Fuel Tank Repair/Flush

[sully]

Hey, I'm new to this forum on contemplating purchasing a 1970 Bonneville. It looks to be in near showroom condition however the seller said that he hasn't run it in some time and that the tank would need to be drained and flushed because the debris from inside the tank. Is this a small or big problem. What will it take to fix this? Thanks.

[brough]

Assuming there is no serious rust, it's a minor job. Drain fuel, remove tank, put a handful of small nuts & bolts in it with some water and give it a really thorough shake, drain and refill and if the water comes out clean after a second shake, let it dry and install.

You will need to check and possibly clean the petcocks and fuel lines, and also check the carb float bowls.

There are probably other ways to do this, but that's what we used to do in the trade.

[sully]

Thanks for the info. That helps! If I wanted to really fix the inside of the tank by coating it somehow, what would that job entail? If I don't coat the tank how long is it safe to let the tank sit between runs before I should flush again.

[brough]

If the rust is advanced, use a sealant like Kream (or Kreem). Usually, this will last for a very long time if the instructions are closely followed and the rust was not to the point where pinholes were evident.

Otherwise, simply flushing the tank of old fuel and sediment every few years is more than sufficient for a bike which is not much used.

[sully]

Thanks very much for the advice!! Much appreciated.

[ducaticrow1]

not a problem but check carb and clean out oily residue if tank is rusted flowliner is best