prep for painting a plastic tank

[falloutboy]

Over the last few days, I've been looking in to what it takes to paint a plastic gas tank and to get it to last. For lining the inside I have narrowed it down to either the Caswell epoxy gas tank sealer or the blue lightning fuel tank liner. It sounds like the key to getting this stuff to work is to rough up the inside of the tank as much as possible.

I read one write up where the guy put a handful of drywall screws in his tank, wrapped it in blankets for padding and put it in the dryer on tumble for half an hour.

What I'm trying to determine, is media blasting an option for prepping the inside of the tank for a liner? Which media would be best. I have access to a sandblaster but that almost seems a little bit too aggressive.

This is for the Tecate BTW. My neighbor, who is an experienced auto body painter, offered to help me get the tank looking up to par with the rest of the build.

As she sits now:

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg443/scaled.php?server=443&filename=img2718f.jpg&res=landing

[dougspcs]

I'm sorry but why do you need to liner a plastic tank?!

[Big Mike]

with plastic tanks, especially Tecate tanks, they have a tendency to allow gas fumes to seep through the plastic. that's why you have to have perforated decals for plastic tanks otherwise they just fall off in time due to the fumes deteriorating the adhesive.

[dougspcs]

with plastic tanks, especially Tecate tanks, they have a tendency to allow gas fumes to seep through the plastic. that's why you have to have perforated decals for plastic tanks otherwise they just fall off in time due to the fumes deteriorating the adhesive.

Thanks for clearing that up..make sense.

[code-blue]

I wish I knew about sealing the inside of the tank when I painted my old XR250R tank. It blistered up bad, and looked worse than when I started.

[just ben]

I have lined 4 tanks with good results except for one. as far as prep work I washed the tank out with dish soap and water then let the tank dry a few days before lining it. The one that failed I washed out with alcohol. I was talking to the guy with the chameleon tecate at trike fest. He said he did not line his tank.
He said he roughed up the tank with 80 grit until it was "furry" then put 8or 9 coats of dupont valuecoat on the tank. after it cured he sanded it smooth then put the color on. He did it just over a year ago and it still looks great

[Blown 331]

Did Clarke ever come through with reproducing that tank?

[350Xccelerator]

what about a tank cover?

[curtis slawson]

when i clean a rusty metal tank i use bb pellets and shake the trailprotrailprotrailprotrailpro outta of it works good

[fabiodriven]

9 times outta 10 paint+plastic=mess.

[Blown 331]

9 times outta 10 paint+plastic=mess.

Best post yet.

[ebaccm26]

With plastic gas tanks arent you better of doing the whole sanding process than painting it?

[Dirtcrasher]

Yes, plastic painting doesn't seem to stick.

I have seen many machines with holes in the decals and they seem to stay on there.

IDK who it was, but they had an outside plastic cover for the tank and it looked very nice......

[falloutboy]

Thanks for all the replies, guys. I still don't feel like my original question was answered. Yes tank covers are an option, and I'd love to have a new Clarke tank when they come out, put as far as prepping the INSIDE of the tank to promote adhesion of a liner material, to get a GOOD paint job to last as long as possible. What is a good way to rough it up? Is media blasting plastic going to cause any major headaches? Or has anyone ever tried this? Thanks.

[atc007]

I have not. however,,I would try the screws in the dryer thing for a FEW minutes,and monitor your progress. If your blasters small,,maybe hit a few corners the screws don't get too? Carefully! There is absolutely NO doubt,,PREPPED right. Paint is going to stick. You are correct here with your plan. Rough it up for tooth,coat it and use an automotive paint,,you will be fine. The entire key to ANY tank coating is prep. The failures are almost Always,,they got in a hurry. With a plastic tank,you have no chance of flash rusting,,so make sure it's baked DRY !! Sun,or otherwise. I look forward to seeing this shine!

[fabiodriven]

It won't last, it never does. Unless you paint it and toss it on a shelf to look at. Someone always chimes in and shows their beautifully painted plastic fenders and tanks or what have you, but they're always pics of the completed project just after completion. Funny how you never see pics after they've actually ridden the machine.

Paint+plastic=mess.

[atc007]

I have lined 4 tanks with good results except for one. as far as prep work I washed the tank out with dish soap and water then let the tank dry a few days before lining it. The one that failed I washed out with alcohol. I was talking to the guy with the chameleon tecate at trike fest. He said he did not line his tank.
He said he roughed up the tank with 80 grit until it was "furry" then put 8or 9 coats of dupont valuecoat on the tank. after it cured he sanded it smooth then put the color on. He did it just over a year ago and it still looks great

We've all seen the messes Fabio,,but I believe it can and HAS been done : )

[Blown 331]

It won't last, it never does. Unless you paint it and toss it on a shelf to look at. Someone always chimes in and shows their beautifully painted plastic fenders and tanks or what have you, but they're always pics of the completed project just after completion. Funny how you never see pics after they've actually ridden the machine.

Paint+plastic=mess.

Maybe I'm wrong but I agree with this.
If you paint a tank now I think it will look worse in 5 years than if you just leave it alone.

[atc007]

Guess I'm just an optimist. the technology is there,,no reason it can't be done.. Maybe Ben has pics of his 3 successes?

[yaegerb]

My two cents....I think you can get away with blasting the inside of the tank and IMO it will be more efficient. First choice would be soda, but if you don't have access to a soda blaster use 130 grit glass bead. I have blasted plastic with glass bead before and as long as your pressure is low it works just fine. Also, I would not paint the outside of the tank. Send Mr. Clean or Fire1 a PM and they can tell you the proper way to hand sand a tank and it will come out looking 10 times better than paint.

Good luck!

[atc007]

He has a 2nd gen Tecate... ^^^

[just ben]

Guess I'm just an optimist. the technology is there,,no reason it can't be done.. Maybe Ben has pics of his 3 successes? I have had success lining 3 tanks only 3 of the 4 were ever painted. One I don't own anymore but I seen it last saterday and it still looks great. another I painted was only used for a short time then put on the shelf,and the last one I painted is the one the liner failed and the tank now looks like a toads back,it was fine until I left the bike outside for a couple days and by the end of trikefest was horrible.

[fire1]

I should have my caswell epoxy tank kit here today . I need a white tank and want much more dept and shine than what the Clarke white tank I have now offers. So I'm going to epoxy line the inside and epoxy prime the outside and paint a stock 250r tank I figure I have nothing to loose if it doesn't work out I'll just put the Clarke back on.