Honda ATC 185s

[StinkerBean]

Can this crack be repaired somehow or just zip tie it nicely? Well bare with me while I try to post the pic.

[StinkerBean]

Here is the crack.

[Footy]

Some guys are pretty good at plastic welding. I am not. MRC Builds is a Youtube channel that has a great video on how to plastic weld. Check it out.

[StinkerBean]

I cleaned out the fuel tank using apple cider vinegar by letting it sit for a couple of days. Then used some distilled water and baking soda. Rinsed it out very well and used some compressed air to help dry out. It looked really clean inside. Let it sit out in the sun for about a hour and then looked inside of it and saw some rust in there. I can wipe it with my fingers if I reach in there. Any advice on how to correct this?

[AaronW863]

I cleaned out the fuel tank using apple cider vinegar by letting it sit for a couple of days. Then used some distilled water and baking soda. Rinsed it out very well and used some compressed air to help dry out. It looked really clean inside. Let it sit out in the sun for about a hour and then looked inside of it and saw some rust in there. I can wipe it with my fingers if I reach in there. Any advice on how to correct this?

No expert but I would use something more potent like muratic acid

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

[shortline10]

Flush it again with the cider and rinse it out with a mix of oil / gas and then let it dry in the sun . The oil mixed gas should help with the flash rust .
All my steel tank machines are stored with a little 2 cycle oil mixed , it will definitely help with today’s horrible fuels .

[StinkerBean]

Flush it again with the cider and rinse it out with a mix of oil / gas and then let it dry in the sun . The oil mixed gas should help with the flash rust .
All my steel tank machines are stored with a little 2 cycle oil mixed , it will definitely help with today’s horrible fuels .

After flushing it with cider again due I need to use the distilled water with baking soda or just go straight to the mix of oil/gas?

[shortline10]

The baking soda is supposed to deactivate the cider , the gas oil mix will do the same .
I probably do 10 tanks a year and this is the best method that has worked for me .
Keep the tanks full of fuel , helps prevent rust in the future .

[StinkerBean]

The baking soda is supposed to deactivate the cider , the gas oil mix will do the same .
I probably do 10 tanks a year and this is the best method that has worked for me .
Keep the tanks full of fuel , helps prevent rust in the future .

Thanks, will give this a try.

[StinkerBean]

The fuel tank has some surface rust on it. Should I have it painted?

[Jim mac]

maybe try some buffing compound on the tank. jim

[StinkerBean]

Thanks fellas. Gave it a quick wash while waiting on a couple of parts to arrive. First pic is after I got it off the truck and blew it off with my blower. Second is after it's bath.

[StinkerBean]

The bottom of the fuel tank has a leak. Looks like they tried patching it at some point and not sure what was used. I knocked a little off to verify the leak. Any advice on how I can repair it?

[Footy]

That looks like Marine tex. I would find a plastic tank if it were mine.

[ATC King]

Those fenders look plenty sturdy enough for a good plastic weld. I don't suggest even considering the tie method on fenders that look that good, it'll just make them look bad and make it more time consuming for a proper weld repair later.


I'd repaint that tank. The rust I see is more like pitting and that needs stopped. As for metal tank leak repair, brazing the holes shut and lining the tank with something like Red Kote is the best method. Short of brazing, stripping all the old epoxy off, redoing it, then lining the tank is next best. Red Kote is a single stage coating that needs a lot of time to cure, there are others that are two part epoxy type and cure by chemical reaction. There are a few good tank liner products out there. One to stay away from is Kreem.

I'm a long time Red Kote user and I've never had a failure. It is a bit tedious to do it right though which means a good bit of babysitting so it doesn't pool in the corners while first treating it and multiple coats are a really good practice. Hours of work and a week or so of curing is what it'll take to do it right. I've repaired some horrific looking tanks with it and years later it's still holding.


One last thing...if you plan on actually riding it and in muddy conditions, I suggest removing the rear fender mud flaps. All they'll do is collect mud, which will increase the weight on the fenders and make them more susceptible to cracking. Even if not ridding in muddy conditions, that extra weight flopping around is still hard on the fenders. Remove them, clean all the parts, and put them away in an organized fashion for when you may sell it or simply don't ride it anymore and want it more OEM in appearance.

The front ones I leave on to keep crud off the engine. A mud-covered air-cooled engine is not happy.