XB9S Gas Tank (Frame) cleaning Help

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Hello all, first post here. Picked up a more or less free basket case over the weekend, an 09 Firebolt basket case that has been sitting for several years. It fires when primed but its not getting fuel so I yank the pump and find this. So it need another pump assembly in addition to battery and all new fluids, who knows what else. I think I'm going to yank the injectors and throw them in some Seafoam, hope for the best. I may hack off the pump plate and seal up the tank where I can fill it with seafom, wrap the pump assembly in a fuel sock and cross my fingers.

I wonder if that is POR-15 tank sealant? Sure looks like it by the color. But why in a aluminum tank?

See lunaticfringes post on here where he is selling new fuel pump assemblies.

Hello Noel,

Do not hack that pump. One E clip holds everything together. Take it apart and then use it as cap and clean out the tank while you wait for replacement parts to rebuild it. There is a wealth of info here to get the parts you will need. I used one O-ring with some grease on it. I makes it easy to push on and pull off easy to drain your tank. I didn't pull the injectors on mine. After rebuilding the pump assembly, it started right up and after a TPS reset and installing the muffler, it just purred. I'll run some Seafoam thru it. Note final assembly, I used both O-rings when I installed pump.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 34nineteen

I wonder if that is POR-15 tank sealant? Sure looks like it by the color. But why in a aluminum tank?

See lunaticfringes post on here where he is selling new fuel pump assemblies.

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I think you are correct, when it seeped out it had almost an rtv consistency, but after a day of sitting in the air it set up almost like an epoxy tank coating? Either way the old assembly was terribly caked, the lines just snapped and broke into pieces. As best I can tell this thing has 8K miles and has been sitting unridden with fuel in it since 2010ish so who knows. I think I'll start a new thread about the bike because it makes me laugh now and then. For instance, the previous owner spent much more time installing LED lights and Harley stickers than they did repacking the exhuast... in fact I'm suspecting they cut the aftermarket can open to remove packing in an attempt to make it louder. There were 2 tiny little bits of packing in the can.


Thanks everyone for the help, I'm sure I'll have hundreds more questions.

Hello, I just removed my 05 XB9SX fuel pump yesterday, and I have the same dark grey flaking inside my tank, I have purchased Lunatic fringe's FP rebuild kit which will be no problem, but cleaning the tank? what solution did you guys come up with?

https://i.imgur.com/Mf3942w.jpg

Fuel pump regulator broken also:

https://i.imgur.com/Np7JdiM.jpg

Hello Atank,

I used Oxi Clean and Boiling water. Be careful with the Oxi Clean and hot water it will bubble and expand very quickly. I dissolved some in warm first then poured in the boiling water. I did this countless time, also trying to pressure wash the inside. The left side is fairly clean straight path but the right is impossible. I just keepped doing this until no more black flakes came out.
I believe it is t the tank coating is peeling away from the tank sides. My 06 Ulysses had black coating and most recently I picked up a 04 XB12R it also seems to have a black coating.

The black lining is the factory frame/tank seal. Over the years I’ve seen a lot of out of state bikes (I’m in California) that run ethanol have the liner problem.
I like to do it as just a frame but have done it with the bike together.
What I do is use the fuel pump as a template and cut out a piece of plastic.
Drill four holes in it then use a oring bolt it onto the frame.
then pour a gallon of crl in the tank and rock the bike back and forth and forward and back.
Let it sit for ten minutes. Then drain the tank into a pan then fill it with water, then drain it then check the tank with a mirror and if you still see some crud left then repeat with the crl (strain it before you re use it)

I also put some motor oil then plastic wrap on the swingarm.. crl can change the color of your frame paint

Thats a great trick SquidBuellie. Just once or twice does it? The tank doesn't have to be spotless, just clean enough that stuff won't flake off and clog the filter.

Thanks Guys, I will see which methods works best............need to get this bike on the road..........

I have done it three times before with boiling water but, it was on a Buell that sat for about 10ys with a over half a tank of gas that became varnish.