4 Litre Tank Supplier Wanted

I got in touch with Duane today and ordered my tank. I decided to opt for a 3 litre tank from him that probably won't leak rather than a 4 litre one from pistonbikes.com that probably will.
$71 AUD delivered.
Thanks for the tip, fetor56.
... Steve
 
I got in touch with Duane today and ordered my tank. I decided to opt for a 3 litre tank from him that probably won't leak rather than a 4 litre one from pistonbikes.com that probably will.
$71 AUD delivered.
Thanks for the tip, fetor56.
... Steve
AU$71 :eek:....is that correct,cos the tank itself is AU$22?........freight AU$49?.
If that's correct & u want other stuff better order now.
 
Yep.
From his email:-
So.. Total would be 43 + 19.99 = $62.99usd....... Thanks. Sincerely. Duane.
$62.99USD = $70.63AUD
I don't need any other parts at the moment, just got all the spares that I need from ZBox and Rock Solid Engines. Not to worry. At least I won't run out of fuel as easily in future.
... Steve
 
Update on Pistonbikes tank situation

I emailed Robert at Pb on Sunday afternoon, and at about 6:30 that evening, he called me at home to see what we could work out.

I told him that I expected a solid tank and would like for him to ship me another one. He wanted the leaky tank back first, but was unsure if he had a UPS account number that I could use so they would pay return freight and he also said that they were out of tanks right now but they would send me a replacement when they got new ones in.

He mentioned that they suggest "all tanks be sealed before use" and thought that a sealing kit would cost about $12. Since they don't suggest that on the website or in the literature that comes with the tank, I proposed that he send mea sealing kit. "We can't ship chemicals" was the reply.

As we left it, he is going to check and see if they have a return shipping number, and he also said he would check and see if they could give me a merchandise credit against the cost of sealing kit I purchased locally.

All of my dealings have been cordial, and it really seems they want to help and they promised to email me with some further information this afternoon.

Once I hear from them, I'll post an update in the vendor reviews and let you know how well they did.

I love the way the big tanks look on my bikes---I hope I can work it out.
 
Poor follow through in customer service from Piston Bikes

Ok, so to recap:

my 4l tank from Piston Bike was promptly delivered

two days later (after first use) sprung a leak--within website stated 7 day refund period

I sent an email to the company that Sunday afternoon and Richard called me Sunday night to see what the problem was.

I suggested that they send me a replacement and the response was that the 4l tank was "out of stock" but if I sent my leaky tank back they would either give me credit or replace it when new stock came in (didn't know when that would be and didn't think he had a UPS or other account that I could use so they could pay shipping.)

I asked him to send me a sealing kit so I could fix it myself since that is how he said they would fix it and his response was that he couldn't ship chemicals.

I asked him to give me a credit for the cost of a sealing kit (which he estimated at $12---$60 is the local cost) and he said that he would check and email me back on Monday with answers to both of my questions (would he pay shipping OR the cost of a sealing kit?)

Now it's Tuesday and no word from Piston Bikes.

I've already spent more than $40 worth of my time dealing with this.

Anyone know of a source for a tank sealing kit for under $60?
 
I just did a web search and couldn't find cheaper.
Again perhaps the local panel-beater could braze it up for you. (That would be less than $60.)
I'm glad that I went with the 3-litre tank from Dax. (Assuming it doesn't leak)
Perhaps you could mention to Richard from pistonbikes.com that this thread exists and that people are watching to see the outcome?
... Steve
 
You can get a one part sealer for about $17.00, but your still going to need to clean the tank really well and etch the metal in which case if you want to do it yourself you need the full kit which is about $50-$60 check eBay (search tank sealer) and Eastwood.com. Or check your local radiator shops, most good shops seal gas tanks and something that size should be pretty cheap, mine is only going to be $20.
 
tank sealing/patching/welding

I went over to the local custom bike shop next to my office and asked about repairs. Their advice was that all of the sealer products are just that---sealers designed to keep the inside of the tank clean and rust free. While the sealant would run down into any cracks or voids, they felt that it would be too brittle to provide a lasting solution.

The bikers suggested cleaning and welding another bead around the leaky stud----$60-80!

I googled up epoxy gas tank patches and found advice on the Car Guys site regarding epoxy. Per Tom and Ray, expoxy is great, sticky, sturdy stuff. Its drawback is brittleness when cured. The solution is to provide some sort of matrix (like the cloth used with epoxys in boat building.) These guys say clean all of the rust and paint off, remove the liquid gasoline from the damaged area and go to it with epoxy and a bit of polyesther cloth or screening like for auto body repair. If the epoxy achieves a good bond with the metal, it will become as strong as the metal and outlast the rest of the tank.

That's what I'm going to try.

I also plan on some rubber washers in the mounting to try and reduce stressful vibration of the tank/stud joint.
 
The 3L tank arrived today. It looks much better than the stock one in quality.
Better paint job, no rust on screws, the petcock fitting looks to be welded better and it points more downwards, rather than outwards like the stock one.
The cap even fits more tightly.
It's about an inch deeper and also wider.
I'm happy so far. I hope it doesn't leak.

Quick delivery too - 8 days from the US to Australia.

... Steve
 
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Finally fitting the 3L tank today. Another pleasant surprise - the studs are 6mm, not 5mm like my 2L tank. And the nuts are extra-deep, the same as my stock exhaust nuts.
I doubled up on the brackets after straightening the original set. Shouldn't bend as much while tightening.
(Should have seen the c r a p (censored again, was ****) in the stock petcock filter of the original tank, even after a good flush when fitting! Glad I used an inline filter.)
The 3L tank looks more than 1L larger, to the point where I'm wondering how much the stock 2L tank really holds, filled to the brim.
I'll have to measure both of mine sometime.

Forgot to say, it's not a bad idea to line the contact areas of the tank and brackets with tape, if not using rubber.

... Steve
 
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