Britbike forum Forums British Motorcycle specific Brands Bsa bulletin board Fiberglas Oil Tank B44SS

Getting ready to repaint a 1968 B44 Shooting Star. Question involves the mounting holes in the top of the tank. There is noticeable "slack" or wiggle-room around the two mounting holes at the top of the tank (where the bolts from the "top hat" vibration rubbers screw into the tank intself). Is this slack "normal" - there to help account for the 441 vibration - or should I set the mountings solidly into the top of the tank with some filler, such as JBWeld? There is some indication of seepage or weeping of oil from around these mountings. Thanks all for your advice. -O.G.

Do you have a picture?

Old grizz.
If it is not a big leak, I would let it go. Most of these bikes have traces of oil coming out everywhere. The holes in the rubbers are just from years of the tank hanging off the bolts and vibrating, If you can find something suitable to replace the rubbers go for it. Otherwise I just wrapped a little tape around the bolt to take up the slack.

Better breathing like on the B50 with a one way valve is effective in reducing seepage for the engine but would have no effect on the oil tank.

Mr Mike

Here are some photos. The items in question are the two threaded fittings in the top of the tank.

Grizz,
Couldn't open your photos. Might be me and my Windows 10.
Mr Mike

Me neither, iMac 10.6.3 and Chrome, so I don't think it's our computers ....

I think its photobucket as the site was playing up late last week, or Old grizz has moved them to another folder.

I use photo bucket, its working for me. no pics here though.

I'll try again. The photos came up OK yesterday when I did "preview" and "submit" - today when I checked, the photos were GONE from Photobucket. Ah me -

If the threaded inserts are loose in the fibreglass then you should dremel tool the surrounding epoxy away until it is dry materiel then apply epoxy or JB or both with some unbreakable thread wrapped around the outside of threaded insert. Then feather out the surface 2" and coat that level. That should hold a season or two while you wait for one of those $25. specials on eBay to come up when an unfortunate b44 b25 bike gets stripped.
S

Do the inserts come out? Could you replace them with nutserts [ threaded pop rivets]. They go into holes and when the rivet pliers are clamped, the insert squashes like a pop rivet and clamps tight. That with some epoxy should do a proper fix.

Steve -Thanks for the advice. This is kinda what I thought the repair should be. Since I am painting the tank, this should work well. I appreciate the feedback.

Pat - I don't know how easily they will come out - I will try Steve's "dremel" advice, above. I am familiar with the threaded inserts you advise - in the aviation business, the most well-known brand name is "Riv-Nut", and I have used them sucessfully on aircraft in the past. I will hold your advice as "Plan B" - thanks for the response.