Should I pressure test?I

[gearhead231]

I just ordered a brand new tank for my Harley. Its bare metal. I also bought the KREEM tank liner kit. Is a pressure test still necessary if I have the tank sealer?

 

[Tim]

PUT THE KREEM ON THE GROUND AND BACK AWAY WITH YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR

Seriously - DON'T USE KREEM. It's horrible, useless CRAP.

You don't use a tank liner to seal pinholes - that's what welders are for. To protect the tank from rust, there are many MUCH better products than KREEM.

POR15 springs to mind and is a fave of many (me included). But KREEM is just pure unadulterated SHIT.

 

[2_DONE_THE_TON]

Lining the tank means to keep the steel from rusting (acid treatment then resin).

Pressure test is IMHO a test to see if there are any leaks.

If the tank leaks no liner will help....

 

[xb33bsa]

warning will robinson !! ;D never PRESSURE test a tank with compressed air, too easy to distort the tank or much worse
all you need to do is put the fuel line off the tap to your own lips and blo, soap water bubls to find any leaks

 

[Drey6]

warning will robinson !! ;D never PRESSURE test a tank with compressed air, too easy to distort the tank or much worse
all you need to do is put the fuel line off the tap to your own lips and blo, soap water bubls to find any leaks

Nice tip for the future.

 

[gearhead231]

Yeah I thought it was kind of silly that they required the tank liner for the warranty. Most tanks are bare inside.

XB33BSA - do you usually just spray the outside with soapy water? Thats what I do for leaking tires.

 

[TheCoffeeGuy]

New tank needs a pressure test? Send it back. Any reputable manufacturer has done that already. A new tank should be paint and ride ready. If the INSIDE needs sealing, send it back. Again, you buy a brand new tank, it should be paint and ride ready.

 

[gearhead231]

J&P suggests doing it to all new tanks. I didnt order it painted because I might do a custom job later on.

 

[xb33bsa]

TEST IT, why wouldn't you ? ,it really is very easy to do ,as i described
sure they should have done it at the mfg...but people make mistakes......
you will feel like an idiot if it starts leaking a few days after putting all the time and money in a paint job
test it cold and hot,put it through a heat cycle or two,just leave it in the sun or infront of a heater, get the metal moving and test it warm

 

[gijoe13844]

You can use air to pressure test it. Just don't go over 3 to 4 psi. We pressure test 12000 hand welded tanks per year and actual asme specs for any tank that can use fuel intection calls for it to hold .4 bar I think. Tough thing is finding a gauge that will accurately read that low. Grainger has a few but they are pricey. Like BSA said you can just some soapy water though it may not reveal pinholes very easily.

What tank did you buy?

 

[gijoe13844]

If you must coat it i like redkote. Have used it for years and doesn't have the same issues as Kreme.

 

[gearhead231]

OK, my buddy said he took his tank to a radiator shop to have it tested. He cant remember how much it was. The only reason I "wanted" to line the tank is because the website said I had to in order to qualify for the warranty. Im inclined to say screw it and no line it at all. Its a brand new tank. So now I just want to make sure that when I paint it, it wont leak or anything.

 

[gijoe13844]

OK, my buddy said he took his tank to a radiator shop to have it tested. He cant remember how much it was. The only reason I "wanted" to line the tank is because the website said I had to in order to qualify for the warranty. Im inclined to say screw it and no line it at all. Its a brand new tank. So now I just want to make sure that when I paint it, it wont leak or anything.

Is it hand welded all around or is it factory seam welded?

 

[Drey6]

Maybe because people buy parts and don't put gas in it because the project stalls or they give up so then it rusts.

So maybe an aftermarket parts company that sells to a market of people who give up and want their money back for some surface rust because it sat in their garage for a year before you get back too it and are sick of that happening. Now introducing a policy to coat the tank.

 

[Drey6]

If you think it's fine and are going to use is relatively soon, know you aren't going to call him in 7 months of shelf life rust, then don't coat it. It will be getting used and will have gas in it. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[gearhead231]

The tank looks like it was factory welded... take a look...




So I had an idea, I have an extra can of compressed air. If I seal off the tank, and blow air in using that can, will that be enough to indicate good pressure? Or is that a dumb idea?

 

[xb33bsa]

YES DUMB you don't want pressure, unless you can regulate it ,which you cannot without the right shit..
am i talking to a wall ? fucking do it the way i described it is a perfectly good way to do it , GIT ER DONE

 

[gijoe13844]

Yeah without proper gear do it the way BSA said.

 

[xb33bsa]

a safe way with air pressure is to clamp a short cut section of motorcycle or bicycle innetrtube to the outlet and introduce air into the tube into the tank the section/piece of innertube works as a pressure regulator as it blows up like a balloon
hahahahaah i had forgotten about this old method but it is 100% foolproof ;D

 

[Mikerodrig27]

Wow, this is getting too complicated for what he is trying to do. I'd just blow into the damn thing with some soapy water and call it a day. The average human can blow 1.5-2 PSI. Good enough in my book.

By can compressed air do you mean one of those computer duster cans? I'd probably just do that if you can rig it up that way you can look at the tank for bubbles more carefully.