I got a good result cleaning up my kdx tank, no heat involved.
l started with an unloved tank. All the crud has helped protect this tank from UV damage.
I scrubbed the tank with fine steel wool and hot soapy water to remove the crud.
l scraped the tank with a half a pair of scissors. l find them easier to hold and use than a blade.
The tank on the left is the crud tank scraped showing the UV undamaged surface. The tank on the right has severe UV damage that l wasn't going to be able to fix. As a point of interest the UV damaged tank came from the US and the crud tank came from the UK. l wonder if the location had some impact on the amount of UV these tanks were exposed to...
Plenty of kx kdx 420 450 tanks that l had seen on the net suffered from this sort of damage. l was told that the tank on the right could be made to look new again (2 quotes, around $850 and $600) but l couldn't find any before/after picks of a Kawasaki tank that had come back from this damage.
I wet sanded with an orbital sander 360 than 800. l found that the sander didn't level all the scrape marks so l had to use a rubber rubbing block to get the tank surface flat again. Wet 360 than 800 again. It didn't take long to sand the high points off
The buffing.
Wool buff pad and lots of the polishing compound. l was conscious of burning/ melting the plastic so l kept the pressure light.
Different pad for the polish, lots of polish and low pressure
Another clean pad for the final polish. I tried a foam pad but it didn't work as well as the wool pad.
Total time investment for this tank was around 13 hours. Now that l have my technique sorted l don't think the next one would take that long.
There is some fuel staining low on the tank but it is a 33 year old tank.
l have also stuck an offcut of vinyl on the tank which has been there for a couple of months without bubbling. l don't know how long its been since this tank has fuel in it but the fuel vapours passing through the plastic must cease over time.
Cheers
Geoff
