cfraser Posted December 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2009 Thanks for the link and information. I'll keep you posted as the project progresses. All the best.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
italjetfan Posted December 12, 2009 Report Share Posted December 12, 2009 Italjet 350T : The best twinshock in the real world! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfraser Posted January 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2010 Just a quick update on the Italjet restoration. The bike is completely disassembled and the good news, nothing is missing, broken, or worn out. I have contacted Steve Goode regarding cables. I'm sand blasting the frame today as well as glass beading the softer parts. I'm including a few pictures that were taken prior to disassembly showing the paint dabs. I have also sanded the tank and performed some plastic welding. I used a heat gun to renew the plastic tank after the sanding and the tank looks as good as new. I hope to start posting pictures of the restoration as I progress with the project. All the best, Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted January 16, 2010 Report Share Posted January 16, 2010 I used a heat gun to renew the plastic tank after the sanding and the tank looks as good as new. Sounds interesting - Can you expand on what you've done exactly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marky g Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Same as Woody, I'd be interested in what you have to do with a heat gun to bring the plastic as good as new, I was always told you could never get the 'yellow' effect out once it's there...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfraser Posted January 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 (edited) Thanks for your replies.... The stock white tank was yellowed as well as cracked. I also had a green tank in the exact same condition. When I started the project, I had every intention to paint the tank. I took the advice from the good people who replied within this post as well as following instructions I found on the web. I started with Ben's advice: 1. Drain tank 2. Flush tank with acetone to remove as much residue as possible 3. Flush with detergent/truck wash and warm water, the rinse with fresh clean water 4. Leave tank without lid in the sun for 2 weeks to help evaporate hydrocarbons from tank internals and with the plastic. 5. Flush again with acetone and leave dry6. Flush with detergent/truck wash and warm water, the rinse with fresh clean water 7. Use Blue Lightning sealer as per instructions Except I did not follow through with step 7. I repeated this process 3 times and I started to notice an improvement after experimenting with different detergents. A brand named Spray Nine here in the States seemed to work the best. I did leave the tank to soak for a day in the detergent...I would replace the detergent and hot water every 30 minutes. I did this to both the green and white tank. The white tank actually was easier to clean. There was a remarkable improvement however you could still see some staining from both fuel and UV light. I sanded both tanks using wet/dry 220 grit sand paper with washing and soaking between sandings. Be very careful and take your time so you don't take off to much plastic material. As I repeated this process, the tank started looking very clean but with a dull scuffed apperance due to the small plastic fibers from sanding (I hope this makes sence). Remember, at this point, I was still planning to paint both tanks. Since both tanks had cracks, although very small, I took a very small pollishing/sanding bit attached to the Dremel drill and grooved 45 degree angles along the length of both sides of the cracks. This is what I observed after the process: The dremel was set at a high speed and as I was grooving the crack to prep for plastic welding, the crack actually melted and repaired the small cracks and the original color of the plastic became apparent. I contined by filling the groove using a plastic welder and my welding material was small pieces of plastic that matched the tanks from mud guards. I then re-sanded both tanks after the repair with yet another detergent bath. Instead of using a flame to heat the plastic for final paint prep as previously covered in an earlier response, I decided to use a variable heat setting style heat gun. When I started heating the tank, small sections at a time (be very careful not to over heat and distorte the plastic), the original color returned. My speculation is this...the original color returns due to the sanding and scuffing leaving micro pieces of plastic on the tank. The heat gun actually melts these micro fibers and the tank returnes to its original color. After all of this, I purchased a product called Plastic Renew and applied the liquid to the plastic. I now have no need to paint the tanks. The tank project took a lot of time but IMO it's well worth it. I will try and post some pictures when I return home next week. I hope this helps and I'm sorry for the long explanation. All the best, Carl Edited January 18, 2010 by cfraser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Thanks for the explanation - remarkable results from what you've done. Be interesting to see some before and after pictures if you can get them up. The leaving to dry in the sun for two weeks step is going to be difficult in the UK.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfraser Posted January 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 (edited) Thanks for the explanation - remarkable results from what you've done. Be interesting to see some before and after pictures if you can get them up.The leaving to dry in the sun for two weeks step is going to be difficult in the UK.... I'll clarify this step...we have the same issue as you do in the UK here in Pennsylvania. I did leave the tank in the sun for a day and then just placed it in a box in the garage for a week or so just to let the vapors escape. However, Ben's advice on leaving the tank in the hot sun for two weeks would probalbly aid the process. I let the tanks dry a day or two between cleanings. I don't know if this makes a difference Woody but the overall process was time consuming and I just didn't want to sand and wash the tanks everyday, LOL. The constant cleanings and sanding is more than likely what is required. The plastic fibers from the sanding process were cleaner than the deeper fibers. In all seriousness, it looks rather good! You definately can tell where the weld is but the tank looks good. I do plan on draining the tank after use and I hope I never have to do this again...... It's raining here in Pennsylvania so I never got the chance to sandblast the frame...hopefully the weather will improve...I guess I should be thankful that it's raining and not snowing.... Molecules of plastic reacting to heat....an amazing thing! All the best, Carl Edited January 17, 2010 by cfraser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russelld Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Hi Guys, All very interesting stuff and I too would like to see the before and after photos, I had the problem with painting my Fantic 200 and 240 tanks but they just blistered once fuel was in, since then I have purchased a resprayed 240 tank that has never had fuel put in since the painting, is there a sealant here in the UK that does the same as the blue lightning? and does anyone have a contact? Also great picture of the Italjet with the ultra rare front headlight still in tact, I have been trying for years to find one, I have 4 x Italjet 250t and 1 x 350t and tons of spares, all of mine need loads of work apart from 1 of the 250s which has been all done and complete with the green bottom end etc, and I think is really nice, ill try and get a picture up. Im not ready to part with any spares just now as they are all projects waiting to happen and im in the middle of doing a Fantic 300 and then my 240 will be next. I have to say I really enjoy the Italjet 350t to ride, and it has a funny story attached to the purchase - Bought from e-bay as a non runner and having a girlfriend who thinks that the 7 bikes I have (or what she thought I had at that time as really I had 10 bikes) is just mental, I contacted the seller who like me is from Scotland except he was way up north, said that he could get the bike sent to his brothers at Aviemore, which funnily enough we were going to that weekend to a chalet with her sister and brother in law, so being the gentleman I am i made sure that we took a proper vehicle for the drive from Edinburgh to Aviemore this being a transit van, so we drive up and hang around for a day then at night the sellers brother is expecting me to pick up the Italjet, so we phone and order a curry at which I offer to go and collect with my brother in law who also new nothing about the bike collection, so in the van I fill him in and off we go down some old dirt track roads covered in snow and in the pitch dark and come across an old church style house and there was the bike, so meet the guy shake hands get it in the van then back for the curry then back to the chalet, in the morning my girlfriend and i make the journey back to Edinburgh and im taking the corners slow as the bike aint tied down in any way and is only on its side stand and she comments "i can smell petrol" to which i quickly said "dont be so stupid, the vans diesel" Anyway I got home and got the bike in the garage without her knowing and moved the rest of the bikes around and she has never noticed to this day that another bike is there, you see the secret to having to stash your bikes is move them around alot or strip them and put them on shelfs and youl get away with it. ! 11 bikes now, and that Italjet 350t just needed fuel and it started no problem, needs alot of work but plenty time to do it!!! You can never have too many (OLD RELICS) I mean bikes!!! Look forward to those pictures. Russell Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kramit Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 After my wife and I married, I took her out to the garage. I told her "see that big mess of bikes in the garage"......."well its only going to get worse". Haven't had a problem since. Wish me luck!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russelld Posted January 18, 2010 Report Share Posted January 18, 2010 Here is my Italjet 250t, I cant take any credit for the work done on this as I bought it as is, great bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kttwofifty Posted January 19, 2010 Report Share Posted January 19, 2010 Another resource for you is ktracing.com. Guys name is Keith Taylor, from Omaha. He's a Mikuni dealer and is really into SWM, ITaljet and Minarelli engine based 80s bikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfraser Posted January 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 Another resource for you is ktracing.com. Guys name is Keith Taylor, from Omaha. He's a Mikuni dealer and is really into SWM, ITaljet and Minarelli engine based 80s bikes. Thanks for the reply, I assume this is Keith's web site.... www.midwestSWM.com All the best, Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfraser Posted January 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 Hi Guys,All very interesting stuff and I too would like to see the before and after photos, I had the problem with painting my Fantic 200 and 240 tanks but they just blistered once fuel was in, since then I have purchased a resprayed 240 tank that has never had fuel put in since the painting, is there a sealant here in the UK that does the same as the blue lightning? and does anyone have a contact? Also great picture of the Italjet with the ultra rare front headlight still in tact, I have been trying for years to find one, I have 4 x Italjet 250t and 1 x 350t and tons of spares, all of mine need loads of work apart from 1 of the 250s which has been all done and complete with the green bottom end etc, and I think is really nice, ill try and get a picture up. Im not ready to part with any spares just now as they are all projects waiting to happen and im in the middle of doing a Fantic 300 and then my 240 will be next. I have to say I really enjoy the Italjet 350t to ride, and it has a funny story attached to the purchase - Bought from e-bay as a non runner and having a girlfriend who thinks that the 7 bikes I have (or what she thought I had at that time as really I had 10 bikes) is just mental, I contacted the seller who like me is from Scotland except he was way up north, said that he could get the bike sent to his brothers at Aviemore, which funnily enough we were going to that weekend to a chalet with her sister and brother in law, so being the gentleman I am i made sure that we took a proper vehicle for the drive from Edinburgh to Aviemore this being a transit van, so we drive up and hang around for a day then at night the sellers brother is expecting me to pick up the Italjet, so we phone and order a curry at which I offer to go and collect with my brother in law who also new nothing about the bike collection, so in the van I fill him in and off we go down some old dirt track roads covered in snow and in the pitch dark and come across an old church style house and there was the bike, so meet the guy shake hands get it in the van then back for the curry then back to the chalet, in the morning my girlfriend and i make the journey back to Edinburgh and im taking the corners slow as the bike aint tied down in any way and is only on its side stand and she comments "i can smell petrol" to which i quickly said "dont be so stupid, the vans diesel" Anyway I got home and got the bike in the garage without her knowing and moved the rest of the bikes around and she has never noticed to this day that another bike is there, you see the secret to having to stash your bikes is move them around alot or strip them and put them on shelfs and youl get away with it. ! 11 bikes now, and that Italjet 350t just needed fuel and it started no problem, needs alot of work but plenty time to do it!!! You can never have too many (OLD RELICS) I mean bikes!!! Look forward to those pictures. Russell Great story Russell! You and I think alike, my wife still has know idea of how many bikes I really do have. She avoids the garage...lucky for me! I will try and take a few pictures this week. I'm back home from travel now. I will also see if I can get you a picture of the 350 T rear brake pedal. Mine is left shift - right brake. I saw you were asking for a picture in another thread. All the best, Carl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psla Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 .... I will also see if I can get you a picture of the 350 T rear brake pedal. Mine is left shift - right brake. I saw you were asking for a picture in another thread... is this what you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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