Fabricate to lower coolant reserve tank?

943 Views 41 Replies 11 Participants Last post by brettp, 18 d ago

T.tlgc

Discussion Starter · 25 d ago (Edited)

2003 1800r

Hi. My leak is back again. The epoxy,due to the location of the leak being where it butts up to the motor has softened despite being 500 degree epoxy. There was no leak for the first several rides but here I am.....

Because the tank is obsolete, I am thinking of pulling the tank again, reapplying the epoxy and figuring some way to fabricate a mount that lowers the rank about 3/4 of an inch or at least as far as I can yet keeping it above the frame so it doesn't bottom out.

I haven't begun this attempt but thought I would throw it out there to see if anyone has ideas....i even saw a video if a guy who moved the tank altogether (to the toolbox?) When he fabricated dooley exhaust.

Any tips would be appreciated.

The leak is in the corner where the black grime is.

Plumbing fixture Bathroom Gas Toilet Plumbing

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21 - 40 of 42 Posts

Hans&Feet

· #21 · 24 d ago (Edited)

Did you scuff the plastic bottle with sandpaper so the epoxy could adhere better?
You could embed fiberglass screen into the epoxy mix for better strength.
Looks like a pressure point where the crack was (black area).
You could also try a larger area thin aluminum flashing and epoxy to tank.

The electric welding for automobile bumper is much thicker plastic than the coolant recovery jug.

> there is also the other adhesive "contact cement"

Reactions: 1

Chicago-Spike

· #22 · 24 d ago

brettp said:
I may have to play with that plastic welding kit. Thanks for sharing, Spike!

I just ordered one for me too!

Reactions: 1

Jim Travis

· #23 · 24 d ago

Bret & Spike,
After you get the kit and use it how about posting a review in the "How To" on how well it worked and
maybe some user tips.

Which kits did you order?

Thanks 😎

Reactions: 1

Chicago-Spike

· #24 · 24 d ago

I got a cheap one for playing around...

www.amazon.com

150W Plastic Welder,Plastic Welding Kit with 800pcs Hot Staples,2pcs pp Plastic Welding Rods,knife,Plier, Plastic Welding Machine Plastic Repair Kit for Car Bumper Crack Repair Tools - - Amazon.com

150W Plastic Welder,Plastic Welding Kit with 800pcs Hot Staples,2pcs pp Plastic Welding Rods,knife,Plier, Plastic Welding Machine Plastic Repair Kit for Car Bumper Crack Repair Tools - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

Reactions: 2

brettp

· #25 · 24 d ago

Chicago-Spike said:
I got a cheap one for playing around...

150W Plastic Welder,Plastic Welding Kit with 800pcs Hot Staples,2pcs pp Plastic Welding Rods,knife,Plier, Plastic Welding Machine Plastic Repair Kit for Car Bumper Crack Repair Tools - - Amazon.com

150W Plastic Welder,Plastic Welding Kit with 800pcs Hot Staples,2pcs pp Plastic Welding Rods,knife,Plier, Plastic Welding Machine Plastic Repair Kit for Car Bumper Crack Repair Tools - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

Haven't ordered it yet. I'm slacking

Reactions: 1

fastspek

· #26 · 23 d ago

Still wonder about the cause of the crack. I don't think it was caused by heat.
Check if it touches the frame at that site. In that case some rubber protection could help.

Reactions: 2

rangers4u

· #27 · 23 d ago

Dangit. Now I know what I will have on my Christmas list.

Chicago-Spike

· #28 · 23 d ago

No, it wasn't heat if it was we'd be hearing a lot more have that problem. The engine temps will never be that high with water cooling plus if it did get that high the plastic would melt, not crack

brettp

· #29 · 23 d ago

Sitting in the sun deteriorate it, maybe? Out maybe manufacturer defective more likely given the tank had a cover.

rangers4u

· #30 · 22 d ago

Would it be possible to make these with a 3D printer? IDK, just asking, maybe someone smarter than me might know.

brettp

· #31 · 22 d ago

rangers4u said:
Would it be possible to make these with a 3D printer? IDK, just asking, maybe someone smarter than me might know.

Interesting question. How hot does coolant get, and can 3D plastic withstand it? Any chemical incompatibly issues? Am I missing anything? Pressure inside the tank (is there any; I'm guessing no).

Reactions: 1

T.tlgc

Discussion Starter · #32 · 22 d ago

fastspek said:
Still wonder about the cause of the crack. I don't think it was caused by heat.
Check if it touches the frame at that site. In that case some rubber protection could help.

Yeah, me too. Odd place for it. Shouldn't be a heat issue as their is no plastic melt on it. Once i put the replacement on it, i shouldn't have to worry about it. I will try to repair this one though with a plastic weld

Reactions: 1

T.tlgc

Discussion Starter · #33 · 22 d ago

Hans&Feet said:
Did you scuff the plastic bottle with sandpaper so the epoxy could adhere better?
You could embed fiberglass screen into the epoxy mix for better strength.
Looks like a pressure point where the crack was (black area).
You could also try a larger area thin aluminum flashing and epoxy to tank.

The electric welding for automobile bumper is much thicker plastic than the coolant recovery jug.

Thanks. I did scuff it pretty good and when it cured it looked pretty solid. It doesn't seem to be a strength issue more of an issue that the heat melted the epoxy even though it was 500° resistant. I bought a replacement tank so I should be good now but I will try to repair this one with maybe a plastic weld

Reactions: 1

Yaesu

· #34 · 18 d ago

More than ten years ago, I bashed the coolant recovery tank on my Gold Wing, when removing the bike from a toy hauler. I removed the tank and attempted to repair the damage, but it soon began leaking. After more than 20,000 miles, often while riding in extremely hot weather in Florida and Kentucky, I haven't had a problem with the cooling system. At this point, I don't see any reason for replacing the damaged tank.

Reactions: 1

Harkon

· #35 · 18 d ago (Edited)

brettp said:
Sitting in the sun deteriorate it, maybe? Out maybe manufacturer defective more likely given the tank had a cover.

Not just the sun, but the heating cooling cycle will make the plastic more brittle. They are made of HDPE, the same material, basically as the plastic milk bottles. You could use this, milk jug material, as repair material with your plastic welder. It helps when the repair material matches the host material.

rangers4u said:
Would it be possible to make these with a 3D printer? IDK, just asking, maybe someone smarter than me might know.

That depends, but the answer is definitely. But, and this is a big but, you would need to find someone with a printer that can print HDPE. Mine, for instance cannot do it with any reliability. Ideally if you could find someone, and there are a lot of places that do it, that can print PEEK, that would be ideal, but it should be carbon fiber re-inforced to make it durable. It is very high temp and will be more durable than HDPE. That said if someone can print it in HDPE, that will work.

brettp said:
Interesting question. How hot does coolant get, and can 3D plastic withstand it? Any chemical incompatibly issues? Am I missing anything? Pressure inside the tank (is there any; I'm guessing no).

There is no pressure as it us vented to the atmosphere. ABS and ASA are not options for this, these I can print, because anything close to boiling the plastic will be in it's glass temperature. If you find a local 3D print house, they can scan your tank and print you a new one out of a suitable material. Unfortunately I cannot print anything that will stand that much heat.

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brettp

· #36 · 18 d ago

Harkon said:
Not just the sun, but the heating cooling cycle will make the plastic more brittle. They are made of HDPE, the same material, basically as the plastic milk bottles. You could use this, milk jug material, as repair material with your plastic welder. It helps when the repair material matches the hist material.

That depends, but the answer is definitely. But, and this is a big but, you would need to find someone with a printer that can print HDPE. Mine, for instance cannot do it with any reliability. Ideally if you could find someone, and there are a lot of places that do it, that can print PEEK, that would be ideal, but it should be carbon fiber re-inforced to make it durable. It is very high temp and will be more durable than HDPE. That said if someone can print it in HDPE, that will work.

There is no pressure as it us vented to the atmosphere. ABS and ASA are not options for this, these I can print, because anything close to boiling the plastic will be in it's glass temperature. If you find a local 3D print house, they can scan your tank and print you a new one out of a suitable material. Unfortunately I cannot print anything that will stand that much heat.

Great info, thanks!

[email protected]

· #37 · 18 d ago

There is a YouTube video of a guy that shows how to mend plastic using spare plastic and a soldering gun.

Reactions: 2

brettp

· #38 · 18 d ago

[email protected] said:
There is a YouTube video of a guy that shows how to mend plastic using spare plastic and a soldering gun.

I've seen that (or one like it). I tried it once and didn't turn out great; still pretty weak. I think the plastic welding kits would be superior . The metal pieces would hold the plastic together better than other melted plastic. Especially for a newby.

Reactions: 3

Harkon

· #39 · 18 d ago

brettp said:
I've seen that (or one like it). I tried it once and didn't turn out great; still pretty weak. I think the plastic welding kits would be superior . The metal pieces would hold the plastic together better than other melted plastic. Especially for a newby.

Agreed. The "staples" will definitely add to the strength of the repair. When repairing home electronics, we used a soldering iron and we bent up a paper clip, using the soldering iron to embed it in the repair part. Then using a filler material to cover it up. The single biggest thing to look out for, is over heating the plastic. It will start to crystalize and become very brittle. The lowest possible temperature you can use to get the job done is best. An adjustable temp soldering iron, if you gave one, will work wonders. I have used a small heat gun and my soldering iron set to a lower temp. Both have adjustable temps, but these things are fixtures on my repair bench. Obviously everyone will not have this equipment.

Glue remains an ever present option. HDPE is especially difficult to bond to. If you do a Google search for gluing polyethylene one of the links that shows up is;

www.gluegun.com

Best Adhesive for Bonding Polypropylene PP and Polyethylene PE

From our kitchenware to our vehicles, plastic products have permeated every aspect of our lives and are integral to our day-to-day activities. There are two plastics that come up again and again as being extremely difficult to bond to. Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene (PE) are the two...

www.gluegun.com

www.gluegun.com

There certainly will be more tips and tricks should you do a deep dive on it.

Another option just came to mind. If you have a hot melt glue gun, remove the glue and clean the tip, you could cut strips from a milk jug and use the tip of the hot melt gun as a heat source instead of a soldering iron. It will not be as hot and won't burn the plastic. Just a thought. I've never tried this but saw someone on YT using it this way using nylon ty-wraps as a filler material. Nylon won't work with HDPE but milk jug should.

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Reactions: 2

brettp

· #40 · 18 d ago

Harkon said:
Agreed. The "staples" will definitely add to the strength of the repair. When repairing home electronics, we used a soldering iron and we bent up a paper clip, using the soldering iron to embed it in the repair part. Then using a filler material to cover it up. The single biggest thing to look out for, is over heating the plastic. It will start to crystalize and become very brittle. The lowest possible temperature you can use to get the job done is best. An adjustable temp soldering iron, if you gave one, will work wonders. I have used a small heat gun and my soldering iron set to a lower temp. Both have adjustable temps, but these things are fixtures on my repair bench. Obviously everyone will not have this equipment.

Glue remains an ever present option. HDPE is especially difficult to bond to. If you do a Google search for gluing polyethylene one of the links that shows up is;

Best Adhesive for Bonding Polypropylene PP and Polyethylene PE

From our kitchenware to our vehicles, plastic products have permeated every aspect of our lives and are integral to our day-to-day activities. There are two plastics that come up again and again as being extremely difficult to bond to. Polypropylene (PP) and Polyethylene (PE) are the two...

www.gluegun.com

There certainly will be more tips and tricks should you do a deep dive on it.

Another option just came to mind. If you have a hot melt glue gun, remove the glue and clean the tip, you could cut strips from a milk jug and use the tip of the hot melt gun as a heat source instead of a soldering iron. It will not be as hot and won't burn the plastic. Just a thought. I've never tried this but saw someone on YT using it this way using nylon ty-wraps as a filler material. Nylon won't work with HDPE but milk jug should.

I saw that one! Great for in a pinch, but who knows if that held for longer than it took to stop recording the video.

Reactions: 3

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