemical bonds in the translucent plastic (HDPE) are quite sensitive to UV light but if you add 3% or more of carbon to the plastic before moulding the item, it is no longer translucent to UV light so the UV doesn't damage the bonds and it will stay strong for donkey's ages and this 3% carbon is why "black poly" pipe is black.


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Re: Basket Cases

Postby smiffy60 » Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:56 pm

Yep David HDPE pipe is translucent until carbon is added to make it black some add the carbon on the sides only.
Think beer line in pubs its HDPE and translucent so you can see if the lines are dirty!
But you have to think long term the plastics will be affected by the fuel in its various formula's.
And fuels today are nothing like the stuff from the 80's !


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Tank Tank 1 Week Sneak Peek

Postby Greg Harding » Mon Mar 12, 2018 10:00 pm

Hi Everyone,
Bully fanatic wrote:That looks good Greg. I know of a very late Piuma with a red frame, 2/86 on the compliance plate which sat for years with no fuel in the tank.
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I got it going last week and we left some fuel in the tank and it cracked on both sides on the front sharp bend behind where the 250 or 350 stickers are supposed to be.
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It ran well but now needs crank seals and the petrol tank being repaired. It is a 350 by the way. It had only done 3 trials with a sidecar on it. Oh well! :italjet:

Graham, thank you for the Photos! Something tells me the RED :italjet: were all 350? Trail and Track October 1986
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The bike looks really good Graham, there was a Red one just over the hill from me that belonged to a Mate before I met him, when he told me I thought it was a repaint. Anyway he tried on a couple of occasions to track it down for me but no such Luck!
The photo of the tank shows the sides sucked in stressing the corner which is what happened to mine just before cracking.

David, carbon is pretty powerful stuff if only 3 % makes plastic go black.
Ray, KTM have Black tanks on some models and others have translucent when new but they go a horrible BROWN color after having fuel in them.
Anyway, curiosity got the better of me so I had to have a look inside:
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The fuel level has gone down, I think the insertion rubber is absorbing it as it has grown and the fuel has gone a darker shade but still good for the Fergy!
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The sides seem to be holding their shape and I can't feel any cracks but not ready to order a coffee yet David!
Anyone got any suggestions about how long I should leave it in the Tank?
Or any advice for that Matter?


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Re: Basket Cases

Postby outforfun » Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:53 pm

Hi Greg, I am finding your scientific research into the effects of petrol on your plastic trials fuel tank a very interesting subject.

I have a plastic tank on my old 1980 XR500. Granted it doesn't have any sharp bend type features apart from the usual side to base sharp curve... It is red plastic and no leaks. It does have a small amount of real petrol in it still - yes I'm guilty of not riding it for about 8 years... This new clear liquid we buy as petrol I know not to leave in a fuel tank.

The only real advice I could give is make sure you don't use ethanol fuel.

One of my local bike shops has found that the ethanol fuel is a problem in modern 4 stroke trail bikes. He gets paid for cleaning it out of fuel tanks and carbies and putting non ethanol fuel in the bike and viola no issues with performance. Until the owner buys ethanol fuel again.

I have also been warned against using the ethanol stuff in my modern bike.



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Re: Plastic Fuel Tank Tank

Postby David Lahey » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:24 pm

Greg Harding wrote:So back to the :italjet: tank,:
For some reason I thought the plastic tank would be buoyant but I was wro, wrong!
Waiting.........................
Anyone got any theories?

Apparently that's not the only that word that Fonzie can't say. Here is a compilation of his attempts. Fond memories from a long time ago
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x26yzgd


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Re: Basket Cases

Postby Bully fanatic » Tue Mar 20, 2018 10:36 pm

That video made me laugh David. It was great. I have the same hassle saying that M word that means an Imitation Spanish Trials Bike. I won`t offend all the youngsters reading this though! :shock: All I can say is :Bultaco: :Bultaco: :Bultaco:



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Re: Basket Cases

Postby Bully fanatic » Sun Mar 25, 2018 12:14 pm

So after some new crank seals and a new condenser the red Italjet now starts and runs very well. I did also have to clean the carby out again. When I first pulled it apart the carb had all this black stuff in the float bowl and it was hard. After all of that it goes again. Engine is very nice. Graham. :italjet:



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Re: Basket Cases

Postby David Lahey » Sun Mar 25, 2018 3:58 pm

That's great news Graham


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Tank Tank 4.5 Week Sneak Peek

Postby Greg Harding » Thu Apr 05, 2018 8:00 pm

Hi Everyone,
outforfun wrote:Hi Greg, I am finding your scientific research into the effects of petrol on your plastic trials fuel tank a very interesting subject......
The only real advice I could give is make sure you don't use ethanol fuel....
.....I have also been warned against using the ethanol stuff in my modern bike.

Don, your :Honda: tank would have to be much thicker than the White :italjet: one which feels like about 2 mm thick in the sides.
After a bit of thought, I decided to soak the tank in the fuel that I intend to use, BP Ultimate.

As discussed previously, E10 is really good for dissolving rust in old steel tanks but until now I have not talked about my experiments with E85. Yes the type used so sparingly in V8 Super cars:
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My theory was fairly simple, If E10 works than E85 must be 8 and a half times Better! Wro, wron, well it was a little better, maybe 10 percent but not worth the expence. Plus it came with a warning: Do not get it on your skin and Do not wash parts in It! So shaking a partly filled tank with magnetic drive bits inside to loosen and grab rusty bits is almost impossible to empty without getting it on your skin.
What do we really know about Ethanol Fuels?
Do they have separate tanks when transporting and storing or do they drain E10 out and then fill with Premium?
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If it was for human consumption, perhaps we would know more and I presume we would get extra warnings? Like how cereal packets state that they may contain traces of nuts.

Anyway, here are some photos:
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The sides have actually Bulged Out unlike my last tank that Sucked In!
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Now for the thinkers, there is something dodgy in 2 of my photos, 1 in last post and 1 here! Have you worked it out?


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Re: Basket Cases

Postby Bully fanatic » Thu Apr 05, 2018 9:30 pm

Would the dodgy bit be the extra small fuel tank in the corner of the stainless petrol tank holding tank? Top left. Very sneaky Greg. Having a mini :italjet: Piuma and not telling us. =D>




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