Refreshing patinated XS 750 Tank

Hey guys!

Since I got my XS750 working properly-ish,I would like to refresh the existing paint scheme.

First I thought just polishing the existing clear would do,but then I saw how low the coverage on the decals are so I guess I need to lay on a few layers of 2K clear.

How would you guys go about cleaning and prepping the tank,especially around the fuel opening on top there is bad grime....

Dont want to clear over this...

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go with 1000 grit then 1500 grit wet sanding, then it should be good for a few fresh layers of 2k clear

Try a degreaser with a toothbrush to get in the nooks and crannies of the tank. Also some solvents such as acetone are very good at removing that type of gunk and should not harm the existing finish (try in an inconspicuous location, first).

Thanks guys for the input!

I´ll probably try a brass brush dremel piece on really low speed on the hard to get to spots around the tank bung and some scotch brite with acetone (gonna try on an unsuspiciois spot first!).

The tank has slight surface rust spots, maybe I will make a slight derust on it.Normally I use phosporc acid which seems to be excess on that type of rust.
How would you guys go about derusting the inside without destroying the stock paint?

Found this in my wisdom word document:

Mobius : "Minor rust in a tank is crazy over rated. If it is so bad it gets loose, it is easy to mechanically scrub away. I do not use any sort of fuel filters past the screens in most petcocks (unless there aren't any) and have never had an issue. (45 years of riding in widely various territories - daily for much of that time). Bad gas is another story, but the screens in most oem petcock will be all you need in my experience. My money says if your tank is generally sound, the above abrasive scrub with gravel will END any further issues."

cheers!

In my experience, varnish that peels is a way higher concern than interior flash rust. If your tank is clean (free of varnish/old gas) you can try the old chain shake with phosphoric acid. Or even better, and correspondingly more expensive, do the old evapo-rust treatment. That won't harm the exterior finish, and may even be safe enough to spot treat those areas by the filler cap. You could even try the electrolysis method, but when I did it left a plating of soda ash in the bottom of my tank. Pretty annoying.

I would like to try the chain method.
Phosporic is pretty harsh on the paint,which I'm trying to preserve.
Since I'm based in Austria,we have no evaporust :-(
Any alternatives like citric acid?
I could try electrolysis,but IIRC its not that effective....

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phosphorous works very well and very cheap

regular white vinegar will do it, it just takes a little longer. Fill the tank to the top, let it sit 3-4 days then pour out the vinegar and rinse it well with baking soda and water to neutralize the acid. Then dry with a hair dryer and fill with gas or spray a little wd-40 in to prevent rust until you can put gas in.

Cheers

Maritime

Maritime said:

regular white vinegar will do it, it just takes a little longer. Fill the tank to the top, let it sit 3-4 days then pour out the vinegar and rinse it well with baking soda and water to neutralize the acid. Then dry with a hair dryer and fill with gas or spray a little wd-40 in to prevent rust until you can put gas in.

Cheers

Maritime

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Thanks maritime!
Just checked, which percentage of acid (found one with 10per cent) of white vinegar would you use?

Thanks!

Not sure, I just go buy the 4L jugs at the grocery store. I can check the label on the jug I have at home tonight and see if it says the concentration on it.

Maritime said:

Not sure, I just go buy the 4L jugs at the grocery store. I can check the label on the jug I have at home tonight and see if it says the concentration on it.

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Thanks man!

Just got the fresh petcocks from MikeXS and probably gonna sand the tank with 1000grit then respray with 2K clear...in between I would like to use the vinegar!

Cheers!

Vinegar is just mild acetic acid, any concentration will do, the higher the faster it will work.

So guys...the XS is finally MOT'd and now I can spend time on the paint.
How would you guys treat paint chips on the tank?
There are a few spots were rust spots are showing...
Should I just leave them alone and 2K over them or sand and respray?

Thanks

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Little bit of diesel and some metal bb's in the tank and shake it up really good. That should clear anything from the i aide of the tank

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Ryan Stecken said:

So guys...the XS is finally MOT'd and now I can spend time on the paint.
How would you guys treat paint chips on the tank?
There are a few spots were rust spots are showing...
Should I just leave them alone and 2K over them or sand and respray?

Thanks

Gesendet von meinem SM-A310F mit Tapatalk

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Unless you know exactly what kind of clear is already on there you run a risk of having compatibility issues. If it was me I'd do a light color sand, buff it, and call it a day.

doc_rot said:

Unless you know exactly what kind of clear is already on there you run a risk of having compatibility issues. If it was me I'd do a light color sand, buff it, and call it a day.

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Never had any issues combining 2K paint with any other paint,the only issue i´m having right now is that there are minor rust points on the outside of the tank and clearing over them could be an issue..