The New And Improved Unofficial R65 Forum V2
Technical Discussion => Discussion about "Lesser" makes, er, Non-BMW ;-) => Topic started by: Semper Gumby on January 20, 2010, 09:37:28 PM
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One of the results of my 1000 mile saddle sore ride on the 1971 BSA Thunderbolt was cracking the tank. I've been taking it around to various people and asking about repairs. Everybody so far has said that I would have to remove the liner (Bill Hirtch) in order to have the cracks welded.
Until today.
I found a shop in Lawrenceville GA and the guy said no problem. He'd fill the tank with water and then "tig" weld it keeping the liner from catching fire.
So I am mightily relieved. I'll let you know how it goes. His shop is decorated with custom paint jobs on bikes that I can only describe as works of art.
Next time I go I'll take a picture of the Coca-Cola bike.
www.pauleez.com
Fingers crossed - I get the tank back next week.
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That just may work, Bill. I'd recommend you stand well away while the TIG is arcing!
And where did the crack develop? Lower seam? Sounds like a good tip to send to Classic Bike.
Monte
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Reminded me of when I was 5. I was helping my dad with one of the race cars and they had to go out back and pull a tank off an old passanger car. Me and my 6 yr old brother. had to drag the tank back to the shop. while walking behind my dad and his mechanic. he told me to take it over to the welder and fill the gas tank with water. so that they could weld on it after they had coffee. as we drug the tank, dad and God (the mechanic's knick name) were commenting about having to deal with the water in the fuel. Then my older brother said. Why don't you just stick a match in the tank and burn out the fuel so that it doesn't explode while welding on it. And God said with a laugh to dad. that would solve the water in the fuel problem. I pulled the tank into the garage and sat on it. pulled out a full book of matches, Lite the match and just as I went to toss it in the filler neck. the match went out. So I tried again, and again and again, til I was down to the last match. I was determind to get this last match in the tank. And I did. when the tank blew up, the garage door was open and the exploding tank blew me through the garage window into the rafters then I came down through another window that was over the car pit. When I landed I noticed my new Jacket was on fire. I quick got it out and crawled out of the pit and cleaned up the glass, thinking I was hiding the evidence. My jacket was melted to my arm. So I decided to sneek past the coffee table to get to my room in the basement. I was relieved to see no one at the coffee table and headed down stairs. and my brother said "you can't go down there the furnace blew up. Didn't you hear the explosion" I said my ears were ringing so loud I didnt hear anything. I kept going down to my room and Dad and God were checking out the furnace. They asked if I hear anything and I said no. and proceeded to my room and tried to get that coat off. In the end I lost some skin.
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I couple days later I survived another incident. And my brother asked my Dad, "why is johnny so brave!" I remember my Dad's comment well. He grabbed his arm and looked at him and said" Johnny's Not Brave. He's just stupid!" I aways wonder what he meant by that.
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..." Johnny's Not Brave. He's just stupid!" I aways wonder what he ment by that.
Texas standup comedian Ron White does a great routine called, "You Can't Fix Stupid."
Check this out:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811045/quotes
Plus Google up Ron White and catch some hysterical sound bites. I love this guy!
Monte
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Oh Shirt JDS. I haven't laughed so hard since I read how Homer Hickum blew up his mom's white pickett fence making rocket fuel in the basement. (Ref: October Sky) ;D Oh lordy a five year old's ejection seat. ho Ho.. Whas there anything left of the tank??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH I bet there was shrapnel everywhere??
Funny. Thanks. Glad you lived to tell about it.
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Originally the tank was 3'x3'x6" the flat tanks that were under the trunk. It was almost a perfect round ball after the match. the seams didn't rip but the nossel blew off. and it blew to the back of the garage. I cleaned up the glass but didnt think to look for the tank and hid it. When Dad got out to the garage he figured out it wasnt the furnace. I was still down stairs trying to get the coat off. It was my first new coat and it was melted to my arm from the wrist to the elbow. My dad yelled down for me to get upstairs. put me in panic mode, I got the free arm out of the coat. Stepped on it and ripped the burnt arm out. and went up stairs, Never got in trouble he just fixed up my arm.