gas tank leaking at weld seam

roads1 · 07-01-2015, 01:36 AM

my 07 nomad stock,40k miles, has a constant gas smell. All the fuel lines have been checked and most replaced. The seam on the tank at the bottom end where the seat meets the tank seems to be the problem. Not a real leak , just seepage. The paint is flaking right at the seam also.

Has anyone else had this issue and what type of repair can be made?

Peg · 07-01-2015, 04:52 AM

I think if you use the search feature on this (and any other Vulcan) forum and search the phrase "tank leak", you'll find it's a known issue. If you have a dealer who looks after you - and who has a good relationship with Kaw - you might be lucky enough to get a new tank out of them.

If not, it might be cheaper to find a replacement on Ebay.

macmac · 07-01-2015, 11:33 AM

Uh oh.

Out of warranty and probably SOL.

The choices are weld and paint, in which case you may as well paint the bike your way, find a used tank like what you have, or buy a new tank from Ma kawi.

There was a sort of re-call but sort of not really a real re-call, well there was, but not really. Ma can Dance.

If it were mine I would call in a factory rep and yell at the dealer and the rep in the show room. Like You get this fixed for under 100 bucks NOW or i will stay in this show room scaring the pants off customers until you do. Now go get me a case of LA Batts Beer and think this over, as I seated my self in some salesmans chair, and placed my feet on his desk shoving away all the papers :)

**Top Cat** · 07-01-2015, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macmac

Uh oh.

If it were mine I would call in a factory rep and yell at the dealer and the rep in the show room. Like You get this fixed for under 100 bucks NOW or i will stay in this show room scaring the pants off customers until you do. Now go get me a case of LA Batts Beer and think this over, as I seated my self in some salesmans chair, and placed my feet on his desk shoving away all the papers :)

Follow up in paper next day.
Lunatic hauled away from Kawasaki dealers in hand cuffs

jimbo279 · 07-01-2015, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by roads1

my 07 nomad stock,40k miles, has a constant gas smell. All the fuel lines have been checked and most replaced. The seam on the tank at the bottom end where the seat meets the tank seems to be the problem. Not a real leak , just seepage. The paint is flaking right at the seam also.

Has anyone else had this issue and what type of repair can be made?

I had exactly the same problem with exactly the same bike at exactly the same mileage. I took the tank off and had it weld repaired at a custom bike shop. If you get the right guy doing the weld repair it is simple. Good luck.

desertdog · 07-01-2015, 03:50 PM

I had that problem on my 08 Nomad. They covered it under warranty, because they said it was a tank manufacturer defect. There was some type of time limit on coverage for it, this was back in 2013 on my bike. I think they said the tank manufacturer would cover it for 7 yrs, so you might have a chance at getting it replaced. It did not cost me a dime, shop was really good about it.

Sparks500 · 07-01-2015, 04:48 PM

What if you just treated it with POR 15?
Wouldn't that seal up the seepage?

macmac · 07-01-2015, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Top Cat

Follow up in paper next day.
Lunatic hauled away from Kawasaki dealers in hand cuffs

Naw..........
I pulled something like this with the factory rep for ISUZU on a defective power steering pump. But in my case I slammed down a shop manual in rage and told him to find the place it said to ever change the steering fluid once.
He couldn't and i got my pump. There IS a factory rep for every area in the USA for everything that rolls. The only one who can't get something fixed is the ones for FIAT.

It is quite impossible to fix anything on all FIAT's

It means Fix It Again Today AND Fix It Again Tomorrow. With that kind of frequency there can be no fix ever.

What the Isuzu guys didn't know was I had forgotten more about that vehicle than they ever knew.

In a Volvo dealer where i was the top tech one day my name was called over the intercom, to go to the office ........ I went, and when I got there there was a State Cop. He had just handed me a manila envelope and I had just pulled out my gun the state was giving back. At that instant the HMFIC entered the office and taking one look at me with the GUN, said Your'e fired. Really a bad move on his part. After all I had the gun and no one else did.

But the cop told him he was there to RETURN my GUN to ME . LOL After that I told the cop to go get my bullets which were with the gun when the cops took it to Concord, over 1 hour and then some away, one way, he did.

macmac · 07-01-2015, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimbo279

I had exactly the same problem with exactly the same bike at exactly the same mileage. I took the tank off and had it weld repaired at a custom bike shop. If you get the right guy doing the weld repair it is simple. Good luck.

What did that cost in the weld and the paint?

I have welded a lot of gas tanks for cars, but none really needed nice paint. Welding gas tanks is a little different too.

**Jared** · 07-01-2015, 10:46 PM

It's at a location where the weld wouldn't be visible. Might not even need to be repainted.

mick56 · 07-02-2015, 02:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Top Cat

Follow up in paper next day.
Lunatic hauled away from Kawasaki dealers in hand cuffs

Dressed as an Indian and covered in war paint.

macmac · 07-02-2015, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jared

It's at a location where the weld wouldn't be visible. Might not even need to be repainted.

Gasoline fuel leaks are not acceptable.

hoodooman · 07-02-2015, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by macmac

Gasoline fuel leaks are not acceptable.

I think he meant that he could possibly just have it welded and not have to repaint the whole tank because the weld that would be fixed is on the bottom.

desertdog · 07-02-2015, 11:45 AM

On my tank the seam underneath was leaking, it was such a small pin hole leak that no gasoline even dripped to the floor. It was only leaking a few drops a day. When I took it into the Kawa shop, and was describing that I had a gas smell, the service manager knew right away what it was. He said there was a bulletin out on the problem but as Kawa did not know how may tanks were affected, they did not do a recall, just told the dealer deal with it when they came across the problem.

mick56 · 07-02-2015, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertdog

On my tank the seam underneath was leaking, it was such a small pin hole leak that no gasoline even dripped to the floor. It was only leaking a few drops a day. When I took it into the Kawa shop, and was describing that I had a gas smell, the service manager knew right away what it was. He said there was a bulletin out on the problem but as Kawa did not know how may tanks were affected, they did not do a recall, just told the dealer deal with it when they came across the problem.

It's a recognised thing in the UK that that the tank's are going to leak at some stage,but i would'nt expect to get any help from a Kawasaki dealer at all.

07-01-2015, 01:36 AM	#1
roads1 Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Pensacola, Florida Posts: 76	gas tank leaking at weld seam my 07 nomad stock,40k miles, has a constant gas smell. All the fuel lines have been checked and most replaced. The seam on the tank at the bottom end where the seat meets the tank seems to be the problem. Not a real leak , just seepage. The paint is flaking right at the seam also. Has anyone else had this issue and what type of repair can be made? Login or Register to Remove Ads
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07-01-2015, 04:52 AM	#2
Peg Sr. Member Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: West Coast, North Island, New Zealand Posts: 1,375	I think if you use the search feature on this (and any other Vulcan) forum and search the phrase "tank leak", you'll find it's a known issue. If you have a dealer who looks after you - and who has a good relationship with Kaw - you might be lucky enough to get a new tank out of them. If not, it might be cheaper to find a replacement on Ebay. __________________ Nothing screams poor workmanship like wrinkles in the duct tape '02 1500 blonde Nomad (Sold) '97 800 burgundy Classic (Sold)
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07-01-2015, 11:33 AM	#3
macmac Sr. Contributor Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Tamworth New Hampster 06 1600 Posts: 12,484	Uh oh. Out of warranty and probably SOL. The choices are weld and paint, in which case you may as well paint the bike your way, find a used tank like what you have, or buy a new tank from Ma kawi. There was a sort of re-call but sort of not really a real re-call, well there was, but not really. Ma can Dance. If it were mine I would call in a factory rep and yell at the dealer and the rep in the show room. Like You get this fixed for under 100 bucks NOW or i will stay in this show room scaring the pants off customers until you do. Now go get me a case of LA Batts Beer and think this over, as I seated my self in some salesmans chair, and placed my feet on his desk shoving away all the papers :) __________________ 06 1600 Nomad Just call me Mac molon labe come and get it
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07-01-2015, 10:46 PM	#10
Jared Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Greeley, Colorado Posts: 6,772	It's at a location where the weld wouldn't be visible. Might not even need to be repainted. __________________ Jared VBA #1051 (Former President)
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07-01-2015, 03:50 PM	#6
desertdog Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Goodyear AZ Posts: 331	I had that problem on my 08 Nomad. They covered it under warranty, because they said it was a tank manufacturer defect. There was some type of time limit on coverage for it, this was back in 2013 on my bike. I think they said the tank manufacturer would cover it for 7 yrs, so you might have a chance at getting it replaced. It did not cost me a dime, shop was really good about it.
	0

07-01-2015, 04:48 PM	#7
Sparks500 Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Aurora, Il Posts: 61	What if you just treated it with POR 15? Wouldn't that seal up the seepage?
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07-02-2015, 11:45 AM	#14
desertdog Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Goodyear AZ Posts: 331	On my tank the seam underneath was leaking, it was such a small pin hole leak that no gasoline even dripped to the floor. It was only leaking a few drops a day. When I took it into the Kawa shop, and was describing that I had a gas smell, the service manager knew right away what it was. He said there was a bulletin out on the problem but as Kawa did not know how may tanks were affected, they did not do a recall, just told the dealer deal with it when they came across the problem.
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