Hi folks, im currently half way through my zx9 - zx12r engine upgrade. (carbs - EFI)

im looking at the fuel delivery system. At the moment i have a baffled plastic tank with 50mm fill spout and a dip tube fuel draw off, no proper vent and no spout for a return line.

In the interest of saving a few £££ on a new ali tank, can the plastic tank be easily and safely be adapted to fit the zx12r pump to the bottom (i have a feeling it'll be too flimsy) and add spouts for fuel return and a breather?

Several bikes use plastic tanks so it's certainly possible... I'm afraid I can't really help on the 'how' though.

My plastic (boat) tank has a round inspection cover about 3" across, I made an Ali bracket and bolted the OE pump assy to it. 5 mm threaded bar through the cover for the electrical connections and a couple of euroquip fittings for fuel.

Nice! so its ok to just drill holes and install fittings for spouts, just make a plate for the pump to fix to?

sounding hopefull

I bought threaded euroquip fittings and drilled and tapped the plate, screwed the fittings in with O rings to boot!

Spent hours getting right tho!!

nice job!

http://www.carbuildersolutions.com/uk/m10x1-blue-anodised-aluminium-straight-8mm-hosetail

if i got fittings like this could i just use a SS nyloc nut on the inside of the tank to secure it? would i need a seal of some kind? im really not clued up on fuel tank procedures

The fitting came with a nut as it was a through tank bulkhead thingy. Sandwich a petrol safe O ring and jobs a goodun...

I wouldn't just sandwich an o-ring. O-rings are best suited for grooved applications. They aren't ideal as face sealing elements without a machined / moulded groove. How do you know when you've got enough of a clamping load? Too much and you'll split the o-ring without any way of knowing.

A better off the shelf solution is a dowty bonded seal ring.

These are designed for face sealing applications - as long as you use the correct material for petrol compatibility then you should be ok. Also I would recommend ensuring the surfaces used for sealing are clean, flat and smooth.

You may get away with an o-ring but something safety critical with reasonable pressure (positive and negative) and vibration, and a harsh chemical, I wouldn't like to use just an o-ring.

[Edited on 28/11/16 by motivforz]