Hi everyone, I'm new to the forums and a new HD owner. I bought my first HD in January '17, it's a used 2012 Sportster 48. It's in great condition with only 13k miles. Thought I'd share a pic.

I'm replacing the tank with a brand new 4.5 gal and I'm looking for advice on cleaning/etching/lining the tank. First, how do you close it up (both the EFI hole and the cap) to keep the cleaner and other items from running out? Anyone have any ideas on how to do this inexpensively?

I've read a few posts where other riders do NOT recommend lining the tank - what about the rust over the years? Tank was $230, plus a paint job (up to $500) thats a lot of money to not protect...

Thoughts?




the new, bigger 4.5 gal unfinished tank

 

I pressure tested mine and didn't seal it. Talked to service tech at dealership and they have seen that dealer clog stuff up so.. no sealer in mine.

 

FWIW,...it'll take a REALLY long time for that tank to rust. Even longer if you're going to ride it and not store it. Consider that liners start to peel after a while. It's possible your liner fails before your tank would rust. I thought lining was just for tanks that are already starting to rust that you wanted to squeeze a bit more life out of. I could be wrong.

 

Thanks, that's a good point. Humidity's pretty high here in NW Florida but it gets ridden all the time.

 

it can rust over night if you leave it exposed and not filled with gas.. filled with gas it will be fine