The BSA A7-A10 Forum
Technical (Descriptive Topic Titles - Stay on Topic) => Frame => Topic started by: dave55 on 07.02. 2023 12:24
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I have just read some old posts on these and the last one seems to be around 2012, i was wondering if anyone has bought one recently and did you encounter any problems with it or the seller ?
I have seen them on Ebay, they look the same although there are lots of sellers but if you know which ones to avoid it would help?
My original tank has a big creased dent in the chrome and would probably cost a lot more to repair it.
Thanks in anticipation . Cheers dave
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I've bought one recently though it was from a UK seller, Burton Bike Bits. It's been sitting for a couple of months now with fuel in and it seems good. The sellers were genuine and answered all my questions when i phoned them.
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Bought 4 over the last few years with no serious faults. Two alloy tanks pretty much perfect, and two steel tanks, no leaks and fitted with a little fettling. Chrome and paint fairly good but not top standard. The Indians have definitely improved their standards. A bare steel tank bought ten years ago was a sieve with gaps you could see underneath. Today I'd say they're not perfect but are good value for money.
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bought 2 in the last 12 months, one for my A7ss good tank needed a little bit of fettling as the petrol cap did not fit, and just bought one for my fieldmaster seems ok but not yet fitted
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I bought a tank from "vintage24x7" about 18 months ago. There were a few minor, easily fixable issues - the tunnel is a little bit too big, the badges were poorly made, and the reproduction Ewarts taps leaked. But overall the tank looks great and I am happy with the quality.
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Thanks for the replies, Tom i cant see that seller on uk ebay. Bsareg and Rocker 21 can you remember the sellers you bought off and how much fettling was a little bit?? I can live with making holes etc bigger but not if painting was involved after the fettling *work* Thanks dave.
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I've seen the recommendations for someone called "Pummie " on various forums, and he's supposed to be pretty good for tanks.
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I think fitting was the main problem, needing a little jiggling with the rubbers to get it sitting right. One tank I had to make a new bracing strap as the holes were not quite right. No fettling had to touch the chrome or paint.
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had to give the neck for the petrol cap a tweak as it did not fit, it was to big and needed a little adjustment with a small hammer ,
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The only issue I had with mine was the thread on the 2 front tie bar studs - they were unidentifiable - I persuaded a coarse metric die down them - other than that - no problems with fitting or leaks (so far)
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Thanks for the new info, i found Pummy on ebay trading as seller Shining Sunrays. Thats narrowed the search down to him and a couple of others who are 100% feedback and also pay for returns. my thought is if they were bad enough to send back they would not offer to pay return fare ?
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I have been thinking of buying an indian tank for years…..not quite had the courage yet, also few suppliers list the version of the “tin” metal BSA badge type.
A mate just received a 1971 A65 US model tank and it was hopelessly wrong, not even close to fitting (not pummy) which makes me nervous….
Has anyone ordered one of the A10 tank types I need with good result? (I think this link below is the one I need)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255886576538
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I have been thinking of buying an indian tank for years…..not quite had the courage yet, also few suppliers list the version of the “tin” metal BSA badge type.
A mate just received a 1971 A65 US model tank and it was hopelessly wrong, not even close to fitting (not pummy) which makes me nervous….
Has anyone ordered one of the A10 tank types I need with good result? (I think this link below is the one I need)
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/255886576538
It will always be a gamble…
I have Indian tanks on both the SA and plunger.
SA tank;
Tunnel to wide, not touching the frame rubbers.
Knee grip holes to low. Had to re-drill the knee grips and filled the old holes with black silicone rubber
Chrome not so good, developed a “reddish” shine and after some time became rather dull
Bracket studs ok but UNF thread
Inside, thin layer of some sort of reddish paint which flaked just by looking at it.
Plunger tank;
Tin metal badge holes didn’t correspond. Front hole more or less correct but rear hole to high up and to close to the front. Modified badge to suit. Thread size 3BA
Knee grip screw holes ok
Developed a leak at the bottom right seam after some time in use. Had to let it silver solder.
Chrome good
Bracket studs ok. BSC thread this time
Conclusion; be prepared for some fiddling
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Thanks Morris, my bike isn’t the best condition BUT I fitted NOS tank badges to it 10 years ago which still look new….I would be very reluctant to drill new holes in them 🤨
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Thanks Morris, my bike isn’t the best condition BUT I fitted NOS tank badges to it 10 years ago which still look new….I would be very reluctant to drill new holes in them 🤨
Mine where originals also. I put them aside and bought new (A65 type) badges which I modified. They don’t have the “Golden Flash” words below the lightning symbol, but I can live with that.
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Mine where originals also. I put them aside and bought new (A65 type) badges which I modified. They don’t have the “Golden Flash” words below the lightning symbol, but I can live with that.
I wondered if those badges would work. Did they bend OK to fit the tank?
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Mine where originals also. I put them aside and bought new (A65 type) badges which I modified. They don’t have the “Golden Flash” words below the lightning symbol, but I can live with that.
I wondered if those badges would work. Did they bend OK to fit the tank?
Yes, easy
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Well i bit the bullet and on Sunday evening and ordered an Indian tank which looked similar to the one i took off the SA , the inside i found out was like others the red lining had turned to Branflakes and rust.
The new one has no crap red liner and although yes i am sure it is made in India, the seller is in Smethwick UK , it was a few quid more than one from India but did not have to wait 4wk for it arriving and was from an Ebay seller i have used before with no issues .
It arrived today by DHL in a reinforced cardboard box, inside the tank was wrapped and packed in a very thick 10mm foam sheeting, could not fault the service and once unwrapped i cant fault the tank for the price, chrome and paint good, fit on bike good front studs good , only thing i think i will need to do is run a tap into the threads for the petrol taps to clean paint out, must admit the stress level went up just before it arrived and during unpacking until i gave it a check over and tried it on the bike *smile* *beer* *beer* *beer*
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I will need to do is run a tap into the threads for the petrol taps to clean paint out,
I bought a tap to clear the threads on my tank. Would you like to borrow it?
I always suggest that UK people buy a tank sold by a UK seller. UK Retail protection laws make it easy to get redress if an item is not fit for purpose. The UK seller will have added his margin but worth it in my opinion.
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Good advice GB - that's exactly how I bought my Indian tank - also much easier to return in the event of any problems with the item !
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Thanks GB for that offer but i have some saved from the firm i was an apprentice at, i knew i would find a use for them one day *smile*
I thought the same , that if i needed to send it back it was nearer to Smethwick than Delhi, and the fact i have used them before and only sent one thing back and i was not an issue and they were very helpfull with that and quick to refund my money. Thanks dave
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The tank looks really nice in the photos Dave and sounds like it fits well too, maybe you can give the seller's details here for future questions on tanks (and maybe other parts if they were good too?) cheers
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G'day Dave.
Was this he? https://www.ebay.com/str/fairdeals2017
Lots of bits and reasonable prices.
Cheers
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Yes thats the seller, have had the tank, a polished stainless steel cover for the front hub, a headlamp main bulb holder all appear decent quality and no issues with the seller at all. I am just about to buy a full sheet ot wet transfers for the bike £18 not bad when you see some sellers wanting £5 +postage for 1 transfer. Cheers dave
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I've bought one recently though it was from a UK seller, Burton Bike Bits. It's been sitting for a couple of months now with fuel in and it seems good. The sellers were genuine and answered all my questions when i phoned them.
Now i'm disappointed. Thought i could smell petrol yesterday and put it down to the fact that the day before i filled a 25 litre jerry and two 5 litre cans. Wishful thinking as this morning discoverd a pinhole leak at the rear of my new Indian made tank. What can i say, buy cheap buy twice.
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Time to break out the POR15 then?
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Time to break out the POR15 then?
Don't know about that. Is it any good? I've heard mixed reports. But i've got a spare tank with not much rust inside that i'm just testing for leaks. It came with a load of spares that i bought as a total basket case.
The Indian made tank might just need a bit of brazing.
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Any good? POR15 is excellent. A lot less damaging to the finish than brazing, that's for sure.
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Any good? POR15 is excellent.
+1 for POR15
I used that stuff to overcome rust inside my tank after it came back from the platers. It's been on for 10 years now with no sign of lifting.
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I've used POR15 on a couple of tanks. Not had any problems. Does anyone agree with me that it seems to be the same look and smell as the original (good) Hammerite. Nothing seemed to shift that either.
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Steel tank? If it's just a pin hole soft solder is probably the best option.
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G'day Catz.
Depending where the leak is, RD's suggestion of soft solder may work.
I've had mixed emotions with Por-15. It is brittle in that one tank on a rigid Harley the lining cracked. Caswell over the top fixed it. Done a few tanks with Caswell and no problems. Gotta can ready to do the fiberglass Cafe tank. https://www.caswellplating.com.au/store/store.php/products/epoxy-fuel-tank-sealer .
Cheers
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Steel tank? If it's just a pin hole soft solder is probably the best option.
Yes it is steel and just a pin hole. My next door neighbour reckoned on solder.
I'm going to use a good genuine A10 tank that i've got. Just tested it and it doesn't leak and it fits better than the Indian effort.
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G'day Catz.
Depending where the leak is, RD's suggestion of soft solder may work.
I've had mixed emotions with Por-15. It is brittle in that one tank on a rigid Harley the lining cracked. Caswell over the top fixed it. Done a few tanks with Caswell and no problems. Gotta can ready to do the fiberglass Cafe tank. https://www.caswellplating.com.au/store/store.php/products/epoxy-fuel-tank-sealer .
I've had good results with Caswell, just make sure you have sufficient to cover the tank internals, it won't take re coating.
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It'd still be worth soldering up the pin hole now IMO, I agree that done with good solder and iron, on a clean hole should work ok too, if you dont do it now you'll rediscover it later when you when you want to use it and will have forgotten about the leak (at least I would!!) *eek*
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Top tip. Thanks. *idea*
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Epoxy Putty will also work for a cold repair. I've had good success with weeping seams on vehicle fuel tanks, old style metal radiators and rusted, pin holed sumps. Done as a temporary stop gap, it saved a load of hassle and has lasted years.
Swarfy.
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Epoxy Putty will also work for a cold repair. I've had good success with weeping seams on vehicle fuel tanks, old style metal radiators and rusted, pin holed sumps. Done as a temporary stop gap, it saved a load of hassle and has lasted years.
Swarfy.
I’ve had success with “kneadit” std version (part of toolkit) but a quick google reveals its now marketed by selleys and the fuel tank version appears to be the one with steel. Last fix was to my brothers 96 BMW 1100GS tank which had rust pin holes at the bottom, luckily out of sight.
https://www.selleys.co.nz/products/adhesives/minor-repairs/selleys-knead-it-steel/
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I’ve had success with “kneadit” std version (part of toolkit)
I did a temporary repair with a fuel tolerant version some 5 years ago, it's still in place
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Firstly, Merry Christmas to everyone and thank you for the the support/advice I have received to date.
As I near the completion of my 1958 A10 Golden Flash restoration, I knew I needed a replacement fuel tank as the one I have is beyond economical repair - internal and external corrosion and dented. So I ordered a replacement tank from an Indian manufacturer but via a well respected UK supplier. Some comments when the tank arrived in almost identical packaging to the photos in Dave55's post in this thread :-
Paint and chrome finish look good
Threads for the fuel taps are good
Fuel cap fits well
Looks as if the badges will fit OK
but despite the UK supplier saying the fuel tank was "exactly" what I needed, I find :-
The holes for the knee pads are 7mm further apart and appear to be a metric thread (M6?)
The studs for the fuel tank brace are 7 mm further apart and again appear to be metric
The gap between the two halves of the fuel tank to clear the frame top tube is 5 mm wider which will require some modification to the rubber buffer supports
I have yet to put liquid in the tank to check for leaks but so far given the price (compared to restoring my old tank), it is adequate/good as a starting point to "fettle".
So my question to the experts on here, the knee rubber mounting plates can be re-drilled to fit the tank but do the knee pad rubbers (65-8205/6) have the screw fixing holes already drilled or will they need to be drilled? From the photos of these parts from internet suppliers, it looks as if there are no holes in the rubbers which will be ideal and I can drill holes in the rubber to fit the modified plates.
Thanks in advance for any comments.
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It used to be possible to get the rubber off the metal plate. If you can you fix the plat to the tank with some M6 countersunk screws the tap the plate for correct cheese head screws. Tricky and could be a bit tight, 7mm is not a lot to play with. You hay be able to use one of the holes and "move" the other one this way.
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Limeyrob, thanks for your comments.
I am expecting to retain one of the holes in the mounting plate and move/re-drill the other. Do you know if the new, replacement rubber pads have the mounting holes already drilled?
Thanks, Peter
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I did a search and it seems some are clearly drilled, others are partly drilled. I reckon you could fill the holes with black mastic.
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I damaged the chrome on my 53 flash tank whilst trying to get a massive lump of hard pet seal out.
Decided to keep the originality of the bike as it use to be my dad's.
And it cost me nearly £500 to get it rechromed.
So working on that assumption you could buy 2 Indian tanks for what it cost me.
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The tank on my Dad's A7 really needs rechroming, and I'm wrestling with the same dilemma. I've been reading the discussion here with interest!
He'd started to look at the Indian tanks before he got ill, so I'm not averse to getting one, but like you would like to keep the originality if I can. Plus that tank survived (got dented and then repaired!) many tarmac surfing experiences with him. I'm not sure I'm £500+ keen on keeping it original though.
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Its not a one time decision. If the tank is usable you can paint it all over and fit it and get the bike going. If a nicer tank comes along you can fit it later.