Gas tank doin a mambo

[Jones]

Hello all.
Gotta problem, did a search and found a few short discussions. Can someone give me some direction on this.
2008 Ridge. Heard a god awful vibration from the gas tank …started at 2K and went on from the higher the rev the louder the vibration. The posts I read regarding a noise, or rattle from the gas tank led me to take the tank off and check the rubber mountings….they are all good. I also read about a tube in all big dog gas tanks that is only used on California models. The tube is plugged at the rear of the tank on non Cali models…and so it is. A post I read states that you can use JB Weld on the pipe when it comes loose. Where and how do you do that? Drained the tank and shook it …nothing, no sound. Stuck my finger in the filler and sure as chit. Here is a metal tube pressing on the tank top (inside naturally). The tube feels like it is under tension with a spring. I can push it down away from the tank top and it returns to the original position with pretty good force. The top of the tube is just that , looks like it was cut with a tubing cutter. Is there supposed to be some type of fitting on the end of the tube? I don’t think the tube should terminate like that. Yet there is nothing that fell off in the bottom of the tank. I managed to slide the tube over and up the filler neck and it protrudes up about 1.25 inches. The tube goes down and makes a radius bend and goes to the rear of the tank, to the plugged bung. Id like to rip the damn thing out but its mounted pretty strong. Or just bend it down..cant get the leverage to do that. Any one have this problem before?? What did ya’ll do??

Thanks all Regards Juice

 

[KaptinAmerika]

The easiest quick fix is to use a screw and screw down into the tube to secure it to the gas bung again. However, at some point in time, later, the bottom is likely to break loose also. When that happens you will need to remove the tank, drain it, remove the paint saver, hang it upside down, remove the screw, and pull the tube out of the tank. Use plenty of blue tape on the paint so you don't damage it during all this.
If you want to fix it now then you will have to do all of the above as well as remove the plug at the bottom of the tank and very carefully drill out the tube thourgh the bung. Of course you need to be careful and not damage the threads in the bung. As you pull the tube out you will have to bend a little each pull to get it out.

 

[Jones]

Herr Kapitan

Deffinative remedy. I could not ask for better advise then that.

I have a question for you....how was the tube conneted to the bung originally? It didnt come up through the single drain hole did it?

Thanks again Kap. Juice

 

[PaulHart]

I have the same issue. If you take the gas cap off and look down the filler neck I can see about a 1/4 inch hole at the back of the filler neck. No tube at all. It must be down in the tank. I have 350 miles on the bike. 2009 Mastiff I bought in April. OKC Thunder Cycles telling me they wantto pull the tank and ship to BDM. Supposed to be 2 days total up and back. I'm a little bit scared to let them have my tank and ship it off. I'll probably wait until winter and pull it myself. While I'm under there I can water proof "elec grease and heat shrink" some wiring. Let us know what you find out.

 

[KaptinAmerika]

BD had the tube brazed or welded flush to the gas bung. It did not stick up through the hole.

Deffinative remedy. I could not ask for better advise then that.

I have a question for you....how was the tube conneted to the bung originally? It didnt come up through the single drain hole did it?

Thanks again Kap. Juice

 

[KaptinAmerika]

I have the same issue. If you take the gas cap off and look down the filler neck I can see about a 1/4 inch hole at the back of the filler neck. No tube at all. It must be down in the tank. I have 350 miles on the bike. 2009 Mastiff I bought in April. OKC Thunder Cycles telling me they wantto pull the tank and ship to BDM. Supposed to be 2 days total up and back. I'm a little bit scared to let them have my tank and ship it off. I'll probably wait until winter and pull it myself. While I'm under there I can water proof "elec grease and heat shrink" some wiring. Let us know what you find out.

I wouldn't send it back. I pulled mine in about an hour. Made my own paint saver remover with a large bolt and nut. While I was at it I followed advice from Ed the painter and applied JP weld to the paint around the top edge of the bung where the paint stops to prevent the fuel fumes from creeping under the paint and causing a bubble.
If you do send it back thoroughly tape up the paint and protect it before you send it. Obviously they would fix the paint if they damaged it but why take the chance.

 

[Raywood]

I have pictures of how mine was done in a seperate thead here already. I used a sheet metal screw that MARV recommended to me. But it didn't last long and I finally cut that tube out when I modified my tank.

 

[PaulHart]

Yep that's it Raywood. I have a hole there and no tube. Pretty damn embarrassing rattle from a bike I paid so much for. I want to waterproof those elec connections while I'm under there also. Guess I'll search for that thread next. Thanks for the pics.

 

[Jones]

Here is what I did...worked perfectly

Follow up on repairing the gas tank rattle. I did the job using Kaptain Americas guidelines. I will go into particulars here . This should save you some time. I have the tank removed already. I ordered the “lock key” for JP cycle to remove the paint saver. I did not want to wait a week for it to get delivered so I started the project.
I could not get out all off the gas so I used a “dip stick oil pump” that I use on my boat to remove the remaining gas from the tank. Next you need to get out any residual fumes from the tank. Simple way is to fill and flush with water. I didn’t want water in my tank. I used compressed air and exchanged the air in the tank a dozen times. When I could not smell gas I was comfortable to drill. Next pull the plug from the rear of the tank. When you look inside you will see the end of the tubing attached to the bung via a fitting. Use a 9/64 drill bit. . Wrap duct tape around the bit shank leaving ¾” exposed. This will help you to not damage the female threads in the bung. If you screw the threads up you will more then likely need to repaint the tank after the new bung is welded in. The bit will self center. The bit will “bite and twist the tank… hold tight and make sure the tank is stable (ill get to that). You will hear the tube break free. What I did to secure the tank for drilling…I wrapped the tank in a clean blanket and then I wrapped a packing quilt around that. I placed the tank on its side and just shimmed it up where needed to tilt the bung towards the floor a bit in order to let gravity pull the shavings out of the tank instead of into the tank. Would have been easier to drill straight down and hold the tank between my legs. Then all the shavings would go in the tank. If you screw up the threads try using a “bottoming tap” to chase the threads. Now I’m ready to get the tubing out. It will be a bit easier with the paint saver out. I had time so I decided to try to get her out. Use thin long needle nose pliers and a 12” section of coat hanger to work the end of the tube to the filler neck. This is difficult. The curve 3-4 inches from the end makes it hard to get the end “up” roll the tubing one way hold with the needle nose and roll it again. I got stuck rolling towards me and then I rolled the other way and the end popped up for me to grab. You can pull out about 3 inches. Now this tubing…is super tough stainless steel might be Manel stainless. You will need lineman pliers or channel locks. Bend the tube and pull out more…you get about 1” more with each bend. Did this three times then I had to break the pipe because the end was going to hit the tank with the radius I was putting in with the bending. If you bend the pipe back and forth 2-3 times it will break. I had to break twice. After that, 2 more “bend and pulls” got the tube out. I’m sure if you remove the paint saver it would be easier. Took a pen magnet and put it in the bung and pulled out a few more shavings. Put a pint of gas in the tank, shook the tank as it drained thru the bung to keep any shavings in suspension. Then I put another pint in shook it well and sucked it out with my oil pump…gas was clean.
Installed the plug in the bung with a gas/oil rated pipe dope (don’t use locktite)
Installed the tank, not one scratch, I’m happy.
Hope this helps when you gotta tackle this job. I was surprised that the tubing was not bent to fit perfectly from the drain bung to the tank filler neck attachment point. When the tack weld broke at the filler neck the end of the tube was 4 inches away from the tack point. I tried to bend it back to the original position before I drilled out the other end. I could not get it to that point (and I’m strong) The tubing was under a lot of tension as it sat “tacked on” to the filler neck. It’s no wonder it broke off. If the tubing lined up and was tack welded with no forced tension the weld probably would have held…..Im getting long winded…anyway Hope this helps….Anyone has any questions just reply on this thread or PM me.

Regards to all JUICE

 

[Raywood]

Great write up Juice :2thumbs:

 

[PaulHart]

Thanks for the info Juice.