Tag Along Tank - Production Test

[dcarver]

Very cool! Good to see progress being made and more tanks on the road. Without testing, it seems your 5/16" line is 'faster' than my 1/4". Then again, the TAT drains complete, even with 1/4", so all is good!

BTW - did you install a check valve? I'm still looking for a low pop-off pressure check valve.

 

[doug5551]

I am glad to see it worked out well for you, Corey.

 

[01VFR]

Very cool! Good to see progress being made and more tanks on the road. Without testing, it seems your 5/16" line is 'faster' than my 1/4". Then again, the TAT drains complete, even with 1/4", so all is good!
BTW - did you install a check valve? I'm still looking for a low pop-off pressure check valve.

No check valve...never used one on my old set ups. Just the Parker quick connects. I have 3/8" line from the main to the QC which is 1/4" opening and 5/16" from QC to TAT.

At what point was the TAT dry for you? Before the fuel warning comes on? I am trying to figure out if the low fuel 50 mile range will still be accurate.

Corey

 

[01VFR]

I am glad to see it worked out well for you, Corey.

Thanks, I was starting to sweat bullets...now I can worry about getting a new seat and 10 other must have farkles done and ride a little before August. See you in Denver.

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

I am glad to see it worked out well for you, Corey.

Not more than I am!

:scare2:

Corey, I owe you for the cost of a twelve pack of Mountain Dew and a twelve pack of Busch Light.

I'll post picks of the other beauty mark later. I've gotta get to UPS now.

 

[Slonishku]

I also added two small pieces of 1/16" thick rubber that I placed under the front feet on the tank to make it fit snug. I have plenty that I will share if you need a couple inches fellow purchasers.

I'd like to get ahold of some of that! I can't seem to find it around here...

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

I also added two small pieces of 1/16" thick rubber that I placed under the front feet on the tank to make it fit snug. I have plenty that I will share if you need a couple inches fellow purchasers.

I hope that rubber is foam rubber that squashes down to nothing.

I spent quite a bit of time verifying the correct heights that those replacement grab rail bushings needed to be.

Plus, I mounted your tank to my bike after making the replacement grabrail bushings to verify the fit.

I would not recommend adding .0625" of rubber.

If you want to check it out, go to a toy store. Buy some Silly Putty. Add some to the areas where you are considering adding the rubber. Mount the tank and let it squish the Silly Putty flat, then measure the thickness of the Silly Putty. A Tootsie Roll will work if it's warm enough, but put it between sheets of wax paper. Then measure the whole stack, wax paper, Tootsie Roll, wax paper.

Be very careful before you go adding rubber sheets here and there. You do not want to add stresses to the welds.

 

[01VFR]

I also added two small pieces of 1/16" thick rubber that I placed under the front feet on the tank to make it fit snug. I have plenty that I will share if you need a couple inches fellow purchasers.

I hope that rubber is foam rubber that squashes down to nothing.

I spent quite a bit of time verifying the correct heights that those replacement grab rail bushings needed to be.

Plus, I mounted your tank to my bike after making the replacement grabrail bushings to verify the fit.

I would not recommend adding .0625" of rubber.

If you want to check it out, go to a toy store. Buy some Silly Putty. Add some to the areas where you are considering adding the rubber. Mount the tank and let it squish the Silly Putty flat, then measure the thickness of the Silly Putty. A Tootsie Roll will work if it's warm enough, but put it between sheets of wax paper. Then measure the whole stack, wax paper, Tootsie Roll, wax paper.

Be very careful before you go adding rubber sheets here and there. You do not want to add stresses to the welds.

There was a gap where the feet did not touch the front bar when bolted down completely to the bushings. I felt it would be better to have that gap filled as opposed to not having it filled. I bought a 12" x 12" 1/8 1/16" sheet at Graingers for around $4. It's called something like rubber gasket sheets. They have it in various thicknesses and can go down to 1/64 of an inch if I remember correctly. IMHO it isn't adding any stress. I'll try to take some photos tonight.

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

There was a gap where the feet did not touch the front bar when bolted down completely to the bushings. I felt it would be better to have that gap filled as opposed to not having it filled. I bought a 12" x 12" 1/8" sheet at Graingers for around $4. It's called something like rubber gasket sheets. They have it in various thicknesses and can go down to 1/64 of an inch if I remember correctly. IMHO it isn't adding any stress. I'll try to take some photos tonight.

1/8" sheet?

I thought you were adding 1/16".

I checked every tank. The results were consistent. The Push-In Bumpers (McMaster-Carr P/N 9310K124 <Link&gt were causing problems. The measurements seemed to show that they were raising the front of the tank too much. When the bumpers were removed, the measurements for the replacement bushings were much more "flat".

I omitted the bumpers because I was trying to avoid adding stresses to the counter-bore bung welds.

 

[01VFR]

I thought you were adding 1/16".

I did...I mis-typed earlier. I've corrected that posting. 1/16" was my starting point....It could have been 1/32nd I don't know for sure...I guessed and it seemed to fill the spot pretty easily.

 

[dcarver]

At what point was the TAT dry for you? Before the fuel warning comes on? I am trying to figure out if the low fuel 50 mile range will still be accurate.
Corey

Hey Corey, Yes, my TAT went dry before the fuel warning lit up. Check out my post here.
I'm still thinking a check valve is a cool idea - to prevent backfilling the TAT when running long uphill grades and marginal fuel levels. Whatever fuel makes the main tank, stays in the main tank. I was hoping you'ld do the hard part and find a good check valve.

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

I thought you were adding 1/16".

I did...I mis-typed earlier. I've corrected that posting. 1/16" was my starting point....It could have been 1/32nd I don't know for sure...I guessed and it seemed to fill the spot pretty easily.

In your photos, the fuel line is blocking what I'm looking for.

This is what mine looks like:

I wonder if there isn't something else that's holding your tank up.

 

[01VFR]

I wonder if there isn't something else that's holding your tank up.

I removed my 1/16" rubber spacers and remounted the tank. Mine sits exactly as your pictures do and I was thinking what has just happened? Then I tighted the bolts and did a shake test. Side to side there is no movement but forwards and backwards I have a little play and the max movement on the front will bring the feet off by approx 1/16" (it could be a little less). I am using the spacers more as a shim to eliminate all movement. I am thinking the gap is on the back 2 mounts which is hard to see/adjust. Does this make more sense? I might buy some 1/32" and put on the back two spots to see if it eliminates the movement.

Also remember that I have a new Yamaha rear subframe that I had reinforced as well....Mine could be slightly different. I have ordered a 1/32" sheet that is adhesive backed. It will take 5 days to get it. Enjoy your ride and don't worry about this.

Corey

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

Does this make more sense?

Yes.

I've got a couple of ideas. I'll either call you or post my thoughts here this afternoon.

 

[chivvalry]

Any thought on making one of these to fit with the stock seat in the low position?

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

Side to side there is no movement but forwards and backwards I have a little play and the max movement on the front will bring the feet off by approx 1/16" (it could be a little less). I am using the spacers more as a shim to eliminate all movement. I am thinking the gap is on the back 2 mounts which is hard to see/adjust. Does this make more sense? I might buy some 1/32" and put on the back two spots to see if it eliminates the movement.
Also remember that I have a new Yamaha rear subframe that I had reinforced as well....Mine could be slightly different. I have ordered a 1/32" sheet that is adhesive backed. It will take 5 days to get it.

I believe your rear subframe might be a special case requiring your own set of replacement grab rail bushings. Until we can schedule a time when I can take some measurements, I think we can come up with a temporary solution.

Let's not toss your OEM grab rail bushing just yet. If you can change the pitch of your tank (up and down, front to back) that would indicate that the replacement grab rail bushings have shoulders that are too high. It's too bad I'm not there, because we could solve this in about twenty minutes. What you need to do is put the OEM grab rail bushings back in and measure the gap between them and the bottom of your tank when the tank is resting on the front feet and the rearmost seat supports.

I've been doing this using Silly Putty and a caliper, but you could also use a long set of feeler gages, gauge pins or a dozen other methods. Then, whatever that gap is, you simply punch washers out of shim stock that thickness. Place those washers above your OEM grab rail bushings. Replace your tank. Tighten it down and check that the pitch rotation is gone.

Simple right? Then, I just remove a little material from your washers (or make new ones custom for your bike)

Anyway, think about this and consider adding shim to the OEM bushings instead of using rubber shim, especially if you are adding twice as much rubber under the front when a little rubber under the front feet and a little rubber under the back squared off bottom of the tank would be much better. You don't want to add any torsional stresses on those counterbore bung welds.

Any thought on making one of these to fit with the stock seat in the low position?

Yes. Right now I'm thinking that I will make a tank for the GenI owners and that tank would also work for GenII owners with the seat in the low position.

Enjoy your ride and don't worry about this.
Corey

If you insist! Thanks! We'll talk again in a few weeks.

:thumbsup: