GTL tank won't fit GTF frame

B

Basketcase

Senior member
GTL tank tunnel is narrower in the centre than the SF & GTF tanks, and the GTL underside head cutaways are less substantial.

Consequently the tank interferes with the cylinder head rocker cover.

GTL tank has the same tunnel at front & rear, & same front bracket locations as the SF tank.

Does the GTL frame have the front tank mounting lugs sitting higher up ? (I thought they used the SF frame).

Higher frame lugs would make the tank clear the head, but higher bars might be needed which is OK by me.

I think the GTF tank looks nicer on my GT if I could get it to fit without resorting to a big hammer. I could maybe use eccentric rubber caps for the front tank frame lugs.

Sooo ... anyone have access to a GTL and an SF frame to compare front tank mount locations ?
 
Basically, the GTL tank is a SF item slightly shortened at the rear.  Can't see why there should be any difference in underside cutouts, head dimensions never changed, not even for the SFC!  What can interfere with the GTL tank though, are the larger carbs of the SF/1/2/3.

What model GT do you have?  The GT frame was quite different until close to the end of the models production, where the SF-type frame was used for a very short period.  Being wider at the rear, the earliest frame shouldn't allow the fitting of a SF tank either.

The location of the front tank brackets has proved to be somewhat haphazard, some tanks require a lot of tweaking to get them to fit properly.

I've trial-fitted a SF tank to my GTL without issues, looked quite OK...

piet
 
Piet, don't forget that many GTs had S frames in 1970-1971. these had Laverda brakes, so these were GTF.
Makes do difference with fitting of tanks, but less room for bigger carbs.

Marnix
 
Basketcase said:
I could maybe use eccentric rubber caps for the front tank frame lugs.
Click to expand...

Very much doubt that would work. Gravity is against you. Eccentric rubbers would rotate under the weight of the tank so that the tank sits lower than with normal rubbers. Even if you glue them in place they'll eventually come unstuck.
 
Dellortoman said:
Very much doubt that would work. Gravity is against you. Eccentric rubbers would rotate under the weight of the tank so that the tank sits lower than with normal rubbers. Even if you glue them in place they'll eventually come unstuck.
Click to expand...

I have cheap fix for that.

My new DT 360 tank suffered the same problem. Took two rubber blocks, linished a sharp edge on a stainless strip, bent to shape of ears, put in vice and buried the stainless into the rubber. Once I dug the stainless out, I heat a bit of round bar and pushed it Into the required position for the frame lugs... trimmed of the excess rubber, hey presto 2 D shaped tank mounts with offsetting holes.

Shimples. (Invoice in the mail.
 
sfcpiet said:
The location of the front tank brackets has proved to be somewhat haphazard, some tanks require a lot of tweaking to get them to fit properly.
Click to expand...

Ahhh ...

Just measured the position on a 1974 SF2 frame and my late 1973 GTF frame has the front lugs mounted 10mm lower.

Combined with a less substantial cutaway underneath the GTL tank to clear the head means some interesting tolerancing issues.

Probably better to modify the frame than the tank.
 
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