kaighn80 Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Im near a point with my ktm rs125 where i need to start thinking about the fuel tank, the original plastic one from the rs was tried because it fits inside the tank cover but the ktm carb makes it a little difficult to fit (read that as i cut the plastic tank to allow the carb to fit and ended up with no plastic left), so how does one go about making a fibreglass tank, itll be covered by the standard tank cover which is why im not asking about carbon or black diolen (yet) my main issue is the sealing of and petrol proofing once its been made, so if anyone has a link to a how to or a better understanding of the sealing aspect feel free to share. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanWinkle Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Its a bloody long slow process is making a fiberglass tank, I looked into it awhile back. Ive got some links on my pc but that will hve to wait untill im near a pc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzknut Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 why not just have a sheet of ally watercut and folded/welded up. Doesn't have to be super pretty if it's under the cover. Easily repared, modified. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaighn80 Posted July 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 it would take far too many pieces to make a tank of a suitable size, ive a feeling its going to be on the small side, also i can do fibreglass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l3ddy Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 What about an underseat tank? When I was looking at using the pegasso engine in my rs125 the carbs where a big problem there as they hit the tank, from what I saw online this was a solution that seemed popular Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jollygiant Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 You have to make a ali plug shape of the tank you want, them make a fiberglass mould of that, prob 2 or 3 piece mould. Then you can make the fiberglass one and bond it all together with fuel resistant resin and then seal it. About 80+hrs work. It would be cheaper and quicker to get a ali one made, unless you of course want sell more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanWinkle Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Im sure they have to be reinforced with kevlar too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Superdunc Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Lots of ways to make a one off fibre glass tank, with out spending a fortune in time or money especially if it isn't on show so doesn't have to look too flash. Biggest problem is going to be making it fuel tight. Modern petrol is pretty aggressive on most resins.A Vinyl ester resin is your best bet, these work the same way as polyester resins, but they have better chemical bonds and resist chemical permeation better than Polyester. Vinyl eaters are also stronger and more ductile than other resins so will survive impacts better. You will need to thoroughly coat the inside of the tank with resin to prevent fuel getting into the fibres. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanWinkle Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 been searching my pc for about 30 mins now, cant find hide nor hair of the links, must have deleted em..sorry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaighn80 Posted July 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 no probs theres a fair bit more info here now that i didnt have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanWinkle Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Im sure someone on here did their own tank of fiberglass..cabbie did an alloy one too iirc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark/Foggy Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Inevitably you'll be wanting a supsension smith thread, ok he generally works in carbon, but same principle. The ZX10 Supermoto one should do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chance Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 DO NOT USE A FIBREGLASS TANK. modern fuels just eat them at ridiculous rate and you will spend your life trying to get it to seal plus dealing with the envitable engine blow-ups caused by fuel starvation from a blocked up fuel system. we had a brand new tank on a superkart and in under 18 months its fallen to bits and blown an engine up because of it. ali tank might be more effort but its easier in the long run. Ive yet to find a sealant that can actually survive modern petrol - they all normally end up breaking up and causes fuel blockages on their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2moto Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 If you're using the correct resin (see Dunc's post) a fibreglass tank will be just fine. There are plenty of them in commercial use. For making a one-off tank, I'd use the "lost foam" method. It'll save you a boat load of sanding-filling-sanding-filling..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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