IMS 3 GALLON TALLY!

Akasy wrote:

didn't want to run the risk of breaking the 90 degree fitting.

Yes, I believe that would be a $200 + fitting requiring the purchase of a fuel pump.

DO NOT USE LOCTITE !!! This is from IMS, just got back from picking up the tank, looking at the inserts I would concur. Looking at the mold, the inserts are not molded to the collar for the pump. Therefore, the mold holding the inserts will be subject to twist breaking inside the tank (disclaimer: my opinion).
So, if we use something like loctite it may bind enough to break the molded nipples housing the insert or, twist the insert in the plastic (best scenario).
I have not started my install yet, but I am going to pay very close attention to this.

Tank insulation: may not be needed, but I am going to check this out. I have some Dynamat that I used to deaden the echo effect on my skid plate that is foil on one side and a soft plyable rubberized adhesive on the other side. It is about 1/8 of an inch thick, on my skid plate I have very little heat radiating on the outside. This may prove to be an option to reflect some of the heat rising up and making the bottom of the tank hotter than normal.

I have another thought, the gap that we will have between the seat and side covers, I looked at the test bike that IMS was using and they had a black tank installed with black side covers, (looked nice) and the gap was not as noticeable as some of the pics I have seen with white. Solution: paint the vertical lip black, maybe flat black would do it !! This is merely for us vanity perfectionists

OK, I am done, need to break out the tools and put some of my "preaching" to work. I will post some pics as I go so others may follow along while they wait for their tanks or to get the skeptics to place an order.

My tank is here! Awesome, looks very well made! Looks like the same build as what yamaha used on my Sons TTR230, If no one knew that the WR250 came with a steel tank they would never know this was not a factory tank. Also ordered the Tusk aluminum IMS gas cap in blue, should look cool! I will post up pics when it come in and I "install " it on the IMS tank.

I am probably going to drill the fuel pump bolts and safety wire them. One thing that I don't need is a fuel leak.

I'd love to chime in more on this, but without having a tank here to look at I can only guess.
Still waiting for our Blue and Black tanks.

Hey vw.....

Looking forward to the pictures of the Tank + Cap ....

vwsandman wrote:

My tank is here! Awesome, looks very well made! Looks like the same build as what yamaha used on my soms TTR230, If no one knew that the WR came with a steel tank they would never know this was not a factory tank. Also ordered the Tusk aluminum IMS gas cap in blue, should look cool! I will post up pics when it come in and I "install " it on the IMS tank.

Installing my IMS tank and I took the o-ring off the base of the FI pump to clean out some debris underneath the o-ring. Now I don't remember which way it goes on. Does the flat side of the o-ring sit down in the groove around the base of the pump or does the beveled side go down in the groove.

I put the flat side down in the groove and there is just the slightest amount of seepage showing on the bottom of the tank...wondering if the gasket us upside down???

According to the OEM parts diagram, the flat side of the o-ring goes against the fuel pump. You did it correctly.

okdq wrote:

Installing my IMS tank and I took the o-ring off the base of the FI pump to clean out some debris underneath the o-ring. Now I don't remember which way it goes on. Does the flat side of the o-ring sit down in the groove around the base of the pump or does the beveled side go down in the groove.

I put the flat side down in the groove and there is just the slightest amount of seepage showing on the bottom of the tank...wondering if the gasket us upside down???

After installing the pump in the ims tank I put some gas in the tank and let it set on my bench to make sure it was not going to leak around the o-ring gasket. Well, it did seep - not a full on leak with drips, it just kept the underside of the tank constantly in a film of gas around the perimeter of the fuel pump. Took the pump off and put it on three different times thinking I wasn't getting something just so so. Seepage every time!

Fourth time I looked closely at the tank and there are some fairly deep milling marks where ims has milled the fuell pump mounting area flat. The milling marks are too fine for the rubber gasket to squish into and completely seal, so you get constant seepage...never got an actual drip tho.

Finally I put a thin film of gasket sealer around the perimeter of the hole and this appears to have solved the problem.

If you put your tank back on the bike before checking it for leaks you very well could have the same issue but probably can not see the damp ring around the pump while the tank is mounted on the bike. If you have a gasoline odor after installing the tank this is likely the culprit.

I've also had some seepage with my tank. I also took it apart again & used some rtv sealant around the gasket. I had the flat part toward the tank.. it looks like the tabs line up with the fuel pump to fit that way. The gasket seems a little strange.. doesn't really compress for a tight seal, imo. IMS should have probably sent out a new gasket for the install. Maybe they will after the beta testers finish.. I put a thin layer of rtv on both sides of the gasket.

I haven't taken a long hard ride since putting the sealer on. I'll check it again after some real riding. But it is holding sitting on the bike, whereas before it still had some seepage... not enough to drip, but just felt damp around the housing, & smell of gas.

rydnseek wrote:

I've also had some seepage with my tank. I also took it apart again & used some rtv sealant around the gasket. I had the flat part toward the tank.. it looks like the tabs line up with the fuel pump to fit that way. The gasket seems a little strange.. doesn't really compress for a tight seal, imo. IMS should have probably sent out a new gasket for the install. Maybe they will after the beta testers finish.. I put a thin layer of rtv on both sides of the gasket.

I haven't taken a long hard ride since putting the sealer on. I'll check it again after some real riding. But it is holding sitting on the bike, whereas before it still had some seepage... not enough to drip, but just felt damp around the housing, & smell of gas.

How long did it take before the seepage ?

I've installed mine yesterday and everything is ok.

Good to know that some people are having to seal the gasket.

Be aware however that most gasket sealants do not like gasoline and will not hold up.

I'll probably use a product called Seal-All. It's impervious to gasoline. We've used it successfully before on other tank sealing issues.

ZED wrote:

I'll probably use a product called Seal-All. It's impervious to gasoline. We've used it successfully before on other tank sealing issues.

I searched for 'seal-all canada', and it mostly hit sites about the seal hunt.

Where in Canada is Seal-All available Zed? Crappy Tire? Auto shops?

Thanks...

I have tank sealer but can't use it as a gasket maker of sorts. Shoot us a place where you got it Zed, mine's still seeping I can smell it.


*edit* I've seen the shit, just don't remember what store i saw it in.

Just found it.

Crappy Tire
Ace Hardware
Home Depot
Michael's
True Value
Wally World

All stores in Canada for the above. Guess where I'm going.

I used Permatex Hylomar Universal Blue Racing Formula. It was the only one at the parts store labeled to be fuel resistant. Seems to be working so far, but I haven't given it a real test on the trail yet either.

I installed my IMS tank last weekend then took it for a short ride. After the ride, it sat in my garage for about 1.5 hours while I put my tools away and swept the garage. Everything was fine and I did not detect any seepage. The bike sat until today. When I went to get the bike, there was a puddle of gas on the floor under it.

After cleaniing up the puddle, I started the bike and let it run for a few minutes. Then I put a paper towel under the bike and let it sit. That was about three hours ago. I just checked it and the paper towel is bone dry.

Dancamp wrote:

How long did it take before the seepage ?

I've installed mine yesterday and everything is ok.

njbill wrote:

Everything was fine and I did not detect any seepage. The bike sat until today. When I went to get the bike, there was a puddle of gas on the floor under it.

You have identified exactly what I experienced, which is that the leaking is not consistent. In my case, the bike did not leak for days in the garage. When it leaked, it was a couple of drops per second on a very hot engine. Seems like riding disturbs the seal, possibly due to heat or vibration. Maybe they should rethink the mating surface for the pump gasket - perhaps embed a steel ring like they embed the screw holes.

RichardU wrote:

Maybe they should rethink the mating surface for the pump gasket - perhaps embed a steel ring like they embed the screw holes.

That sounds like a good idea!

Yikes. It sounds like this is happening frequently enough that IMS may want to send out a recall of the tanks. This could be a major safety issue.

Dancamp wrote:

rydnseek wrote:

I've also had some seepage with my tank. I also took it apart again & used some rtv sealant around the gasket. I had the flat part toward the tank.. it looks like the tabs line up with the fuel pump to fit that way. The gasket seems a little strange.. doesn't really compress for a tight seal, imo. IMS should have probably sent out a new gasket for the install. Maybe they will after the beta testers finish.. I put a thin layer of rtv on both sides of the gasket.

I haven't taken a long hard ride since putting the sealer on. I'll check it again after some real riding. But it is holding sitting on the bike, whereas before it still had some seepage... not enough to drip, but just felt damp around the housing, & smell of gas.

How long did it take before the seepage ?

I've installed mine yesterday and everything is ok.

+

Hey Dan.
mine started seeping right away.. as soon as i put gas in it, i could feel a little dampness around the bottom of the flange. I expect more issues, since they seem to be common. The rtv sealant isn't the best for gasoline, but it was all i had around. It also sounds like others are having problems after bumping around some.. I guess we'll have to figure out a better gasket for this puppy.. maybe adding an o-ring the same size as the gasket. It could fit under the pointy side of the gasket & give more material to compress for a better seal. That will probably be my next step.

The bottom of my tank is smooth. ..no lines or ridges. I would have sanded or trimmed any ridges. Perhaps some fine sandpaper or steel wool would smooth it for a better seal. I'll probably try that, too, if & when i beef up the gasket.

It seems to me the main problem is the wimpy gasket. It will not compress enough for a tight seal. It should be an easy fix. Sitting in the garage, mine is not leaking or seeping, now. I never got any drips, but had gas smell in the garage, & could feel some dampness around the flange.
scotty

Everyone should verify that it is the pump housing that is leaking, & not a fuel hose.. perhaps some got squashed under the tank with the bolt crankdown.. might be some leaking elsewhere. Intermittent leaking from the pump gasket seems unlikely.. i don't see how bouncing around would make it leak more.. it might be, just wanting to cover all possibilities.

I don't think it is the tanks, i think the gasket is not sufficient for the plastic tanks. A bigger gasket or something that compresses more should fix it, imo. Obviously, not everyone is having the problem. Some have good seals. There are many variables with a tank install.. not to mention slight sizing differences in the tanks themselves.

rydnseek wrote:

I don't think it is the tanks, i think the gasket is not sufficient for the plastic tanks. A bigger gasket or something that compresses more should fix it, imo. Obviously, not everyone is having the problem. Some have good seals. There are many variables with a tank install.. not to mention slight sizing differences in the tanks themselves.

I agree. Mine started leaking from the instant I also put gas in. I even took it apart to double check that the seal was properly put in the first time and it still leaked. I then took it apart again and put TFE sealant paste around the original ring. As I screwed the pump into place, the paste oozed out, making me feel good about there being no air gaps where fuel can leak out.

But upon tightening the tank into place, I didnt place the fuel line in the correct position and I put a kink in it!! So now I need to order a new one and watch how I put it in next time.

rydnseek wrote:

Everyone should verify that it is the pump housing that is leaking, & not a fuel hose.

Did that. Mine came from the seal.

rydnseek wrote:

I don't think it is the tanks, i think the gasket is not sufficient for the plastic tanks.

Then the tank is insufficient for the intended gasket. Same difference.

rydnseek wrote:

Obviously, not everyone is having the problem. Some have good seals.

Some may think they have good seals and learn otherwise later.

I have not started the install on my IMS black tank, I am a bit worried over this leaking issue. I got some of the Permatex Blue Hylomar racing sealant during lunch and will use that when I install the tank.



This what Permatex says about it:
Adopted worldwide by many automotive manufacturers and countless race teams for sealing gas and diesel engines and transmissions.

This non-chlorinated gasketing and sealing compound has been specially formulated to be non-setting and non-hardening at elevated temperatures. It withstands rapid changes in temperature and remains flexible and tacky even at high temperatures, allowing repeated disassembly and reassembly in high performance applications. This no-run formula seals surface imperfections on machined flanges and is vibration resistant. Temperature range of -60°F to +500°F (-50°C to +260°C); resists engine fluids, including water, coolant, gasoline, lubricating oils, kerosene and some refrigerants. Also possesses dust and moisture proofing properties.



Suggested Applications: Thermostat housings, differential coverings, hydraulic drives and motors, gearbox assemblies, intake manifold assemblies, oil, fuel and water pump housings and seals, fuel injectors and fuel pumps, transmission and torque converter seals


Any word from IMS on this leaking issue? Any one contact them regarding it? I would be very interested on what they have to say regarding the issue.