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Clubroom => General Discussion => Topic started by: crash n bern on October 07, 2021, 06:21:29 pm

Title: TY 250A tank needed and fuel tap question for 70’s plastic tanks.
Post by: crash n bern on October 07, 2021, 06:21:29 pm

Hi, no doubt being in the early stages of dementia, I destroyed my ty tank.  I don’t want to talk about it because it’s too embarrassing. So I’m in the market for one if anyone has one lying around that they have no use for. I know it’s a long shot.
At the moment I’ve fitted up a TL250 tank that works, but it’s sort of weird.

I also have a couple of plastic centre mount tanks for an Elsinore and one from a YZ  that that fit and look kinda okay on it. Now they just have a round hole for the fuel tap. There’s no screw holes for a normal tap and I doubt there’s enough meat to put some self tapping screws in to mount a normal tap without going all the way through. Unless that’s okay?.  So does anyone know what type of tap and where I could source one from?  I do recall back in the day seeing the taps where you had to feed the nut through from inside and they ran O rings to seal them.

Title: Re: TY 250A tank needed and fuel tap question for 70’s plastic tanks.
Post by: PeterC on October 08, 2021, 07:28:01 am

I have an old plastic aftermarket tank for a DT it uses a square lipped double sided plug like you would use in a firewall. Tanaka auger fuel tanks use the same plug.

Title: Re: TY 250A tank needed and fuel tap question for 70’s plastic tanks.
Post by: crash n bern on October 08, 2021, 08:59:09 am

Thanks Pete, I’ll look into it. At the moment I’ve ordered a mower/pit bike tap with a 10mm screw in fitting and a 10mm timber insert for woodworking. I thought I’d screw that into the tank with some Stagg joining paste and the fuel tap into that.

Title: Re: TY 250A tank needed and fuel tap question for 70’s plastic tanks.
Post by: Dungar Pilot on October 08, 2021, 09:54:47 pm

Hi Mate,

Just letting you know that I have a spare "A" model tank and you have a PM!

Title: Re: TY 250A tank needed and fuel tap question for 70’s plastic tanks.
Post by: TT5 Matt on October 12, 2021, 10:32:27 pm

malcom smith desert tanks had push in groment/fuel taps and im sure i saw one at the bike shop i go to.think mcs do one

Title: Re: TY 250A tank needed and fuel tap question for 70’s plastic tanks.
Post by: LWC82PE on October 12, 2021, 11:23:27 pm

They are out there. Just search for tractor or mower tank tap, rubber grommet, fitting etc. I know Canams use this type too. Pretty sure RTR moto has them. https://rtrmoto.com/fuel-tanks-petcocks/ but i have seen them on ebay.


Malcolm smith tanks also used a threaded fitting type with an o-ring sandwiched between fitting and nut on the inside. You thread fitting in through filler hole on a wire.

Pretty sure there is a big thread on the XT500 forum about this here https://www.xt500.co/viewtopic.php?p=74921#p74921  it gets brought up often when people have these old plastic tanks and cant work out how to fit a tap.

https://www.plastic-mart.com/product/1040/1-4-brass-bulkhead-fitting-10897
https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/440113-131280;jsessionid=-l7JllQqS3I5hHbjlOUoEp-q.d36f637b-91a9-3b2b-9fa6-50af87272845
https://www.sonexaircraft.com/eshop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16742&substring=oops+fitting
https://www.sonexaircraft.com/eshop/cart.php?target=product&product_id=16742&category_id=294
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Motion-Pro-Fuel-Valve-Petcock-1-4-NPT-1-4-Barb-Motorcycle-ATV/381145107872?epid=171269626&hash=item58be04cda0:g:7NQAAOSwhcJWO8m8



Oh also small aircraft parts suppliers have these sort of taps and fittings too.

Search 'bulkhead blind fuel tank fitting'

If you have a lathe you can make your own by drilling a hole through a big bolt. I started doing this with a  M14 bolt to accept an RL250 suzuki tap for a plastic tank. This is shown in the photo and named 'tap d' (black bolt not cut to length yet)
Tap A and B are original Malcolm Smith.


Will see if i have some photos to give you ideas.

(https://sn3301files.storage.live.com/y4m7cVpPu1TheUk3SwDazWGhNWfdHi0LsOQP52TM69-Uo8LwJkxSCJD4Npd7_ua87ybm6r9lDKYSYgZg50A6oJHM1K0cTkB49FoXjwAXFYY5gX8BOEvAT4W0P2t9maGcQ90Y7UD92C5iewgrBP3vf4xNGaLxLcfej4mCcSN5n31ruQ?width=1028&height=911&cropmode=none)

(https://sn3301files.storage.live.com/y4mQ4qZ072MJh5FoXAd-TJEOcGpxEcnmHjnr6Im0sp6X_cRu_fZ0PALNnwSt4I4JiLjZDjqUnWvjdFkimo0x6Lc93TFviLJehihmc7i8WSymyMH9HIqnYoiy4y0hjsTpn7nV9_IUUy351T559bnZNkcunAtzloxpxCAfsFp5eypd0Y?width=1084&height=841&cropmode=none)

(https://sn3301files.storage.live.com/y4miht6QjaB_zTn2fIL5SH7-X2N6P0KTp9MFb6W75kfDyIeSl8bNTx7BnRH69lTYcGmn6VzEHgL_DbAwgKWpxcDq07WWgGDFLAPR0jBM5iN5fKM7rv8wVX-mk3elf_ALJE1HSqRgQDeoS9pubmyHhrf3pmOJ7qi6o2CkK937maFI3M?width=906&height=940&cropmode=none)

Title: Re: TY 250A tank needed and fuel tap question for 70’s plastic tanks.
Post by: John Orchard on October 15, 2021, 04:01:33 pm

My aftermarket plastic tank just has a hole in the bottom for a tap, I have a Jikov tap with a male thread that goes through the hole with a nut on the inside to fasten it, I welded a little arm to the nut so that it would not rotate, I just put a soft alloy washer under the nut to have the tap pointed in the right direction once tightened to the correct tension.