Welding gas tank

[LocoParaHonda]

I was just curious...

If you were to thoroughly rinse out a gas tank, would it be possible to take a blow torch around the sides, open it, clean it out thoroughly and weld it back together? Are there components in there that couldn't take the heat?

I have a welder friend and the thought has crossed my mind.

I know there's the chemicals method mentioned in the tech docs, but I think this would get it cleaner on the inside. Just exploring other options.

[Kenny_McCormic]

I think you will find that muratic(spelling?) acid will make it VERY clean.

[Videonut]

ya do it!! then you can make it bigger too. make the tank hold more gas.... too cool take tons of pics , i may want to do this too. i even have a spare tank.

videonu

[mr pibbs]

ya do it!! then you can make it bigger too. make the tank hold more gas.... too cool take tons of pics , i may want to do this too. i even have a spare tank.

videonu

on a spree? elite? Where could you extend the tank?

I thought about a larger tank once or twice. It would be merely a convenience really - never going to go that far in one trip.

[Kenny_McCormic]

If you are worried about running out of gas, just do what one guy on here(dont remember who) said, fill a cheap hip flask with gasoline, maybe paint it red to comply with DOT regs.

[Lunytune]

ya do it!! then you can make it bigger too. make the tank hold more gas.... videonu

on a spree? elite? Where could you extend the tank?
I thought about a larger tank once or twice. It would be merely a convenience really - never going to go that far in one trip.

Two one gallon gas cans from Walmart fit perfectly side by side in your official Honda milkcrate (You do have one don't you?). That gives you the extended range.

OR... Find a wrecked DIO with the gas tank in the floorboard. Of course you would also have to rig up a fuel pump. That's a lot of trouble. The milkcrate and gas cans works okay.

[Bear45-70]

ya do it!! then you can make it bigger too. make the tank hold more gas.... videonu

on a spree? elite? Where could you extend the tank?
I thought about a larger tank once or twice. It would be merely a convenience really - never going to go that far in one trip.

Two one gallon gas cans from Walmart fit perfectly side by side in your official Honda milkcrate (You do have one don't you?). That gives you the extended range.

OR... Find a wrecked DIO with the gas tank in the floorboard. Of course you would also have to rig up a fuel pump. That's a lot of trouble. The milkcrate and gas cans works okay.

A 1 or 2 gallon gas can fits perfect in the REAR basket on my scoot pictured in my signature.

[Videonut]

there is an endless amount of ways you could expand your tank.
1. taller (requires moding the seat) cutting into the bottom of the seat making it less padding but it would fit.
2. lower, cut off the petcock and make it go out the pet * cover.
3. bare bones the spree and expand towards the oil tank (incorparate the oil tank into the tank.
4. remove the oil tank and expand that way, and mix your gas and oil.
5 exc.

you get the idea. there are a ton of guys and gals here that are much more creative than me. Just an idea...

[Bear45-70]

A CAUTION!!!!!! When welding on gas tanks, they need to either totally drained and then be allowed to air out a day or two to remove all gas fumes or fill the tank with nitrogen gas before welding. I once knew a guy who welded on a 6 gallon tank he was told was empty and aired out. He didn't bother to check. It wasn't and blew up on him. Luckily for him the seam that split was away from him. But he surely scared the crap out of him self and the other 4 people in the building. Oh and to this day, 20 some years later, ALL gas tank get filled with nitrogen before welded by him.

[eliteguy50]

If you are worried about running out of gas, just do what one guy on here(dont remember who) said, fill a cheap hip flask with gasoline, maybe paint it red to comply with DOT regs.

I've done that before (not sure if I am the original poster though). Forget the DOT regs, just paint it red so the cops don't hassle you everytime you ride to the football game. Got the idea from my trail 110 that had an oem spare gas can looking like a canteen.

If you do cut the gas tank open, wash really well and rinse well. Also, never use a vacuum for cleaning a gas tank, only use an air compressor to blow it out.

If you were to thoroughly rinse out a gas tank, would it be possible to take a blow torch around the sides, open it, clean it out thoroughly and weld it back together? Are there components in there that couldn't take the heat?

certainly possible, that is how we used to make large capacity tanks and some guys do it just for the look on choppers. I don't remember how the aero tanks is mounted but I assume it is rolled like all the other tanks so you might need to account for that when you cut and weld...

[Lunytune]

The way you guys are going, you will have soon developed a Personal Explosive Device like the terrorists use. All you need is a fuse.

[Kenny_McCormic]

If you are worried about running out of gas, just do what one guy on here(dont remember who) said, fill a cheap hip flask with gasoline, maybe paint it red to comply with DOT regs.

I've done that before (not sure if I am the original poster though). Forget the DOT regs, just paint it red so the cops don't hassle you everytime you ride to the football game. Got the idea from my trail 110 that had an oem spare gas can looking like a canteen.

If the cop doesn't believe you, ask him to taste it!

[LocoParaHonda]

I never even thought about expanding the gas tank during this welding job. That would be freagin amazing if I could do that without it being visible from the outside! That's my one complaint about my baby is that I have to refill so often. Though I still haven't optimized it for better fuel consumption in the other possible areas.

That's next on the list. It's in "phase 2" right now. Before phase 1 it had been sitting in a yard for two years and could barely stay running longer than 3 minutes and was not at all street legal.

Expanding the fuel tank would take some serious moding though. I'll have to examine the plastics and see where there might be empty space for expansion. In my head it seems like the most space would be around the front area. As long as the petcock could be repositioned to always be at the lowest funnel point it would work.

Food for thought!
This aspect hadn't even entered my mind, but now the possibilities are spinning in my noggin!

That's what this website will do to you...

Followup question on this: How does the fuel gauge read how much fuel you have in your tank? If you expanded the size of the tank, would there still be a way to make the gauge accurate?

[Wheelman-111]

Greetings:

LPH axes:

Followup question on this: How does the fuel gauge read how much fuel you have in your tank? If you expanded the size of the tank, would there still be a way to make the gauge accurate?

- emphasis added.
If you find a way to make the gauge "accurate", let everyone know. Both of my scooters approach the Red Zone when there's quite a lot of fuel left.

It's just a float bobbing on the surface. As long as the float nears the top when it's full and the bottom when the tank's empty, it'll give a reading. None of them are particularly reliable, because the fuel level/volume remaining ratio isn't linear, while the rheostatic sender is.

[LocoParaHonda]

If you find a way to make the gauge "accurate", let everyone know. Both of my scooters approach the Red Zone when there's quite a lot of fuel left.

It's just a float bobbing on the surface. As long as the float nears the top when it's full and the bottom when the tank's empty, it'll give a reading. None of them are particularly reliable, because the fuel level/volume remaining ratio isn't linear, while the rheostatic sender is.

Mine seems fairly accurate. True it still has a good bit more gas when the needle reaches the red. I gauge it as close to empty after the needle goes a little past E. (please no one test this on your own model unless you have a gas can on back)

Is this float made of metal?
This could be one of those things that might not survive a welding job.