i have just got a used sherco 04 250 and the tank is leaking on the tap and where the plastic comes out and further on the tap/plastic join

any ideas what it is or what i should do?

Here you go have a look through these.

sherco-moto help page.

Gavin

Remove the tank and make sure that the bottom feed pipe is properly connected to the tap and the feed hole.

If the fuel is coming from where the tap actually connects on, chances are your seal would have gone, and needs to be replaced.

You might be able to go around it with a bit of silicon for a TEMPORARY solution, but Id get a second opinion on this.

Not quite sure what you are saying but let me try it this way.

The petcock, mounts into a plastic "Plug" that is inserted and bonded into the tank itself.

The petcock usually has an O-ring, as well as a rubber, diamond shaped (well kind of) washer underneath it.

First off, determine exactly where it is leaking.

Take the tank off and carefully wiggle the petcock, sometimes the plastic plug is loose in the tank, sometimes you can see it squishing out around the rubber seal. Sometimes people leave off the rubber gasket, I do not believe the earlier bikes came with one.

If it is the o-ring, rubber gasket, replace them and carefully tourque the petcock into place. You should be golden.

If it is the plastic plug, you need to do some evaluating. I wiggle it and if it is real loose, I wiggle till it pulls out like a tooth. Be extremely carefull what you break doing this, it is not a cheap piece when it all goes wrong.

Go too your automotive repair parts house. They should have a kit to repair plastic tanks. I will about bet that it will say, "Do not use on Gas tanks" This is primarily done for liability, which I will add do this at your own risk.

Throuroughly prep / clean the plug and cavity, mix the glue, put it together quickly. There is a very limited pot life on this product. I sand with 80 grit or so to give some good surface scratches for the glue to adhere into.

Sometimes, you can clean it up without removing the plug and "flow" the sealant down around the plug and lock it in place that way as well.

A company called CarGo is the the only one I found that made a glue that they rated for bonding poly tanks used for gasoline. The only problem I had with it was that it was too thick, or heavy bodied to flow, it is a putty when mixed.

I also have a superglue type product that comes with an accelerator primer that I will try next time it comes up. It is rated for Polyethelene as well. I do not know how well it works.

I have heard of some folks using hot glue with success. I have not tried that.

Hope that answers your question.

The problem is usually people twisting on the petcock without holding it. It is one of the problems that is better prevented than fixed.

hope this helps anser me question its leeking where its red the bolts and the red lines

If the red lines represent cracks in the main body of the tank then i'd say you have problems.

One solution may be to empty and remove the tank, clean the area around the cracks and try melting some plastic over the leaking areas?

Just an idea

Melting plastic and plastic welding is generally a dead end. Only good for certain cosmetic stuff as it drastically reduces strength.

If you really want to fix it rather than replace it, I'd recommend roughing up the area real good, "V" out the crack 1/3 to 1/2 way through, and use the best plastic tank repair glue you can get. You may also be able to get inside by removing the 'plug' and do the inside as well.

it needs bonding apparently its getting sorted

The picture is classic symptom of what Alan has described. Follow his instructions and you will solve your problem.

What about a warranty claim for new tank if it's an 04 bike...........maybe a weak tank

Not a weak tank, but if I sold you the bike, I would not hesitate to make it right for you. I would hope your dealer feels the same. Why not give him a call.

If bought prvately then you got it cheaper than a dealer so go buy a new tank, if not take it back to the dealer.

I know of two other Sherco that have had this problem. My son's and friends son's. Both were Y2K bikes bought about the same time. The problem was not abuse just that the tank was extemely thin just where the tap fixed on. Even light use of the tap cracked the tank. I tried hot glue but it just melted after a few days of contact with the fuel (gas or petrol you choose). I ended up using an epoxy metal glue compound and its now held for over a year though it does weep a little.

02's did have this as a fault but the blow moulding technique was changed on the 03's onwards allegedly.

I have seen and repaired this problem also. The problem "was" that the tank is made of a very flexible material and the adhesive used to bond

the mounting boss into a recess in the tank was hard and brittle. When you turned the fuel on and off or applied a load against the valve (falling banging, hitting with your leg, etc) the valve would move causing the tank to flex. When this happened, the adhesive would crack and start to leak.

Easily repaired by carefully removing the oval shaped boss from the tank, cleaning, and resealing it using a flexible fuel tank adhesive. On 03 and newer sherco's the valve is now in a different spot on the tank, thus eliminating the possibility of damage. I don't know if Sherco changed the adhesive.