The fuel tank obviously had filler – my magnet wouldn’t stick to almost anywhere on either side ! I started to scratch away the filler and slowly the recesses on either side for the chrome tank panels started to reveal themselves.
At the end I had removed 4 1/2 pounds of filler but was pleased to see that the tank itself was in very good shape with only a small dent at the front right side. The threaded bosses that held the screws for the tank panels were like new, and the inside of the tank really had only minimal rust. There was a small hole in the top of the tank – actually under where the filler had been and you could see the staining from the fuel so it had been that way for some time. It appeared to be from some sort of impact by a tool rather than corrosion as the metal was solid.
After removing the dent and giving it a coat of primer, Guy at Cyclemania in Okotoks passed the tank back to me so I could have it cleaned out and lined. This was done by Gary over at Crossroads Radiator. De-rusting tanks using electrolysis isn’t that difficult, but given the time it takes, the mess it creates, the cost of the liner kit if you choose to use one, and then the uncertainty of whether you have got a good coating inside the tank when finished, I have opted to farm this work out the last couple of times.
Guy now has all the tin and with any luck at all I might get it back this year – more probably January. The colour will be a metallic gold candy, as per the original Candy Gold 2, Suzuki paint code 141. Enough of the original paint was preserved under the respray that a good match was possible. Should look nice !
Next up is the engine tear down !