Clarke plastics quality??

[dcreel]

Just got our white 84-85 Tecate tank in the mail yesterday from Clarke. I was excited as was the wife. It looked awesome until we unwrapped it. The wife worked at a small plastic place here in Kansas that made lawnmower gas tanks, they wouldn't have shipped this POS. There are voids (holes, craters) in 6 or 7 different places all over the tank. The edges look like somebody's kid took a pocket knife to the edges of the tank. There are spots on the underside of the tank where they melted plastic balls on the underside to fill holes you will see arrows on the pics.

There are 2 spots on the underside of the tank that look to be paper thin and you can see light through them from the inside of the tank.

This has got me sick, this is what's wrong with the world. If somebody at a business of mine let this piece of poo get shipped to someone who paid $240 for it.. they would be looking for a new job.

On to the pics..

Here are the paper thin spots (circled) from the underside of the tank. The arrows are pointing to the melted plastics to cover thin spots.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/028-1.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/025-1.jpg

Same 2 spots from inside of the tank, see the light?? Clarke apparently doesn't.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/027-1.jpg

These are pics of just random holes and gouges all over the tank. Who's 9 year old kid made this tank???

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/024-1.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/023-1.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/022-1.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/021-1.jpg

This is what the underside of the tank near the front of the tank. Is that tape?? Again, WTF?!

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/026-1.jpg

Unhappy would be putting it mildly.. :mad:

The first one of these I saw looked bad. Someone else on the site said they got one that looked good. I was hoping they would do better than this. As long as Clarke has been around, I figured they got to where they are for selling good products not this trash.

[aldochina]

sorry about that experiance, hopefully they will make it right!! I agree100% that thing should have been thrown in the scrap pile for a re melt!! Now you gotta dick around with shipping it back and all that. Good luck, and keep us posted.

[trikes4life]

Wow i have never seen a clarke Tank like this. I have always been greatly satisfied with there tanks. This one must of some how slipped by quality control. For sure keep us up dated.

[D-dub]

Thats fricken unbelievable!!

[Jeepermc]

Mine has alot of the same defects although to a much lesser extent than Dougs. I'm gonna attempt to run mine. It's not perfect though... MIne even has a spot (smaller) right above the petcock like Doug's. Apparently I got the good one.....:rolleyes:

[cr480r]

thats completely unacceptable... I can understand a few imperfections, but that spot above the petcock and the daylight spots is a definate deal breaker. Not many things worse than having the excitement of recieving a package quickly turn sour. What a let down. I've had some poor buying experiences lately as well... Aparently Clarke quality control isnt any better than durablue..

[Mosh]

Maybe if you calmly call them and explain that it needs some refinement and you would like a different one?

I have talked to some of them guys in person and they seem really polite.

I agree it does need some work, to say the least. From the looks of it, I would guess that water droplets got in the mold, causing the voids that you have in the finish.
If they ran a few hundred of them, they may use water to clean the molds and did not let them dry enough before the next one was blown. Either way let them know before they blow out another few hundred that end up that way.

[SonicTronics]

Yeah the holes definitely seem like moisture. We do injection molding where I work, and you have to make sure it's perfectly dry. Judging by the fact that others have had the same issues as you to a lesser extent, I would tend to believe that yours was one of the first ones shot in the day, before everything was heated properly and thoroughly. The fact that others have the same problems though suggests not enough nozzle pressure because of the incomplete filling, along with possibly a mold itself that needs reworking based on the thin areas allowing daylight in. I cannot believe they would allow that to pass, especially at that price.

[beets442]

+1 not enough heat. Too much mold release spray can cause thin spots. They should replace it for you.

[dcreel]

E-mail sent to Clarke. We will see what they do about it. I told them I would like another white tank, but if they can't send me one in better shape than the one they sent me.. I want my money back. I have a feeling this is going to be a long drawn out mess.

[Dirtcrasher]

If you bought it direct from Clarke, it should have been a "blem". I too would call them and offer to send pics. Although they are kind enough to still make ATC and other plastics, I'm certain they want a happy customer.

If you bought it elsewhere, you got a blem and it is what it is and IDK if Clarke would be so understanding as they sell blems cheap (rather then scraping/melting them) and it wasn't purchased direct from them. It sounds like you bought it direct though...........

[dcreel]

Yeah, I bought it direct from Clarke because I thought I would get a better product than if I bought it from one of the sellers on Ebay who sell them for about $20 cheapers. lol.. I replied to my order confirmation e-mail from Clarke, and added the pics I took.

I thought about asking them to refund me $100 and I'll take it as a blem, but those 2 thin spots on the bottom of the tank worry me as to whether it would leak or not. They sell factory 2nd's (blems) on their site.

[trikes4life]

SonicTronics is right, i have also worked for injection mold company. Its diffidently a moisture issue. maybe first piece, QC should of scrapped it though.

[dcreel]

Well, I got an answer to my e-mail...

"Doug

Please return the tank for a refund..This is just what they look like.
On the outside of the box please write:

Send to us at the address on the invoice

Clarke mfg co."

Apparently they all look like sh!t...

[ironchop]

that must be a new thing...both my older Clarke tanks look great and had no issues like yours....I call BS or either they got REAL sloppy with the injection molding process as of late and either way, ain`t worth what you paid for it.

glad to hear you get a refund but unhappy they seem so apathetic about their own product

[bcredneck]

email a link to this thead my 350x tank is shot im going to get a wide open tank now thought clark made good stuff

[dcreel]

My receipt says I have to pay to return this tank and then they are going to hit me with a 20% restocking fee. If I return the tank to have another shipped to me, I get to pay to have it shipped both ways.

Clarke has definitely got me over the barrel now.

I want a white tank.. It looks great sitting on the frame.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/005-22.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/002-24.jpg

The issue is am I willing to burn an expensive Tecate to the ground for one?

Clarke seems to be of no help whatsoever.. It's sad really. I expected much, much more from them...

[fabiodriven]

That is really sad Doug. I am very surprised at this. Can you call them and talk to somebody there?

[ironchop]

My receipt says I have to pay to return this tank and then they are going to hit me with a 20% restocking fee. If I return the tank to have another shipped to me, I get to pay to have it shipped both ways.

Clarke has definitely got me over the barrel now.

Clarke seems to be of no help whatsoever.. It's sad really. I expected much, much more from them...


Well...after they treated you like this, I can say I won`t EVER buy a Clarke tank again

[ironchop]

Did you send pics with the email, Dcreel?

I am just blown away at the fact they think that is acceptable quality.

I would never be comfortable running that swiss-cheesed POS always wondering when the leak will spring and light me up like an Xmas tree on three wheels

[hang&rattle]

It's a defective product Doug. You'd better stand on this. What they sent was dangerous. Maybe the CSPS would like to see this deadly product? They sent you an illegal container to hold gas. Clarke had better do the shipping and full refund. And hopefully the members that have also been screwed by Clarke will get on board. This isn't someone selling a faulty decal or wrong brake pad. The tank MUST have the integrity to safely contain and protect gas from human harm and combustion. Put it on and let it hurt someone or the machine, then retire, you'll be a rich man, because someone WILL get hurt eventually and sue. Be the 1st to either get rich or make them do whats right.

[dcreel]

Yes, the e-mail I sent was as a reply to my original e-mail receipt from them. I also included all the pictures that are in this thread. I sent them another e-mail to see if I can return this one for another white tank. When the frame is powdercoated pink, that tank is going to bring it all together. I can settle for a DC plastics cover.. but I don't want to. Not on this build. But it seems that we may have to... sucks.

[atctim]

All I can say is don't bite the hand that feeds you - who else makes this product? NO ONE!!!!!

If you don't like there products - don;t buy them. I feel bad for dcreel - but some of you guys like hang and rattle are going way overboard here!

[200XMichigan]

Just a thought but what about talking to the plastic place your wife works at. Maybe if they new the demand was there they could make a better product. Might be worth looking into. I looked into a Clark tank for my 250ES and everyone talked about them leaking around the gas cap and not fitting on the mounts properly. It sucks to know the only option for a new product is far inferior to the old stuff.

[ametzker]

Clarke is here in Oregon and I have ordered their tanks before. They use to be great with the quality control but in the last 5-8 Years that has disappeared. This one should have been pulled and thrown to the side. Evidently they have no quality control anymore. The last tank I bought was for an Elsinore and it was the wrong color and had all these similar spots that yours has. Someone needs to crack the whip over there.

[Jeepermc]

All I can say is don't bite the hand that feeds you - who else makes this product? NO ONE!!!!!

If you don't like there products - don;t buy them. I feel bad for dcreel - but some of you guys like hang and rattle are going way overboard here!

In some respects I agree.....but....as Hang&Rattle stated this is a vessel for carrying fuel....It sits right above a spark plug... It could very easily have deadly results. I bought a tank too just to support the guys that are making them, but mine has alot of the same problems as Doug's but to a lesser extent. My opinion is that Doug should at the very least get a far better tank out of the deal at no cost to him. The fact that he can see daylight through pinholes in the bottom is downright dangerous and should not be there...period.

[dcreel]

Here is some more of our e-mail conversation..

From me:

>>> Here is my issue. I need a white tank and you guys are the only people
>>> who make one. I can handle the outside of the tank looking bad. Can you
>>> guys replace this tank with a white one that doesn't have the 2
>>> extremely thin spots on the bottom? I would love to have a white tank
>>> for a pink/white build we are doing for my wife. If the 2 thin spots on
>>> the bottom of the tank didn't present a safety issue I would use it.
>>>
>>> I would like to return this tank to you for another white tank, please.
>>>
>>> Thanks for any help you can offer,
>>>
>>> Doug Creel

From Clarke:

Doug
>>
>> The tooling has been repaired there with a large piece of metal riveted
>> all the way around. When we roto mold these tanks this transfers the
>> repair and all the flaws with it to the part.. ( i.e air bubbles and some
>> thin spots )
>> I could send you another one but it would look identical.. (or worse)
>>
>> Let me know
>>
>> Chris

From me:

Chris,
> If the tooling has been fixed can't you run another one that will come out
> of the mold in better shape?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Doug

From Clarke:

That was the fix..

This is how they will all look from now on.

Chris

[200XMichigan]

We should send Clarke a mass of customer suggestions....I just sent this....

"I am wondering why it seems the quality of some of the fuel tanks has gone down and there are air bubbles and thin spots in them. I was going to purchase a fuel tank for my Tecate but after I saw the fuel tank (DCreel) received I am going to have to search elsewhere. There is a lot of customer demand for your products but if you send someone an inferior product you should at least pick up the shipping and try to send out a better fuel tank. Lot of people have gotten good tanks from your company but when I see someone gets a terrible tank and it is left unresolved it does not make for good business. I have a few three wheelers all of which would benefit from a quality plastic tank, but it appears that is not what your company supplies any longer. When I received a damaged product from MotionPro, they made it right at no cost to the customer. That is simply good business."

I don't actual own a Tecate but I was going to get a tank for my 250ES. I am not going to any longer. I put your actual name in the letter so maybe it would bring some attention and they'll try to make it right. You sent me the 200X parts last winter, thanks again for that. Hope something works out with the fuel tank. Looks like its going to be an awesome build once you're done.

[ametzker]

After seeing this thread , I had to send a message in regards to this post. I let them know that people in general were unhappy with the way this guy was treated We appreciate they have filled a small niche to provide these tanks but really safety first and they should be bending over backwards to help this guy out. With as sue happy as people are these days it would be very easy to have put that on the bike and waited for your bike to catch fire, and then sue. I hope most of us are better than that but as a former motorcycle shop owner, I know this is not always the case. Just my opinion.

[rdlsz24]

So what did they repair in the tooling if the tanks are worse quality than they were before?

Seems kinda silly to me. Well we fixed the tooling for the tanks, and this will help us put out a worse product :rolleyes:

Rob

[ametzker]

Wow 200xMichigan I see I wasn't the only one with this idea. Someone at CLarke is getting is getting the message that we aren't happy.

[Jeepermc]

From Clarke:

Doug
>>
>> The tooling has been repaired there with a large piece of metal riveted
>> all the way around. When we roto mold these tanks this transfers the
>> repair and all the flaws with it to the part.. ( i.e air bubbles and some
>> thin spots )
>> I could send you another one but it would look identical.. (or worse)
>>
>> Let me know
>>
>> Chris



That's the story I got on why mine was taking so long... I ordered it and then someone damaged the mold...Mine was a few weeks late.. I held off on buying figuring to give them some time to workj out the bugs and get a flawless new tank...so much for that plan... lame.

[Jeepermc]

So what did they repair in the tooling if the tanks are worse quality than they were before?

Seems kinda silly to me. Well we fixed the tooling for the tanks, and this will help us put out a worse product :rolleyes:

Rob

As I understand it the mold was damaged somehow and they needed to repair it. The "fix" wasn't done to up quality, it was to repair a broken mold....

[rdlsz24]

That makes more sense I guess

Rob

[cr480r]

If that tank is the best they can do, I don't know why they even bother.. I have seen many companys do this after establishing a reputable name. It's sad that someone had to waste hard earned money to discover this. It is ridiculous to pay a restocking fee on a product that should not be restocked. Is there any way your credit card can provide a refund? Clarke should not be able to profit from such a crappy product.

[hang&rattle]

All I can say is don't bite the hand that feeds you - who else makes this product? NO ONE!!!!!

If you don't like there products - don;t buy them. I feel bad for dcreel - but some of you guys like hang and rattle are going way overboard here!
You're a great builder atctim and know your stuff, but out of respect for friends of mine that just got screwed, your kinda wrong bud. This is dangerous and it happened to folk I like. Not biting any hand, they do not supply gas tanks to the Tecate crowd, this is obvious. I.E.: if you were the only modern trike builder and just built unsafe & crappy trikes and told people: "that's what you get", eventually your out customers, and eventually someone's gonna get revenge (justice?). Whether by suing or other methods.
They shouldn't be able to get away with selling dangerous and bad product, as all the testimonies have said. Do an advanced search, people have been hurt from these tanks and they have ruined builds. Stock tanks are just fine to skin if this is the only product available. The Clarke tank is no where near the quality of product I'd put on any of mine or my childrens nice and safe 3-wheelers.

[jeswinehart]

Hey, i know a fella that built one of those roto-mold contraptions ~ LOL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0lwRtneOSU
Like I mentioned to Doug in a pm that if he gets "stuck" with that one I sure would like to experiment with it. I have a pretty good hunch I can do it up right.
BUT, I can not express (okay I could but I would get time off for swearing) how stunned I am at their customer support !
I am gonna need a black fuel tank for my upcoming T-3 build so I reckon I better figure out how to fix em.
C'mon Decreel, all it is gonna cost you is shipping it to me, I want to try it man. please !!!
Maybe I should just build them a GOOD mold.

[fabiodriven]

Hey, i know a fella that built one of those roto-mold contraptions ~ LOL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0lwRtneOSU
Like I mentioned to Doug in a pm that if he gets "stuck" with that one I sure would like to experiment with it. I have a pretty good hunch I can do it up right.
BUT, I can not express (okay I could but I would get time off for swearing) how stunned I am at their customer support !
I am gonna need a black fuel tank for my upcoming T-3 build so I reckon I better figure out how to fix em.
C'mon Decreel, all it is gonna cost you is shipping it to me, I want to try it man. please !!!
Maybe I should just build them a GOOD mold.

John I've got about 10 84-85 tanks if you want one.

[dcreel]

John,
I'm pretty sure we are going to keep it. I want this Tecate of Kendra's to look the cat's meow if you know what I mean. I think this tank is going to help do that. We are going to check with some fuel to see if it is "fuel tight". It should be as the receipt says they pressure test everything that leaves their building. I can deal with the ugliness of it. Every person that goes "Nice Tecate, ooh that tank is fugly" is going to get an earful about Clarke's abilities and their total lack of customer service. I'd hate to send this back to them for $20-30 shipping charges and then eat $40 for their restocking fee.. I'll send you a pm about the tank.

I can tell you I will never ever send Clarke another penny of my money ever again. Good luck to those of you who do. I'd hate for you John to spend the $210 for a black tank only to have to spend money on making it usable. My mind is just blown by this whole chapter in this build. I guess since they are the only company who makes a Tecate tank it's okay to sell sh!t..

[jeswinehart]

Please water test it first. If it leaks it will be a whole lot easier for me to dry in out then remove the gas residue that would need to be out of the tank before I could use my resins.
I am gonna call my supplier of the newer product I am using to see if it has had fuel test done on it.
They had done glycol testing but of course I did not ask about any other liquid testing.

[Tecate Karl]

So John when you going to start making every part for the tecate your almost there already.

[ironchop]

As I understand it the mold was damaged somehow and they needed to repair it. The "fix" wasn't done to up quality, it was to repair a broken mold....

you ain`t lyin......we make molds and dies at work as well....we can turn around some highly complicated molds the size of a utility shed in 48hr turnaround.

Nobody I know of round here fixes a mold with rivets and plates anymore....that`s a hack job done by a shop trying to save money rather than make quality parts...and that won`t keep you in business very long when you can`t make a 285$ tank that doesn`t look like that POS DCreel got in the mail...if it were a $59 dollar tank from Taiwan, I would understand...but at what they get for those, the tanks outta be bolt-on no worries out of the box and cosmetically nice not riddled with holes and light shining thru.

Doesn`t bother me that they are the only ones making them...I would rather have nothing than be out almost 3 hun for a pos. jmho.

[cr480r]

if it were a $59 dollar tank from Taiwan, I would understand...but at what they get for those, the tanks outta be bolt-on no worries out of the box and cosmetically nice not riddled with holes and light shining thru.

Doesn`t bother me that they are the only ones making them...I would rather have nothing than be out almost 3 hun for a pos. jmho.

well put...

[SonicTronics]

Would it be possible to use a ceramic tank sealant like those used in old metal tanks (for street bikes at least) to fill in over top of the holes? I know that the metal tanks you use an etching "formula" beforehand so the ceramic will stick so not sure if you can pull that off with the plastic but just an idea. Only other option I can think of would be slicing her in half and finding a local plastic welder. Then slap some kind of resin inside of it and weld her back up. Awful lot of work, but like you said, you need the tank they gave you.

I don't see why their repair would cause air bubbles like they said. Even a half-A repair wouldn't cause thin spots and bubbles and the like all over the tank. They might be using an even cheaper, low quality plastic that isn't dried properly and they can't figure it out, but but a whole load of it so the tanks look like that. Anyone buy a Clarke tank recently that is for a different ride that's just as bad?

On a side note if you are going to buy something in black be sure to ask if the black is virgin material dyed black. A lot of plastics suppliers will try to push off a blend of "leftovers" of all different colors as black by adding a TON of dye to it to cover up any remnants of color. It is cheaper for them but quality suffers greatly. In all honesty, the more pure the plastic the better it will be.

One last thing... is the repaired part of the mold the part shown in your last picture? I have never repaired a mold nor had one repaired, all of our molds are still in good shape, and I know we wouldn't get one repaired anything like that. My boss has us sand the edges of our one product down by hand on it's way out because the mold doesn't seal properly in a few spots and theres the slightest bit of flash on them.

[SonicTronics]

Went out for a ride today and at the gas station filling up I noticed that my cap said CLARKE on it. Any markings on the tank itself I could look for. This is an older unit but if it was made by Clarke, it is from back when they made quality stuff. Just an observation...
To the OP, what did you ultimately decide to do? I guess you haven't gotten any further with the people from Clarke.

[dcreel]

I guess we are going to keep it. We'll try to plastic weld some on the bottom to seal it better to make sure those thin spots won't leak.

[Dirtcrasher]

My Clarke tanks (250SX,350X) have no flaws; But an IMS blows them away.

I cannot believe they treated you the way they did. Old trike molds, I bet they could care less.............

[Yamaha_Rules69]

Another option that is commonly overlooked is a tank skin - a plastic piece that goes over the original tank. I bought one from DC plastics a while back, it is white. It was considered a BLEM, as it wasnt trimmed quite right on the bottom front, and you can still see a little of my green tank, if your croutched down, and fairly close. I think non blem ones of these sell for around $50, but I think I paid around $15 for this one, and am happy with the purchase, especially for that price. Here is a pic:

[dcreel]

I have a green DC Plastics tank cover. The build we are doing on the wifes is above a tank cover. Not to offend anyone... I want to give it the look a tank cover can't. The tank cover is for my bike. :D

[NINJA]

All I can say is WOW! That is the most ludicrous customer service I've ever seen. The way things in this country are going for smaller businesses they should be bending over backward to make this right, not just shrugging their shoulders. Who do they think they are, General Motors and Chrysler? Good luck staying in business much longer, when you make crap like that and just say "oh well" to the customer. It's really sad the way business in this country is headed.

[Thorpe]

I gotta say that is some crappy looking aftermarket plastic. I would LOVE to see what John -jeswinehart- could do with one of these tanks though!

[Dirtcrasher]

A tank cover won't prevent the leaks and plastic welding may ruin it......

Mine is from 1998 on the SX and has "CLARKE" molded right in the front, behind the steering neck.

[ironchop]

how to repair it is irrelevant.....a $280 gas tank should LOOK and FUNCTION like a $280 gas tank and not need repairing or covering.

DC or anyone else how can you tell how old a Clarke is?

mine is like DC`s in that it`s got Clarke molded in one side but in funky letters and a cartoonish horsehead molded on the other side...and this tank is THICK...had the old style cast aluminum petcock and I replaced it with a new billet Clarke petcock a couple years ago.

if they are roto-molding these like someone said, they obviously aren`t throwing enough melted plastic into the mold...I`m with Ninja....I can`t believe they act like they couldn`t care less about your $280

...and Ninja....thanks....your avatar now has that song running thru my head..."I`m soooooo rone-ry, sooo rone-ry"....hilarious movie

[350Kris]

Does anyone have an IMS tank? What is the quality difference from Clarke?

[Dirtcrasher]

how to repair it is irrelevant.....a $280 gas tank should LOOK and FUNCTION like a $280 gas tank and not need repairing or covering.

DC or anyone else how can you tell how old a Clarke is?

mine is like DC`s in that it`s got Clarke molded in one side but in funky letters and a cartoonish horsehead molded on the other side...and this tank is THICK...had the old style cast aluminum petcock and I replaced it with a new billet Clarke petcock a couple years ago.

if they are roto-molding these like someone said, they obviously aren`t throwing enough melted plastic into the mold...I`m with Ninja....I can`t believe they act like they couldn`t care less about your $280

...and Ninja....thanks....your avatar now has that song running thru my head..."I`m soooooo rone-ry, sooo rone-ry"....hilarious movie

No horse on mine but came with the billet petcock. I know it was 1998 because I built my house then and got the SX that year.......

[eyecekold1]

Glad you posted up your experience Doug. Hate to see you throw away money but, because of you others of us don't have to. I guess I'll just paint my existing tanks.

[dcreel]

While we are on the subject of customer service. I just bought a pair of Gorilla Biscuits special edition Vans shoes. I have been wearing Vans since I started walking so around 38 years or so. :-) Anyways they say they have a no hassle return policy. When I got the box from Vans with my shoes and my Sex Pistols t-shirt in it, I was amazed to see a UPS return label complete with a tracking number to return anything or everything no questions asked.

Needless to say Clarke could learn something from Vans shoes. Who have been selling shoes since 1966. They also have custom shoes that you design on their website.

Here is a pic of the return label that was in the box with the paperwork to return them.

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/010-11.jpg

And here is some pics of new super duper awesome shoes..

http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/009-12.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/008-14.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/007-16.jpg
http://i176.photobucket.com/albums/w182/dcreel/006-16.jpg

Big thumbs up to Vans for putting their experience and shoes where their money is. I'll be buying more because of it.

[RideRed250R]

I would call, speak to a person, work the chain of command, just because ONE guy is being a ass doesnt mean the whole company is, have your invoice number and call, if you want, ILL EVEN call, Clarke has always bent over backwards for me. tell them you will send it back and wait till they get the mold straightend out. Also for all you guys saying "no one uses rivets/wood or steel anymore, that hasnt been around since the 90'S!" these molds were made in the THE MID 80's. and our trikes make less and less sales every year.. I am not backing what clarke responded with. But I could understand a mistake every now and then but it needs to be fixed.

[dcreel]

I would call, speak to a person, work the chain of command, just because ONE guy is being a ass doesnt mean the whole company is, have your invoice number and call, if you want, ILL EVEN call, Clarke has always bent over backwards for me. tell them you will send it back and wait till they get the mold straightend out. Also for all you guys saying "no one uses rivets/wood or steel anymore, that hasnt been around since the 90'S!" these molds were made in the THE MID 80's. and our trikes make less and less sales every year.. I am not backing what clarke responded with. But I could understand a mistake every now and then but it needs to be fixed.

I'm pretty sure these molds were made last year or late the year before. I can't see paying to ship this turd back, and probably to ship another to me on my dime. If you want to call them do so. All I've really got to say about Clarke, their business, and their Tecate tanks is F**K 'EM..

Send them the link to this thread, I could honestly care less...

[cr480r]

I'm sure they have lost a few customers from this thread... which is only fair and what they deserve.. I know I will never buy anything new from them....

[ironchop]

tell them you will send it back and wait till they get the mold straightend out. Also for all you guys saying "no one uses rivets/wood or steel anymore, that hasnt been around since the 90'S!" these molds were made in the THE MID 80's. .

Wrong....I have two Clarkes...early models....they have molded logos and the name and the labels differ entirely from these later models....I also make molds as part of my job which is managing a manufacturing plant...these are different molds...I don`t blow smoke up holes...I speak from experience

old mold new mold....doesn`t matter anyway....the fact remains there are thin spots in his tank...that comes from a lack of plastic flow and volume...NOT a mold issue, an operator issue and a quality control issue yes, mold issue no...they tried to tell him the new molds made the tanks look like his and thats a load of BS...bad job performance and nonexistent quality control made Doug`s tank look like a chinese copy

tape stuck to the plastic is not a mold issue....see above

plastic not having a smooth and uniformly (melted) even plastic is not a mold issue...see above the above

Telling the customer "so what...deal with it" is not a mold issue...its not an operator issue...its not a quality control issue...It`s bad business practice due to bad management issue....can`t blame bad ethic on THE MID 80`S equipment

that`s three strikes for me....you can wave their flag all you want...the way I look at it is doesn`t even really matter if they had treated Doug better....they shoulda never let tanks looking like that leave the plant to begin with..

[Mosh]

I have one of their tanks on my 86 TRX R and ATC 70.I have seen their atc 250R tanks and 350x tanks.
I don't think think any of those models have quality issues.

If they are not willing to work with the buyer, than that is not right , and I will not deny that.

I guess, if anyone needs a tank for your trike that you know will be good or has been good, you better get it now.
I wonder how much longer they will make em now?

[OZQUAD44]

I can understand restocking fee for wrong colour, wrong tank selection, damage in transit, or a change of mind on your behalf. But not for a manufacturing fault, which this clearly is.

They supplied you with a faulty product, It has defects in the tank surface and you cannot use it for fear of leaks and or a rupture. Demand a refund, not a restocking fee.

Send an email to someone else higher in the food chain at Clarke requesting a refund. I cannot believe that you are considering keeping something, that is potentially worthless the first time a drop of fuel goes into it.

How can they charge a restocking fee for something they can't restock? They should refund you the money less a restocking fee and you restock it for them. (I:E. put it in a bin)

Even if you took a hit over a restocking fee it is far less an evil than paying that much for a tank that you can't use.

The inclusions in the surface of the tank would be enough for me to send it back, lets not even consider the potential risk of leaks as a result of lack of plastic.

[bigbee67]

Anyone know what a mold would cost? With a mold in hand, we could go almost anywhere to get them made.

[George_Doucette]

Thanks for posting dcreel! I feel bad that you had to find this out at a big expense. I was going to buy a Clarke for my 250r, Seeing masking tape seriously made me weak. This is a good example of bad quality control and customer service. Defending your name with a product like this would be hard, what would your excuse be for these flaws? Then after hearing some fancy or not so fancy reasons why. I would have to ask, "then why the h*** was it sent to me after paying over 200 dollars". But then the joke would actually be on you because they would just tell you thats how they look and if they send another it might look worse. Take those pictures and thread as a warning!

[hang&rattle]

Some one on here that worked in a plastic type field I think said the mold was around $15,000.00. I know nothing about it, but I guess there is a lot going into it. However, I watched a documentary on how Ancient India, and how they would carv wax wrap it in mud, dry, melt out the wax, and pour in bronz to make erotic statues, so would this work?, lol, it'd be cheaper, lol.

[Meat-BoX]

Send in the pics and a write up to the ATV mags. Put some pressure on them. Im sure the tanks wont be around long anyway by the effort they seem to be putting into them. I just cant believe a company like them would act like that. I guess its because they dont sell alot of the Tecate Tanks maybe. But 1 or 100 they should care what their product looks like and if its safe or not. Maybe get in touch with someone there higher up and show them the pics and response you got. I want to buy one but I dont have money so a purchase like that to me is huge. If it was junk I would be very upset. Now im not sure what to do.

[bigbee67]

hang&rattle, from what I know about it, the big dies for injection are $15000 and up. Stamping dies are also prohibitively expensive. I wanted to make two to reproduce disk & chain guards that would not be distinguishable from new, and $15000 minimum was what I was quoted.

I think roto molds are much less. I found this info on a website about roto molds.

Q. How much does it cost?
A. Fabricated mold cost as little as $1,500 and up. Cast or milled molds are several thousand dollars and up. The customer usually pays the mold cost up front and retains ownership of the mold. The cost of molding individual parts depends on size, complexity and the number ordered. Molding a twenty pound part would typically range from $35 to $70. An eighty-pound part might range from $150 to $300.

http://www.dixiepolydrum.com/custommolding.html

[SonicTronics]

Where I work we don't have any rotomolds, but am I to assume that they work by adding plastic into a cavity and simply spinning it enough that the centripetal force holding the plastic in combined with the plastics naturally wanting to go outwards is how you get the "hollow" effect?

[bigbee67]

I got this from a potential source. Not encouraging.



The likelihood they would be willing to take on a project like this right now is pretty slim. Our company is inundated with several other projects currently. Just as a reference though, the terms for outside projects typically look something like this:



-Mold charge - $8,000 - $10,000 (can vary)

-An agreement to purchase at least 100 fuel tanks at a determined price (anywhere from $145.00 - $207.00, typically)

[perrycyn]

I bought a Clarke tank for my trx250r and the fit was terrible. The tank would not fit at all. In order for it to fit I would have had to alter all the mounts slightly. It seem to me that Clarke has awful quality controll and still ships them out the door. I sent my tank back and bought a oem off Ebay. I will never buy another tank from Clarke.

[Tecate250]

This is just terrible. I have a 1985 tecate that desperatly needs something done to the tank. When dc first came into the scene i thought a tank skin would be great. Then clarke said they were getting on this. After seeing this thread Im 100% not waisteing my cash on trash.

[hadar]

Yeah, that's a crying shame. I was wanting to get one or two of them but now I just can't see it. Dc skin is good enough.

[250x]

Crap, I just purchased 3 atc 110 tanks from Clarke. I emailed about this issue. I am waiting to hear back. Anyone have a metal, usable 110 tank from '82?

[dcreel]

Crap, I just purchased 3 atc 110 tanks from Clarke. I emailed about this issue. I am waiting to hear back. Anyone have a metal, usable 110 tank from '82?

Did you send them a link? :naughty: :lol:

[250x]

no but i probably should have. I don't care for second guessed quality, and will be returning all 3 tanks. Integrity is utmost important for me, air cooled and for my 6yr old son, I cannot chance the integrity of the tank not one little bit.

[dcreel]

no but i probably should have. I don't care for second guessed quality, and will be returning all 3 tanks. Integrity is utmost important for me, air cooled and for my 6yr old son, I cannot chance the integrity of the tank not one little bit.

Not to stand up for them or anything but I am pretty sure that their old tanks were made when they cared about quality. Before they started making them in Mexico. :lol:

[250rAL]

I work in a blow molding plant. If these tanks were blow molded, which I'm sure the OEM tanks were, they would look perfect. I know how the rotomold process works but have no experience with it. I do know that you can have really inferior poly and I think that is the problem here. Poly has gotten expensive and I think they're probably trying to save some money. Don't ask if my company could make the tanks. We make parts for other companies which then sell the parts. I know we could make a perfect product but the cost would be very high. Our molds cost in the 25-30K range and the cutomer pays for them.

[CRAZY70MAN]

Add another one time unhappy buyer to Clarke. My 350x tank took godzilla strength to get on and rear holes are nowhere close to stock mount?? Had to re drill and redrill shrouds as well. Sad for 180.00 dollars ...very sad...last time for me. In order for the rear mounts to thread in....the rubber mounts sat all the way at the front edge of the tank?????? Ready to just pop out. Have to fab a plate for the other side it is so far off, had to use freakin' heavy zip ties on it for now. Dissapointment for sure.. http://i388.photobucket.com/albums/oo321/andyatc70/th_P1040015.jpg (http://s388.photobucket.com/albums/oo321/andyatc70/?action=view&current=P1040015.jpg)