A65 Lightning project......

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi Mark,

Welcome back to BSA ownership.  Warrington Branch around the 1980s, those were the days.  I cannot put a face to the name but certainly know Brian Connelly and there will a whole list of people we both know.  Perhaps we can catch up at a BSAOC event sometime in the future.

Dave.

[Martin S]

Your bike's looking good. Thanks for the photo's and drawings; unfortunately the computer or the system is not letting me see them all. Do you know how to PM them to me please?

[geraldhattrick75]

You have a PM... (sadly, not with the images...yet.)

Regards,
Dave

[Guitarzanbikes]

Hi, great reading this thread and I thought I'd clear up some of the history mystery for you, I owned the bike from 1980 to 2007 and know its history for definite back to 1972. So is it a Clubman or not? I was told by chaps at the time that the engine was was originally in a sidecar racer built by a Cheshire chap and when it's track days were over it was put together as a "bitsa" and registered in 1969, NMA being a Cheshire number, this info came from Sid who bought the bike in 72ish and was backed up by others at the time. It was legendary locally as a "Jap beater" and was really, really quick! I knew it was Sid's old bike when I bought it in 1980, the stuff of legend! My ownership between 1980 & 1994 is as I said in my earlier post documented in British Bike Magazine April 1996. The bottom end was done by SRM, being the first one they did after moving to Aberystwyth from Penarth (I dropped it off in Penarth & picked it up in Aberystwyth) The Mikuni I fitted and sorted with the help of the late Steve Allen of Bingham Notts, they used to sell Mikuni kits for Brit bikes. Did it have a Honda front end on when you got it by any chance? I ran it for the last 10 years of my ownership with first a twin then single disc (2 was too heavy and over braked). I Put over 100,000 miles on it and it was a "working bike" in its day. I sold it with spare engines, an un stamped frame and tons of spares! Lots of tales to tell about the old girl and you are making a fantastic job of her. I've rejoined as a National Member, sent off the application today, hope some of the old boys are about still, got a few beezers & Trumpets, am sure people will remember me, long hair, big beard, never slow, and am sure Brian C will tell you about the cowpat at the Holly Bush one day! catch you soon, Mark

[geraldhattrick75]

Right, I'm about to prepare the petrol tank for rust treatment then sealing. Then I can start spraying it...

I've ricked my neck shaking the nuts and bolts around in the tank, and the rust seems to have been beaten into some sort of submission.

I'm now at the stage of treating the rust  prior to 'sealing' the tank....... I'm using the POR15 stuff:
https://www.frost.co.uk/por15-prep-metal-ready-946ml/?gclid=CjwKCAjw7J6EBhBDEiwA5UUM2i9YZbixssKi9CXgQNU9xNuC83WvBIoAdVN1EDAFdbgB6fuMigEASRoCc20QAvD_BwE

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/382261513811?epid=646885518&hash=item59008fce53:g:A1cAAOSwzJ5XVpPt


Do you good people have any suggestions... before I do irreparable damage please?


Many thanks,
Dave.

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi,

I have used this sealing product and it is standing the test of time.  I think the only advice is to follow the instructions properly.
You will find that there will be quite a bit of sealer run out of the tank.  If you can, use it in another tank before it goes off.


Dave.

[geraldhattrick75]

Thanks Dave....


Anyone in the Stafford area who wants to treat the rust and seal their tank?.... Soon....

Dave.

[Pete A10]

When I sealed my tank I let it stand before the sealant had started to harden and it ended up with the sealant pooling in places. This caused heat build up during curing and I did get some cracking of the sealant where it was deep. Keep sloshing the sealant around the tank until it starts to gel or pour out the excess once you are sure everything is coated.

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi,

I had old taps in and once I had coated the inside of the tank I drained the surplus back in to the tin.
If I had known that there was so much left over I would have done another tank that needs sealing.
Live and learn.

Dave.

[geraldhattrick75]

Ooh er missus...

Having treated the rust in the tank, over the last two days- then I washed it out 4 times with boiling water then dried it off overnight, I've just looked inside and there is a lot of white scale type deposits. (it looks a bit thick in places...)

Do I need to do anything to them? (ten minutes of shaking a couple of pound of 1/4 BSF nuts and bolts-kinda thing)

Or is it ok to go straight to using the sealant?

Many thanks,
Dave.

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi,

I would start again.  The kit has enough in it.  If it is not prepared properly the sealant may not work as well as it should.

Dave.

[geraldhattrick75]

Yeah, I know it makes sense, so I've started with the nuts and bolts again...

Thanks Dave,
Dave

[geraldhattrick75]

Tank issue.
Preparing the fuel tank and I noticed this crack/ split on the front underside of the tunnel..... Any ideas what might cause this?

My lad loaned me an arc welder, so I might look at learning to weld.....

Many thanks,
Dave.

[DAVE BRADY]

Hi,

Is there any evidence of this on the inside?  Usually a crack will go right through.  Could it be bit of a gouge from when the tank was made as there seems to be other smaller marks next to it.  This spot is roughly where front rubber sits so it could be that something was trapped under there between the the tank and the rubber.
Usually tanks crack because the are rigidly mounted as on some earlier BSAs or the brace across the bottom has not been fitted allowing the tank to try and open up.
If you do decide to weld it be very careful as even the slightest bit of fuel vapour can explode and then you will not need a new tank as you will have no head.

Dave.

[geraldhattrick75]

No worries about the tank exploding, it hasn't held petrol for more then 4 years, and there was certainly no cap on it.

Regards it possibly being a crack going through to the inside, I used boiling water to wash out all the muck and the internal pressure built up really high- and no hint of a leak, so no it's not a proper crack.

As for teaching myself to weld on a petrol tank.... mebee I'll take it round to my mate round the corner.
He actually knows what he's doing with a welder.