Swollen tank?????

jeff · Dec 31, 2013

Happy New year all.
Just wondering if anyone else has had this problem and how they got round it.
A couple of weeks ago I popped the farings off and lifted the tank to give everything a good clean and then do a plug and oil change.
Yesterday tried to put the tank back down and it wouldn't go past the yoke. To get it down I had to take out the 4 bolts in the hinge plate and slide the tank backwads. If I fit the front bolts first then the hinge plate holes are aprox 4mm out of line.
I'm wondering if the hinge mounting plate is actually asymetric and at some time in the past mine has been turned around.
I can get all the bolts back in with a bit of BF 'n' I (brute force and ignorance) but this doesn't seem right to have to do this.:confused

Jeff

Kiwi_rsvr · Dec 31, 2013

Let me guess you have a nylon (plastic) tank ?, they swell because of the ethanol (water)content in our petrol these days. Best option is to slot the mounting plate holes or drain the tank and leave it to dry for a while (It will shrink back). Alternatively you can get a coating applied to tank to stop the swelling.

redratbike · Dec 31, 2013

Or.elongate the holes

Mick Oliver · Jan 1, 2014

Mine does the same what to you recon elongate the rear mounts:dunno

nikfubar1 · Jan 1, 2014

I had this with mine aswell, as said it's the ethanol in normal unleaded fuel, don't use it, the stuff from supermarkets is even worse. I only use super unleaded now as it has the least amount of ethanol added & the tank has shrunk back to almost normal size.
If you read up on what they pass off as petrol nowadays it aint good & it's only gonna get worse with the government making the fuel companys use a higher proportion of biofuel. Our bikes aren't designed to run on this **** & it can rot them from the inside out

jeff · Jan 1, 2014

It will be out with the file then. Get those holes slotted out.
I may try flipping the rear plate around to see if it is slightly asymectrical. I may end up with less filing to do.

Jeff

bgibrownepau · Jan 1, 2014

had the same on my Tuono, if you loosen the plate and the hinge mount bolt you can slide it all back a good few mm.

Dr_D · Jan 2, 2014

Yep, its ethanol (read TR Register ) not all 98RON is 0% ethanol tho (Shell hang your head in shame)
A dose of ProFST helps - Silkolene PRO FST Fuel System Treatment For Petrol Engines

jeff · Jan 2, 2014

Sorted!!!! but thanks for the replies.
Had a good look this morning and took the rear plate right off. Turns out out the mountings for the hinge bolt are slotted, but my bolt had been done up too tightly, lifting the tank had enough leverage to pull the bolt to the front of the slot, but lowering it would not push it back again causing it to hit on the yoke.
Have just niped the nut up (nyloc) now it lifts and lowers fine.
Jeff

RSV-Squid · Jan 2, 2014

I'm relieved - kind of - to read that I'm not the only one with this problem.
I wasn't sure whether my bike had been crashed or something

. I didn't want to ask because I was expecting a chorus of "haha you bought a crashed bike you moron" or something

.
So the tank physically changes size? Bizarre.

jeff · Jan 3, 2014

Not sure how much my problem was down to the tank changing size. As I could lift the tank and it would clear the yoke then put it straight back down and it would not go past the yoke.
I can imagine the tank swelling and being held to size by the bolts then "popping" out when the front bolts were undone. But then i'd have tought it would then be difficult to lift it past the yoke.
If your having similar issues then check the hinge bolt. It should be loose enough to allow it to slide in the slots of the mounting plate.

Jeff

Dr_D · Jan 3, 2014

You ought to google Ducati 749/999 and swollen tank in the USA and see the problems they had running at 10% ethanol!

Swollen tank?????

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