Old School Gas Tank Tuning

by | Apr 28, 2015 | Bike Preparation | 0 comments

This is based on the age old method for expanding gas tanks with hot water that I used in the 80s, but this new application worked so well I am sharing it with others. My Safari tank was so wide I wanted to help it out, and I saw that there was a 1″ gap between the radiator and the side tank shrouds. So I used the old hot water trick and filled the empty tank with boiling water, but only after wrapping a tie down around the seat tongue and the front of the tank. I also installed cardboard between the radiator and the tank so that it could not press against the radiator bolts while hot and soft nor touch it after cooling off.Image
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Then I added a pair of sweats under my jeans and got on the bike and squeezed the hot tank with my knees while sitting in rider position, and my partner kept the tie-down wrap snugged up. I continued to press on the sides of the tank with my knees while we drained out the hot water. Then I let it all cool off with tie down holding the side tanks against the radiator cardboard. After it cooled off and i released the tie down. I had .25 inches between the tank and radiator, and I had a tank that was a full 2.0 inches more narrow where I touch it while riding and very little fuel capacity lost since it was mostly redirecting the side tanks.

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I will coat all sharp edges of the radiator with shoe-goe just in case it rubs during bike vibrations/jarring. Very nice, free upgrade, old school style.

Get More Gas In Your Tank

For those more new to this hack, one can expand the capacity of their plastic gas tank by:

  1. Empty gas tank after you have measured capacity. Close petcock.
  2. Put a shrader valve into you gas cap vent tube. (saw off the long stem from an old tube and squeeze it in the vent tube)
  3. Pour enough boiling hot water into tank to fill it. Install gas cap.
  4. Now let it expand with the hot water, adding slight air pressure to the tank as desired thru the schrader valve. Don’t get too carried away as you will thin the tank wall or make it  uncomfortable to ride.
  5. Drain all water out using petcock and tipping bike. Remove tank and turn over if needed.
  6. Refill the tank to measure new capacity. Repeat as desired.

 

 

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