I ordered a fuel tank from India

[Micha]

Good morning,
In this thread I will try to present the whole move, from the moment of ordering to receiving the tank, what I received, its suitability for the bike, quality, finish and everything else that pops up along the way, for the benefit of those who will be in my situation, in the future. I will of course try to put it in pictures. I hope this will help in some way.
Some background: The fuel tank is the original of the motorcycle (in my signature) and since I am the 18th owner of the motorcycle (!) I do not have of course the complete history on the bike, how many times has it been left unused and for how long. The tank has been repaired over the years, initially tin repair in the tool box area and now countless repairs at its rear end, in the seat area. The metal is already so thin that it does not have enough meat to handle the heat generated during soldering.
In this thread you will see the story: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=17128
The seller finally chosen is the eBay seller https://www.ebay.com/usr/vintage_bike_c ... 2749.l2754. I decided to go with eBay because it's the best protection I could find in a deal like this. I read a lot online and of course you guys also helped me here in the forum and I see and understood the risks of purchasing a gas tank from India. On the other hand I had no other choice.
I hope the photo link from the site works for you: https://www.ebay.com/itm/133797729492?s ... 2749.l2649 And in each case it is eBay number item 133797729492.

The order was placed on the first of December, and yesterday I saw that a tracking number for the package had not yet been provided and contacted the dealer. His answer was:

the tank is being produced for now, it will be shipped around 15th December and will be reaching you before Christmas.

And when I expressed astonishment about the production of the tank, while on eBay he displayed 2 tanks in stock, he replied:

Sir parts are half made and are meant to be assembled on order as pr client needs.
Bvz if we keep them ready in full shape then alot of space is occupied and things gets rusty easy being of metal so they are kept in parts and assembled on order just to make sure that everything is perfect

So, now I'm waiting patiently and will update here as promised.
Nice weekend everyone.

[monkeybikegirl]

Thanks a bunch for doing this. I too will have to source a tank for a 1958 r69 project and have found the cost of an original tank too expensive.

[Micha]

Well I came back to update.
The tank arrived yesterday (after I went through all the wonderful bureaucracy we have here in the country. Was fun).
I hope the pictures speak for themselves, anyway the first impression is a rough but thick & sturdy finish. I do not have the ability to measure steel wall thickness, but I would not be surprised if this tank is heavier than the original.
Another thing I could have already checked is the outlet for the fuel tap - it is indeed the right size of 20x1.
I hope the 8mm threads in the bottom of the tank at the back are also in the right pitch.
Now I have to drain fuel from the original tank to disassemble it and see how the new one will fit into place.
I hope that everything will go well and promise to update here again.
The exterior finish is rubbish, it is a low-grade anti-rust paint.
The problem is that the tank is painted the same way on the inside (any ideas how to remove it?).
Now I have to clean the inside paint and etch the tank with phosphoric acid. The tank came packed well: the sides of the package were made of very thick cardboard, inside it was wrapped in bubble plastic and the cardboard itself was lined with a kind of hard sponge.
Pls feel free to ask for any special close up pictures, if needed. Now its time.

[Micha]

Pictures

[Micha]

And some more

[Rodolfo850]

Doesn't look too bad, better than a rotten filled with hole Original tank.

Scottie Sharpie has a post on his FB page about some modification done on a similar unit, I believe the internal lip on the tool box its too short and hinge is lower, so door cracks the paint.

With some care can have a good looking and working condition gas tank..

[xackley]

I am well satisfied with the pre-painted striped tank I bought from India, so far.
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=17128&p=79463&hilit=india#p79463

The paint flaws I saw when unpacking have disappeared and fit up was better than expected.
It did have a 1 drop per day leak when I added gas with a little transmission fluid, in the lower rear corner.
Soldered up nicely.
My soldering method was to remove the paint, scraping and filing, acetone on a rag. Pre-heat the tunnel with heat gun until hot to the touch and flux melted. Used the big craftsman soldering gun and the solder flowed. Invisible patch being on the lower edge.

The lip on the tool box did seem a little low. I filled the gasket area with a half inch thick strip of floor mat which should make it water tight.
For the tool box bolt I took the tank to the hardware store and found a bolt that seemed right. Had to tap the thread and work the bolt a while until it was easy to finger tighten.

I will have to ride it for a year before a final decision on the tank.

Don

Edit My tank was listed a lined. It is a gray color and very thin. I could see a few brown spots inside along a weld area. I don't have an endoscope to do a thorough examination of the interior. The lining is definitely not a nice as the red stuff they used on the original.

[Micha]

The tank has been filled for two days with a solution of lemon salt, mixed with red food coloring. So far there is no liquidity. The problems that are already visible are the mismatch in the threaded inserts and those of the old original tank. I really do not know how to connect the embalm, also the threaded inserts that are on the rear bottom are offset. I can't attaché that tank to the frame (pictures do not show it right but they are offset).
The front ears of the tank are good and can be bolted to the front stem.

[xackley]

for the roundels I would use 1 screw and glue the head of the other one.
Butyl Caulk under to hold it in place.
This stuff is a firm grip/seal without making something permanent.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000P ... UTF8&psc=1

I would think you have found enough and documented to qualify for ebay's free return if there is another option to gamble on.

[Micha]

for the roundels I would use 1 screw and glue the head of the other one.
Butyl Caulk under to hold it in place.
This stuff is a firm grip/seal without making something permanent.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000P ... UTF8&psc=1

I would think you have found enough and documented to qualify for ebay's free return if there is another option to gamble on.

Thanks for the advice, this is probably what I will do.