The tank is now derusted, dried, and full of gas (with a bit of Sea Foam to stabilize the fuel in the event of a long delay in running).
I've never done the rust removal thing, so there's been a lot of learning for me.
First, Evaporust works pretty darned well on parts. I might have gotten impatient with it in the tank. I know it removed some rust. But it just didn't seem to be attacking things, and I couldn't do more than shake the tank with a bunch of nuts/bolts in it. I now have a big bucket of the stuff, and I've been derusting all sorts of bits - pegs, battery tray, etc.
Second, electrolysis is pretty darned cool. Pictures show it, but it's hard to believe it until you see it happen in your workshop.
There's nothing here that just about everyone on this forum hasn't seen, but I'm pretty pleased with the results. (It means I still have a good spare tank because I can actually use the formerly rusty bucket that came with the Cab.)
- Between Evaporust and Electrolysis. Not pretty.
- PXL_20210621_220749952.jpg (202.62 KiB) Viewed 481 times
That's a look that calls for a tank replacement - or it did for me until this last week.
- View from the fuel level sending hole.
- PXL_20210626_172048858.jpg (272.42 KiB) Viewed 481 times
Oh, my. It's not a new tank interior, but for a forty year old steel bladder, it's looking pretty good.
- And from the fill hole.
- PXL_20210626_172055157.jpg (131.25 KiB) Viewed 481 times
I'm thinking of doubling up on fuel filters for a bit, until I make sure I'm doing ok on the sediment thing. I flushed the tank a few times, for sure, and I blew out the lines with compressed air. But I don't want to be pulling carbs over and over once I get the bike back on the road.
Ordered tires yesterday. I'm going to need to make a decision about the wheels and fork before too long. I keep going back and forth: to swap in the '83 fork for the integrated brace and run the alloys, as I sort of planned, or not to swap.
I have not yet done a real evaluation, but I think the '83 fork seals (and definitely the dust caps) are good. The Cabbie needs dust caps - and possibly seals. The super heavy oxidation on the Cabbie's lowers will call for lots of cleaning, but the donor '83 legs are pretty darned sweet.
I don't think the '82 calipers will bolt onto the '83 forks, as there's the TRAC system. The right caliper on my donor '83 has a snapped bleeder, and I'm struggling to sort out a removal plan - if I move that fork over.
Side note: One of my neighbors is 77, and he just gave up his motorcycle after nearly 60 years of riding. It's sad, I think, but he said it was time. He dropped his bike the other week when a lady backed out of her driveway in front of him, forcing a quick stop. He didn't get hurt too badly, thankfully. He gave me the chance to buy his Cycle Shell, a pretty cool cocoon for a bike. I've got the Cabbie under it. I have a crazy mess right in the driveway, and I easily tuck it away when I'm done tinkering. The good news for my neighbor is that he's loving his new electric bicycle. He's riding it all over with a huge grin on his face.