Clarke Tank Problem - Need Advice

[FourtyCaliber]

OK. So, I started messing with my 1980 ATC110 again, finally. I had to buy a Clarke tank (model 1370) for it because the metal tank was shot. The fit seems fine.

The problem I have is with the "fuel outlet" on the bottom of the tank. It's not a petcock because my carburetor has the petcock built into the side of it. This fuel outlet is a piece of black plastic with 2 different length "tubes' that are integral with the plastic and stick into the tank different amounts in order to create a reserve capacity from the shorter tube. Actually there are 2 issues.

One issue is the "closeness" of the tubes. When the fuel lines are put onto the tubes, there is absolutely no room for any clamps. Actually, the 2 pieces of fuel line touch each other and I'm worried that this added stress is going to break these thin plastic tubes off.

The other issue is with the flat plate part of this fuel outlet that mounts up against the bottom of the tank. There are 2 holes on either side of the tubes that bolt this outlet to the bottom of the tank. Well, it's not flat. It's concave and is pulled away slightly in the middle where the 2 tubes enter the tank. It's not the tightening of the bolts that is warping the plastic outlet. It's warped even when it isn't mounted. That entire piece of plastic outlet thing is just not the best design.

My questions are what can I do about this? How can I fit the lines on and put clamps on? Is there a replacement outlet possibly made of metal? What can be done if one of those tubes does break off, which seems very likely eventually?

I know that whoever is familiar with these Clarke tanks for the 1980 ATC110 knows everything I described above. I just added all the description for anyone who isn't familiar.

Oh yeah, here's another good one. The bolts that hold that plastic outlook to the bottom of the tank are the kind with the square hole in them, like boat screws. Also, the bolts that hold the rubber mounting band on the tanks are also these same square hole bolts. Why would they use boat type screws on a fuel tank like this?

Thanks for any advice.

[atc007]

Another top Quality part from Clarke.. Wish I could help you...

[fabiodriven]

Leave it to Clarke. God they really suck.

The only idea I could come up with while reading this is to make your own fuel outlet out of metal maybe? By the sounds of it the plastic one isn't going to last all that long.

I would someday like to meet the people at Clarke. I've bitten my tongue for a long time now and I realize that they continue to make trike parts while many other companies have given up. But for cripes sake, are they run by a family of inbreeders or something? Does anyone at the Clarke manufacturing company have a brain in their head or a concern at all for safety or quality? Time after time, day in and day out, there are constantly threads popping up about the crap that leaves that factory and the lack of concern whatsoever on Clarke's part. ARE THE PEOPLE WHO RUN CLARKE RETARDED?! Basically that's what I'm getting at here. I will go on record as having said so.

I am Fabiodriven, and I approve this message.

[FourtyCaliber]

I tried adding some pictures of the outlet, but for some reason I can't go advanced when trying to edit my first post and add the pictures. so I'll just do it here in this post.

Yeah, I did a little searching and found quite a few posts about Clarke tanks and their lack of quality. Honestly, the finish on my tank is pretty nice and it does seem to fit well on the trike. It's just this cheapo crap POS plastic outlet. It's not only defective, it's just a really, really bad design even if the damn thing was flat.

The only thing I can think of is that "maybe" the REAL Honda fuel lines that they use (or used) on their bikes and ATVs are thinner walled. I'm not 100% sure, but I sort of seem to remember it being like that. If that is the case, I'll nab some line up from Honda and hopefully that will at least solve that problem.

As for the other problem, the flatness of the outlet, I suppose I could carefully file each side of the thing until I removed the concaveness. I think making one out of metal might not be all that easy of a prospect. Doable, but a lot of work. I see milling (or carefully grinding) a piece of metal, locating and drilling holes, finding tubes that small to fit into the tank holes, brazing, etc, etc, etc. The tubes would have to be located exactly right, too, so they would locate into the holes in the tank. Same thing for the mounting holes. I'll save that as a last resort. Lots of hours of work, I'm sure. I'm going to check out the Clarke site, too, if they have one, and see or email them about what they might have as a replacement. I'm fairly certain that will end up as a waste of time.

Here's the pictures of the piece of crap. I tried capturing how "unflat" the mounting part is. I think the thing is warped at least 1/16 of an inch. It's enough so that the o-rings can't be sealing effectively because of the reduced pressure on them from the warped plate. And I put gas lines on the tubes for the other pictureto show that there is no room AT ALL for clamps. The only thing I can be a little thankful for is that I didn't pay full list price for the tank. I got a pretty decent deal. Hope it holds gas. :wondering I haven't gotten that far, yet. Thanks for the support and ideas.

150581150582150583

[FourtyCaliber]

Leave it to Clarke. God they really suck.

The only idea I could come up with while reading this is to make your own fuel outlet out of metal maybe? By the sounds of it the plastic one isn't going to last all that long.

I would someday like to meet the people at Clarke. I've bitten my tongue for a long time now and I realize that they continue to make trike parts while many other companies have given up. But for cripes sake, are they run by a family of inbreeders or something? Does anyone at the Clarke manufacturing company have a brain in their head or a concern at all for safety or quality? Time after time, day in and day out, there are constantly threads popping up about the crap that leaves that factory and the lack of concern whatsoever on Clarke's part. ARE THE PEOPLE WHO RUN CLARKE RETARDED?! Basically that's what I'm getting at here. I will go on record as having said so.

I am Fabiodriven, and I approve this message.


What's on all the other Clarke tanks for other model trikes (and even bikes) as far as outlets? I know they're probably not like mine since I have the integral petcock as part of my carb. Do other tanks have petcocks mounted right on the tank? Do they have a normal "bung" on them?

[just ben]

I wouldn't be to concerned with the spacing of the lines just use different fuel lines. All of my machines have the transparent blue fuel line on them and not one has any clamps on it.Ihave never had any leak or come off. As for the other issue I can see that would be a problem. It appears that the new t3 tank they make has a thick rubber gasket for the petcock. It looks like that would work for you. here's a link,post#31 http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/144400-Clark-86-87-Tecate-Tank-in-Production/page3

[fabiodriven]

I think Ben's on to something there...

[FourtyCaliber]

I sent Clarke and email message about the problem. We'll see if I get a return reply. This is the message I sent them.

"Hello. I purchased one of your Model: 11370 fuel tanks for my 1980 ATC110. It's been a while since this is an ongoing repair/restoration project that I work on as I have time. Anyway, I had time to get back on it yesterday. I started messing with the tank and carburetor and wanted to get those pieces back on the ATC.

The first thing I noticed is that the black, plastic fuel "outlet" on the bottom of the tank was mounted using screws with square insets, the type of screws commonly used on boats. Also, the screws that secured the rubber "band" for mounting the tank also had these screws to secure it. I'm curious why you would use this type of screw? I don't have one of those square bit drivers and will have to procure one in order to remove these screws. They certainly aren't common.

The bigger issue I have is with that black, plastic fuel outlet piece that mounts to the bottom of the tank. It has 2 "tubes", one slightly shorter than the other, that extend up into the tank when mounted. On the other side are also 2 "tubes" where the fuel lines attach. On either side of these "tubes" are the 2 mounting holes that secure this "outlet" to the bottom of the tank. I don't call it a "petcock" because it's really not. My petcock is an integral part of my carburetor.

Anyway, the flat part of this "outlet" piece is NOT flat. It is WARPED. Or CONCAVE if you wish. There are 2 small o-rings on the tubes that are supposed to seal into recesses molded into the tank. They won't seal there because this plastic outlet is "pulled away" from that area due to it being not flat. I hope I have made that clear.

Another issue I have with this black, plastic, fuel "outlet" piece is the "tubes" on the other side of it where the fuel lines go. When I put the fuel lines on these "tubes", the fuel lines are touching each other. There is no space for any clamps at all. Actually, because these fuel lines are touching each other, I believe that they are inducing "stress" on these small, thin tubes which will lead to one or both of these tubes breaking off at sometime in the future.

I'd like to know what I can do about this? The o-rings will not seal into the recesses molded into the tank itself, which allows gas to leak out. I can't clamp the lines on, either, because of insufficient space between the lines. It is my "educated" opinion that this is not the greatest design. The holes going into the tank should have been spaced out farther apart, which would have allowed the plastic fuel "outlet" piece to also have tubes that were farther apart, which would have allowed fuel lines to be attached that didn't touch each other and cause added stress to the tubes. As far as the "warping" of the plastic outlet piece, perhaps it should have been made out of some kind of metal. Maybe it just came out of the mold warped. I don't know.

I'd love to send you a picture of the warping of this piece, but this form doesn't allow that. This piece that came with my tank is warped over 1/16 of an inch. Actually, it is closer to .080 of an inch. The warping keeps the o-rings from sealing into the recesses molded into the tank."

[FourtyCaliber]

I wouldn't be to concerned with the spacing of the lines just use different fuel lines. All of my machines have the transparent blue fuel line on them and not one has any clamps on it.Ihave never had any leak or come off. As for the other issue I can see that would be a problem. It appears that the new t3 tank they make has a thick rubber gasket for the petcock. It looks like that would work for you. here's a link,post#31 http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/144400-Clark-86-87-Tecate-Tank-in-Production/page3

I don't know if some kind of gasket would work for me. It seems like I would have to make it myself, though. I just came from the Clarke website where I emailed them about my problem. I also looked around the site. Nowhere did I see where replacement parts for their tanks could be purchased, ie caps, gaskets, outlets, petcocks, whatever. I'd probably still have to use those o-rings to fill the voids of the recesses molded into the tank. It is certainly another option that I will try. Thanks for the idea and the link.

[JasonB]

thats BS man. I have seen alot of posts on them over hte last couple year regarding quality of products they are selling and it sucks to see a company blatantly disregarding concern over customer satisfaction and user safety. I remember being almost heart broken when I got my tank for my 85 250sx back around 2003; at that time the prices were still higher for Clrake tanks and it set me back on a college budget since it was well over 200$ shipped. I thinik I ran it without the rubber grommets on the sides for the tank and even did some bending and shaving of stuff to get the thing to even sit on the bike. On top of that I had to actually put my full weight on it to even make the tank slide over the back bone of the SX to mount it.

SUCK IT FROM THE BACK CLARKE!

[FourtyCaliber]

thats BS man. I have seen alot of posts on them over hte last couple year regarding quality of products they are selling and it sucks to see a company blatantly disregarding concern over customer satisfaction and user safety. I remember being almost heart broken when I got my tank for my 85 250sx back around 2003; at that time the prices were still higher for Clrake tanks and it set me back on a college budget since it was well over 200$ shipped. I thinik I ran it without the rubber grommets on the sides for the tank and even did some bending and shaving of stuff to get the thing to even sit on the bike. On top of that I had to actually put my full weight on it to even make the tank slide over the back bone of the SX to mount it.

SUCK IT FROM THE BACK CLARKE!

That really sucks. It makes my problem seem like small potatoes. I can't complain about the fit and finish of the tank I got. It looks really good and fits as it should. I got a good deal on it, too. I only paid $65 for it. Maybe that's why I got the fuel outlet problem. I'll remedy it one way or another. I'm still waiting on the reply from Clarke for the email I sent them about the problem. I'll post their reply when I get it. I'm wondering what they will say.

[FourtyCaliber]

Got a reply from Clarke to the email I sent them about the outlet fitting problem. This is the message they sent me.

"Anthony

We have sold this tank for 30 years this way.

The square fittings are quite common as they use the same bit as a deck
screw..
If you do not have one they sell them at any hardware store for about 50
cents
( My local ACE has them in a fishbowl on the counter at checkout )

I cannot do anything about the design or your general disagreement of what
"it should be like"
Also why would you need to remove either set of screws? They are/were
premounted in the tank for you.
You described the short and long reserve line so you must have removed it?

If you have not installed the tank with fuel lines how do you know it leaks?
There is room for hose clamps but you must use standard wire pinch ones that
are common on almost all modern motorcycles.

1.) Please check to see if the tank actually leaks from the fitting.
2.) If it is seeping you could tighten the screws further using a square
drive bit.
3.) Did you buy the tank directly from us?

Please let me know

Chris Roley
Tech Support
Clarke mfg co."


Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm?????

This is the reply I sent back to their reply.

"Wow. I don't know what else to say except Wow.

I ONLY mentioned the screws because I thought it ODD, and it IS ODD, that
you would choose to use screws that require a square bit. They are uncommon
screws. Yes, I know about buying bits and I know that bits can be bought to
fit those screws. That's not an issue. It's just strange that for this
application those are the screws that were chosen. This isn't a big deal,
Just mentioned it. That's all.

Moving on to the "outlet fitting". The flat outlet fitting is very warped.
It is concave in such a manner and degree that the center area (where the
tubes enter the holes in the tank and where the o-rings seat into the molded
recesses of the tank) provided no pressure to hold the o-rings into the
recesses. TIGHTENING THE CREWS FURTHER WILL PROVIDE NO REMEDY FOR THIS
SITUATION. The outside part of the outlet fitting is already up against the
bottom of the tank. Yes, I took it off because this was something I noticed
right away, and being an engineer, realized would be a problem. As a matter
of fact, I posted my concerns in the 3WheelerWorldForums and the 8 or so
people who chimed in all agreed that this IS a problem. Many also commented
on their experiences with Clarke tanks in the past.

You ask why I would remove either set of screws. The 2 screws that hold the
mounting band HAVE TO BE REMOVED in order to secure the mounting band to the
frame. The 2 that hold the outlet fitting I chose to remove to see what was
going on with it. When I removed the outlet fitting, it was/is clear that
the piece is not flat. It is warped. It is concave. It has a bend in it.
However you want to decribe it. The center part is pulled away from the
bottom of the tank. The center part is where the tubes are. There are
o-rings on the tubes. Because the center part is pulled away, the o-rings
are NOT held up into the recesses molded into the tank. The space is so
great that I could slide the o-rings up and down in the space from the piece
being warped.

I bought the tank from a vendor. It is a brand new tank and has never had
gas in it. Still has the stickers on it. Not a scrach in it. This is not a
cosmetic issue. This is a safety issue. Gas leaking onto a hot motor is a
safety issue. It's a lot of money for one of these tanks plus the shipping
cost and then to have these issues.

Yes, I know what wire pinch clamps are. Still, it could have been thought
through a little bit better, IMO, to allow for other clamp types be they
spring or small hose. Those little wire pinch clamps are not easily found
and have to be purchased from motorcycle shops.

I can recognize a problem when I see it. And apparently many others can, too
(3WheelerWorldForums). It's going to leak. I liken that statement to knowing
that a bucket with a visible hole in the bottom of it is going to leak. I
don't need to put water in the bucket to know that.

I can see now why there are so many posts on 3WheelerWorldForums about
Clarke tanks. Everyone is very appreciative that Clarke is still making
parts for our machines. But, it is the quality of some of them that leaves
people wondering. It might just be me, but it "feels" like your reply to me
is a little standoffish. Even though I didn't buy the tank directly from
you, I still bought it from a vendor who bought it from you, and the money
trickled to you that way.

I'm including a picture of this outlet warpage.

Thanks for the reply.

Anthony"

I also attached a couple pictures of outlet fitting since I couldn't when I filled out their webpage contact form. Oh well.

[Blown 331]

I wouldn't be to concerned with the spacing of the lines just use different fuel lines. All of my machines have the transparent blue fuel line on them and not one has any clamps on it.Ihave never had any leak or come off. As for the other issue I can see that would be a problem. It appears that the new t3 tank they make has a thick rubber gasket for the petcock. It looks like that would work for you. here's a link,post#31 http://www.3wheelerworld.com/showthread.php/144400-Clark-86-87-Tecate-Tank-in-Production/page3

Personally I would take take this guys advice on the fuel lines and put some gas (or water in it to test) and move on. I wouldn't condem the fuel outlet mounting surface based on looks alone. Maybe it will leak but maybe it wont. I have no idea what the seal looks like in there. I feel safe in saying I bet all their tanks look like that. I just got a new Clarke ATC70 tank a few days ago, it has the same fuel outlet as you, as an ATC70 has the petcock on the carb. I've got zero complaints on it. Maybe you should ebay this tank a buy a steel one. Personally I think you are trying to jump on the Clarke bashing bandwagon for no reason (I'm not saying the other bashing is not justified, because it is). Theres no need to over-anylize it, just put the tank on and run it. And I'm not trying to defend Clarke. Those 1st gen Tecate tanks are the biggest piles I've seen in a long time. Those tanks are definitely junk.
It looks like I'm in the minority on this thinking but I couldn't bite my tongue any longer. If I recieved that tank I would not have given it a second thought and been riding with it 5 minutes later.

[FourtyCaliber]

Personally I would take take this guys advice on the fuel lines and put some gas (or water in it to test) and move on. I wouldn't condem the fuel outlet mounting surface based on looks alone. Maybe it will leak but maybe it wont. I have no idea what the seal looks like in there. I feel safe in saying I bet all their tanks look like that. I just got a new Clarke ATC70 tank a few days ago, it has the same fuel outlet as you, as an ATC70 has the petcock on the carb. I've got zero complaints on it. Maybe you should ebay this tank a buy a steel one. Personally I think you are trying to jump on the Clarke bashing bandwagon for no reason (I'm not saying the other bashing is not justified, because it is). Theres no need to over-anylize it, just put the tank on and run it. And I'm not trying to defend Clarke. Those 1st gen Tecate tanks are the biggest piles I've seen in a long time. Those tanks are definitely junk.
It looks like I'm in the minority on this thinking but I couldn't bite my tongue any longer. If I recieved that tank I would not have given it a second thought and been riding with it 5 minutes later.

Just to lay it to rest, I put gas in it and YES, it leaks. It would be impossible for it not to leak. On your ATC70, perhaps you got a flat outlet fitting with it that actually keeps the o-rings seated into the recesses molded into the tank. The one I have doesn't do this and can't do this. It's a faulty part, plain and simple. It's a brand new tank and there should be some kind of quality control mechanism to ensure that this kind of thing doesn't happen. There have been many more posts on here about Clarke other than just the Tecate tank. Since Clarke doesn't seem to want to stand behind their products after the sale, I'll fix the darn thing myself and it will NEVER leak again. And I won't be buying any other Clarke products, either. There are other options. And, yes, buying this plastic tank was just to get by for now. I'm looking for a metal tank. When I find one, I'll repair and restore it and leave it off the trike. The plastic one will be the one that gets the use when riding.

"It looks like I'm in the minority on this thinking but I couldn't bite my tongue any longer. If I recieved that tank I would not have given it a second thought and been riding with it 5 minutes later."

If you would have done that, you'd have wet pant leg and shoe from the steady stream of gas leaking out from the outlet fitting, not to mention gas all over the motor. But, hey, whatever floats your boat.

[Blown 331]

So there's an O-ring seal under the fuel outlet flange? Just buy a thicker o-ring or stack 2. I stacked 2 on my 2000 XR50 and its working just fine. I still think you're making a mountain out of a mole hill. Does it suck to do this on a new part? Yes. Is it a big deal? No.
On your tank I would have stacked 2 o-rings and been riding 6 minutes later with a dry shoe.
Again, I guess I'm in the minority here but I don't expect anything other than OE to fit like OE. This goes for automotive applications as well (lights, body panels etc). Just deal with it and move on or don't buy aftermarket parts. I saw a thread on Paul Turner 250R pipes not fitting very well. People still love them and just deal with it. DC plastics site also says there mounting points might not be centerd on the mounting screws. I justs bought some 84 250R super scoops and the mounts were not centered on the screws. And they were even slightly orangish rather than red. Big deal. It could look nicer had they been centered but no use crying over spilled milk. And I think we all know Maier plastic doesn't fit as good as OE.
I will agree thin plastic on the Tecate tanks is not exceptable but this is nothing like that.

[FourtyCaliber]

So there's an O-ring seal under the fuel outlet flange? Just buy a thicker o-ring or stack 2. I stacked 2 on my 2000 XR50 and its working just fine. I still think you're making a mountain out of a mole hill. Does it suck to do this on a new part? Yes. Is it a big deal? No.
On your tank I would have stacked 2 o-rings and been riding 6 minutes later with a dry shoe.
Again, I guess I'm in the minority here but I don't expect anything other than OE to fit like OE. This goes for automotive applications as well (lights, body panels etc). Just deal with it and move on or don't buy aftermarket parts. I saw a thread on Paul Turner 250R pipes not fitting very well. People still love them and just deal with it. DC plastics site also says there mounting points might not be centerd on the mounting screws. I justs bought some 84 250R super scoops and the mounts were not centered on the screws. And they were even slightly orangish rather than red. Big deal. It could look nicer had they been centered but no use crying over spilled milk. And I think we all know Maier plastic doesn't fit as good as OE.
I will agree thin plastic on the Tecate tanks is not exceptable but this is nothing like that.

Ok, first, I'm pretty sure that there are NO o-rings available which are about .080 thick with a small enough diameter that fits around the tubes on the outlet fitting. No, I don't know for sure, but I have been involved in this kind of thing for quite a while. That's most likely not the way I'm going to fix this problem, but I'm going to check into it anyway. There are better, more correct ways to fix this without resorting to "rigging" it. Obviously, that's my opinion on what constitutes "rigging", but to me that's "rigging".

This is not a question about stacking up o-rings and getting out there and riding 6 minutes later without a wet pant leg. I'm doing a complete ground-up restore on this ATC. I bought the plastic tank for riding purposes, whether that be by me when I finish the restore or by someone else if I should sell it when I'm done. Like I said, I'm also still looking for a restorable metal tank, too. If I keep the trike, it will just stay with the ATC, but I'm not going to be using it. If someone else gets the ATC, they can do whatever they want with it. At least they'll have the option of the plastic tank for riding purposes.

I think the bottom line is that there is supposed to be some type of quality control and that there is and should be an expectation of FUNCTIONALITY when purchasing anything that is brand new. Would you just "deal with it" if you bought a new car and the gas tank leaked fuel? Why not? Because you bought a NEW CAR and you have an EXPECTATION of quality and that the gas tank SHOULD NOT be leaking fuel. It's no different. Or maybe you had an alternator go out on your car, go to the auto parts store and buy a new one, slap it on your car and find out IT's bad and doesn't charge? Why not just move on? You tell me that if you buy something brand new that you don't expect it to function as if it is brand new. If people don't expose these kind of things the companies who make this stuff just keep making this stuff like that either because they don't know about it or because they don't care because no one else seems to care.

In the case of Clarke, it is obvious that they have been making these tanks for quite a while. They certainly should have their engineering and quality control in check by now. What p*sses me off the most is that I contacted Clarke about this problem. I sent them pictures of the faulty part and I showed them clearly in the pictures what exactly is wrong with the part. In their reply, never did they just say "oops" we made a mistake and we'll stand by our product and send you a replacement outlet fitting. I mean come on, it's a stinking piece of plastic and costs next to nothing to manufacture. They never even offered that small token. So, you tell me what kind of company is this that wouldn't even do that small thing?

It's not about fixing it myself. I can pretty much fix anything. It's about what I just stated above.

[pipeline triker]

This is why I fix every metal tank I can, rusty, dented, smashed, I will fix them. I bought an off brand plastic tank for my sons atc 70 a couple of years ago, and that is the only aftermarket tank I have ever bought new. they all have issues that need to be adressed. The atc 70 one I bought fit great and works great. As stated above should you have to cob and rig a new part, NO but you do, it sucks but it is a part for a thirty year old machine, The manufactures are making there money off newer bikes and quads, they could discountinue these old parts and probally not even notice.

[fabiodriven]

I don't think the OP is handling this wrong at all. He paid good money for a shoddy part, period.

Stacking o-rings would definitely be "rigging" IMO. It's a band aid at best and even that isn't what I would call safe or reliable.

It's another Clarke POS and it shouldn't be sold that way. That manifold should be made of metal. I would make my own out of metal and be done with it. I would also piss and moan like the OP is. He has every right to be miffed.

[pipeline triker]

I totally agree. i would be ticked also. Buy a carb kit for an old walbro snowmobile carb if you want to see something that will tick you off. They do not even punch the holes in the gaskets any more.



I don't think the OP is handling this wrong at all. He paid good money for a shoddy part, period.

Stacking o-rings would definitely be "rigging" IMO. It's a band aid at best and even that isn't what I would call safe or reliable.

It's another Clarke POS and it shouldn't be sold that way. That manifold should be made of metal. I would make my own out of metal and be done with it. I would also piss and moan like the OP is. He has every right to be miffed.

[Blown 331]

The op created this thread looking for advice. He obviously does not like mine so I am done with this thread. But I don't think he ever told clarke it leaked he told them he did not like the way it looked. Of course they're not going to offer any solution for that.
I stacked those o rings 3 years ago. They have already lasted a third as long as the original honda seal. I wouldn't be surprised if it out last the original honda part. If I thought it would cause a problem Id buy the correct part but it seems to be fine.
Fabiodriven, the way each of us would have handled the situation isn't that different.
You.
This seal leaks, I'm pissed. I'm going to fix it and be done with it.
Me.
This seal leaks, that sucks. I'm going to fix it and move on.
But by far is the best advice in this thread is to just build a metal fuel outlet. Then you can even space the fuel lines as you see fit. Maybe you can even start selling them on ebay!

[hondawasaki]

I'll probably get flamed, but at least clarke is making tanks as an option. there may be quality issues here and there, but at least you have a tank. We should be thankful that a few companies still support 30 yr old trikes at all, and if people keep bitching about the aftermarket tanks clarke may say piss on you all! I for one would rather have a tank that needs a slight modification than no tank at all. my .02

[dcreel]

I'll probably get flamed, but at least clarke is making tanks as an option. there may be quality issues here and there, but at least you have a tank. We should be thankful that a few companies still support 30 yr old trikes at all, and if people keep bitching about the aftermarket tanks clarke may say piss on you all! I for one would rather have a tank that needs a slight modification than no tank at all. my .02

I've got a $200 Clarke tank too, its condition is too unsafe to use so it sits.. It would cost me shipping to ship it back plus a 20% restocking fee..

I'm sorry but the United States was built on hard work and a superior product.. Nobody should get a free pass or an atta boy just because they offer a shoddy product.. Clarke can do as they wish they lost my business a couple of years ago..

Their customer service, or lack thereof.. was pitiful to say the least.

The guy that put my $200 tank in a Clarke box to ship it was either a serious @$$hole or blind to ship that tank to me.. At the least they could have offered me a blem price for the pos.

[kb0nly]

Thats a load of a bull right there, referring to the reply from Clarke... Any company that would email me like that is definitely one not to do business with. I like how he asked why you removed the screws or would need to, uh how do you mount it otherwise?? And i would probably remove the fuel outlet to put the lines on myself, so as to not be pushing against the bottom of a plastic tank, but whatever Clarke. I agree that the fuel line issue is fixable, using the semi-transparent blue fuel line that Honda and many other manufacturers used on bikes, trikes, and sleds. And a couple of the wire pinch clamps if your concerned, personally that blue fuel line once pushed on is so tight you literally have to cut it off to replace it so i wouldn't worry about leaks as i never clamp that stuff either.

Its just another good example of plastic crap being made. I hate plastic stuff, really do. I just never been able to trust it, glues made to repair it never seem to hold, etc. Plastic hot air welding works but still.

I would see if a local metal shop can help out here. What i would do is take a piece of aluminum bar stock thats roughly the same thickness or maybe even a bit thicker and cut it to the same size and shape as the flat part of that plastic piece. Then i would get a couple pieces of aluminum fuel line the right size and cut them to length and drill the holes in the new aluminum plate and insert the tubes, leaving as much length as you want for fuel line attachment, you could even put then at an angle and stagger them for more room between the lines, then have them tig welded to the plate. Add an o-ring to the top side and bolt it up. Thats what i would do, but then i love fabricating stuff like this and i have just about everything i need to other than the ability to weld aluminum but i have friends that can do that. I have also made fuel outlets of this type using alumiweld rods and a good torch, get it to wick down in around the tube just like your soldering copper and it will make a good strong joint that will last.

[FourtyCaliber]

This is why I fix every metal tank I can, rusty, dented, smashed, I will fix them. I bought an off brand plastic tank for my sons atc 70 a couple of years ago, and that is the only aftermarket tank I have ever bought new. they all have issues that need to be adressed. The atc 70 one I bought fit great and works great. As stated above should you have to cob and rig a new part, NO but you do, it sucks but it is a part for a thirty year old machine, The manufactures are making there money off newer bikes and quads, they could discountinue these old parts and probally not even notice.

I agree. I'm looking for a good condition metal tank that can be restored/repaired. The one that the trike had on it was just in too bad shape to be repaired. The plastic tank I bought is a little more than just a stop-gap measure. The intent is for it to be used when riding. The metal tank, whenever I find one, will be kept restored to go with the trike. I'll fix the plastic one I bought. I'm in the process right now of hunting down a few minor things I need for the trike. Once that is done, I'll be starting on the tear down and restore.

[FourtyCaliber]

I don't think the OP is handling this wrong at all. He paid good money for a shoddy part, period.

Stacking o-rings would definitely be "rigging" IMO. It's a band aid at best and even that isn't what I would call safe or reliable.

It's another Clarke POS and it shouldn't be sold that way. That manifold should be made of metal. I would make my own out of metal and be done with it. I would also piss and moan like the OP is. He has every right to be miffed.

Thanks a lot for the support. I honestly don't think I'm out of line with how I feel. Most of my responses in this thread, as of late, have been in defense of my stand on this issue. I really don't feel I should have to defend my position at all. I just feel that they shouldn't be selling defective merchandise. I understand that situations can arise where they don't know about something being defective. In those cases, when they are made aware of it, they should do the stand up thing and stand by their merchandise. I don't care who the manufacturer is or what they are manufacturing. I have already been moving on with it. I'm not going on and on about this. I stated my discontent with the issue and that's it. I'm going to fix it myself and it will be better than new. Maybe the person attacking my position doesn't mind getting inferior products and/or services and not what they pay for. I do. Maybe he has low expectations. In some ways that may be a good thing because, I guess, that would make it harder for him to be disappointed with anything. In the BIG SCHEME of things going on in this world, this leaking outlet fitting thing is CERTAINLY unimportant and. I understand that. It still matters, though.

[bkm]

Is this the level that we have stooped to with regards to parts for our bikes? As long as someone is throwing out a half as$ effort to replicate a part we are to take money that could be spent on our families and support a sub-par product. Guys act as if the sport will die unless more people start reproducing parts even if they can't be used. News flash, if we start excepting these quality control issues the sport is already dead. As long as you guys keep supporting a company that has no problems taking your money for junk parts, they will just keep pumping out the same old junk.

I love these bikes just as much as the next guy, but if it comes to a point that parts are to ridiculously expensive to maintain them or the products become so sh!tty that we can't use them, well then I will adapt a new bike part to it or move on to another bike that does have a quality aftermarket support.

I want to support a company that continues to support this niche of ours, but I refuse to support a company that produces a sub-par item and then refuses to stand behind any of their issues. To me the way they handled dcreels Tecate tank was a slap in the face to all of us.

[FourtyCaliber]

Thats a load of a bull right there, referring to the reply from Clarke... Any company that would email me like that is definitely one not to do business with. I like how he asked why you removed the screws or would need to, uh how do you mount it otherwise?? And i would probably remove the fuel outlet to put the lines on myself, so as to not be pushing against the bottom of a plastic tank, but whatever Clarke. I agree that the fuel line issue is fixable, using the semi-transparent blue fuel line that Honda and many other manufacturers used on bikes, trikes, and sleds. And a couple of the wire pinch clamps if your concerned, personally that blue fuel line once pushed on is so tight you literally have to cut it off to replace it so i wouldn't worry about leaks as i never clamp that stuff either.

Its just another good example of plastic crap being made. I hate plastic stuff, really do. I just never been able to trust it, glues made to repair it never seem to hold, etc. Plastic hot air welding works but still.

I would see if a local metal shop can help out here. What i would do is take a piece of aluminum bar stock thats roughly the same thickness or maybe even a bit thicker and cut it to the same size and shape as the flat part of that plastic piece. Then i would get a couple pieces of aluminum fuel line the right size and cut them to length and drill the holes in the new aluminum plate and insert the tubes, leaving as much length as you want for fuel line attachment, you could even put then at an angle and stagger them for more room between the lines, then have them tig welded to the plate. Add an o-ring to the top side and bolt it up. Thats what i would do, but then i love fabricating stuff like this and i have just about everything i need to other than the ability to weld aluminum but i have friends that can do that. I have also made fuel outlets of this type using alumiweld rods and a good torch, get it to wick down in around the tube just like your soldering copper and it will make a good strong joint that will last.

It ain't much of a reply, is it? They never did email me back again when I replied to their reply.

Yup, went to the Honda shop yesterday and bought some BLACK, thin-wall fuel line. It fits perfect. And I also bought 4 of the wire pinch clamps (Honda calls them scissor clamps). So, that small problem is solved.

I'll make something for the outlet. Any one of the ideas you presented would work, I believe. All good ideas. Perhaps, I could make something out of some stainless I have. I don't "mind" doing it either, I just prefer not to "have to do it when I shouldn't have to be doing it". You know what I mean? But, it will be done and whatever I make will be better than what came with it. You can be sure that whenever I do get to it, I'll post the "contrast" pictures between what I got from Clarke and what I made to fix what I got from Clarke. I don't think it will be necessary to change the tube spacing anymore because of the thin-wall fuel line I got from Honda which fits just fine.

[FourtyCaliber]

The op created this thread looking for advice. He obviously does not like mine so I am done with this thread. But I don't think he ever told clarke it leaked he told them he did not like the way it looked. Of course they're not going to offer any solution for that.
I stacked those o rings 3 years ago. They have already lasted a third as long as the original honda seal. I wouldn't be surprised if it out last the original honda part. If I thought it would cause a problem Id buy the correct part but it seems to be fine.
Fabiodriven, the way each of us would have handled the situation isn't that different.
You.
This seal leaks, I'm pissed. I'm going to fix it and be done with it.
Me.
This seal leaks, that sucks. I'm going to fix it and move on.
But by far is the best advice in this thread is to just build a metal fuel outlet. Then you can even space the fuel lines as you see fit. Maybe you can even start selling them on ebay!

Uh, YEAH, I did email them again and told them it leaked. I did that right after I got the response in this thread saying that I didn't even know if it leaked because I never checked it. Well, I immediately checked it and posted in this thread and emailed Clarke. I ALREADY knew when I LOOKED AT IT and CLOSELY INSPECTED IT that it was GOING TO LEAK. I don't think it would have taken a rocket scientist to see that it was going to leak.

Early in this thread I POSTED that the o-ring could be slid up and down on the tube when the fitting WAS MOUNTED on the tank. Wouldn't that tell you RIGHT AWAY that the thing would leak?

[FourtyCaliber]

I'll probably get flamed, but at least clarke is making tanks as an option. there may be quality issues here and there, but at least you have a tank. We should be thankful that a few companies still support 30 yr old trikes at all, and if people keep bitching about the aftermarket tanks clarke may say piss on you all! I for one would rather have a tank that needs a slight modification than no tank at all. my .02

I wasn't going to reply to this comment because, frankly, there has been enough back and forth in this thread and that was NOT my intention when I first started this thread. I was looking for constructive advice.

With that being said, I can say that I completely agree with you that it is great that Clarke and other companies still making parts for these 3 wheelers is a great thing. I am thankful that Clarke and other companies (there are at least 2 others that know of) are still making tanks.

I stated a concern I had with the Clarke tank I bought. I contacted them and told them about the problem. I think I got a pretty shoddy reply back from them. This wasn't something I did to this tank. It "left" their factory like that. It shouldn't have left their factory like that. I understand that things can slip by and get out. Did you read the reply I got from Clarke? I was asked why I even took screws out of the tank, even for the strap that secures the tank to the frame. I mean come on! The response doesn't even make sense. How can the strap be put around the frame without removing at least on side of the strap from the tank and that entails removing a screw? I think the whole context of the reply from Clarke had a "put down", "stupid customer" kind of tone to it like "how dare a customer question our products" kind of thing. I admit when I first contacted them that I hadn't put gas in it to verify it would leak. But, I looked at it and I KNEW it was going to leak, and it did. The o-rings were/are loose between the top of the fitting and the bottom of the tank even when the fitting is mounted. You can move them up and down on the tubes. How wouldn't that leak? I didn't feel it necessary to put gas in it because it was so obvious that it would leak. But, I did anyway.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I have no problem with that. My first concern is not about pissing Clarke off. Even if they are GOLDEN and they are doing all of us a GREAT SERVICE, I still feel that it doesn't/shouldn't give them license to produce and sell shoddy merchandise. That is my opinion. And I MOST CERTAINLY FEEL that my concerns with their product shouldn't be dismissed as blatantly as it was. It's a $0.02 part! They could have done the stand up thing right away and offered a replacement. I sent them pictures clearly showing the bend in the part. Evidently, not all of these fittings that are supplied on their tanks are bent or inferior. Mine is. I wrote them back and told them I had actually put gas in the tank and verified it did indeed leak and never heard another word from them. If they want to see actual drips of gas coming from the darn thing, I can do that too.

It won't be people griping about inferior products that makes Clarke stop producing parts for trikes. It will be word of mouth about shoddy merchandise that Clarke produces that results in people not buying their products and that will result in Clarke either fixing their quality issues or stopping their production of trike parts altogether.