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Cleaning A Rusty Fuel Tank

25K views 24 replies 18 participants last post by  skou 
#1 ·
Got the tank off the Wisconsin today to try and remove some rust on the inside. It isnt heavy or flakey but more like a very fine grit all over inside. You can wipe it out with your finger but cant get inside with a brush or rag. I soaked the tank in the kitchen sink with Dawn but did little good. Any tips on cleaning it better without buying an expensive tank restorer.? Because the rust is so fine i doubt shakeing rocks etc. will help much.

 
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#2 ·
Pick up a jug CLR and if you can fill it up and let it set overnight. It is reusable so, just pour it back in the jug. Or you can do it with a smaller amount, just rotate the tank so it eventualy covers the inside of the tank.
 
#14 ·
I always coat after acid treatment. I use Kreem. You don't need to buy the complete kit if you have some acid already. Just buy the jug of Kreem coating. Acid to clean/etch, then to quickly dry & prevent rust, use some acetone to displace the water after rinsing tank with water. The one jug of Kreem will line several tanks. Kreem has never let me down. Still have tanks holding perfectly that had pin-holes before lining. No coating has flaked or peeled at all after several years.
 
#23 ·
I just picked up some Kreem yesterday to use--I need to coat one where it had a little seep...
Several guys in this area that do old hot rods/bikes swear by it...:goodl:
 
#15 ·
Ya vinegar can take some time if you have much rust, any acid works against the rust. The more extreme the acid the more work you should do afterwards to neutralize the acid and prevent further rusting. Because you mention its just a film that wipes off I think you'll find you can remove it quickly and simply with white vinegar.

If you're going to coat make sure you prep as described, typically an acetone rinse, and follow the curing instructions TO THE LETTER. If one of these products fails in your tank it is a mess, better to have rusty than to have failed coating coming off the tank. The product I've used is from Caswell Plating, but I bet they are all similar systems.
 
#16 ·
Just did a quick search of both the Kreem an Caswell products and Think I may be trying them out soon. Both look like good products. I like the two part epoxy in the caswell product but it looks kinda pricey. The kreem product looks a bit more affordable. Will certainly try them out on my next gas tank rehab. Thanks guys.
 
#24 ·
I picked up the three pack deal--even though I really didn't need the 1st part-cleaner for $40.00--and it will do several tanks..the man I got it from at the motorcycle shop gave me some hints--but his most obvious warning was -

* Prep everything right*
*Let DRY GOOD!
*Take your time..

I'll post on here when we do it..
 
#17 ·
There's also a POR-15 product.

If you search motorcycle websites, that's really who those products are aimed at.

Copy this into google.

site:advrider.com/forums

Then type the names of the products, or Tank Coatings after that, and it'll give you pretty good results about the products.
 
#19 ·
NO bleach.

Vinegar works great in coffee makers, you can run it through the reservoir and it gets mineral scale out of the heating element.

http://www.adbio.com/science/analysis/ph_scale.htm

Check the pH, you want an acid to treat the rust. Notice on the scale 7 is distilled water, neutral, battery acid is down at .3, vinegar between at about 3, bleach is up above 12.6, not an acid, a base, like baking soda but more so.

You will cause rust in your tank using bleach. Bleach is to baking soda what battery acid is to vinegar.

You can put either baking soda or vinegar on your skin, swish it in your mouth etc. You cannot do the same with either bleach or battery acid.
 
#20 ·
I cleaned an old, hard-to-replace tractor fuel tank a few years ago for a friend. Power washed the inside, plugged up all the holes except the fill. Poured some acetone in the there and counted the number of square head bolts and nuts I put in. Sloshed it all around and dumped it out, counting to make sure the same number came out. After rewashing, I coated the inside with a product called Red Kote. It coated the inside with a rubbery coating that is not affected by today's fuels, holds any other loose particles tight. The fuel bowl has remained clear on friends tractor for about three years now. Red Kote was now pricey and does a GREAT job.
 
#21 ·
Just a warning if you do use Muriatic Acid #1 use in a well ventilated area best done outside, and #2 Don't leave it in the tank too long it will eventually eat away at the metal causing more problems. I know this from experience, When I worked as a stone mason we used Muriatic Acid to clean up our trowels and mud pans that had dried mortar on them. I left a trowel in too long by accident and came back to a trowel that had the edges eaten away. worst part was it was a fairly new expensive trowel made pretty much worthless. We used a light coat of WD-40 to stop our tools from rusting after a Muriatic Acid bath. I don't know if you would want to spray that into a gas tank though. :goodl: In what ever method you use.
 
#22 ·
If you will have tank steam cleaned to completely remove any fumes.this is what I did to save the tank.while burning trash in a barrel I threw tank in fire.next day removed the tank found the filler neck which had fell off.I put tank in vise and resoldered the filler neck.with one end in vise I put a wooden dowl in filler neck and with a few taps the tank seperated.I took a cone shaped wire brush in drill and it cleaned to bare metal.tank had a few rust holes,I completely coverd inside of tank with jb weld.not on solder seams.the solder seams were still tinned .I put the tank back together and resoldered tank.tank looks good as new with no leaks.this is for someone with more time than money.Mel
 
#25 ·
if it were me i would let fill it with diesel let it sit a couple of days and the wash it through with diesel and remember to fit a fuel filter. my personal experiance is that fine rust like that wont devellop if you just keep your tank filled when you put the tractor in storage and also after the first couple of tanks you wont have rust collecting in your filter and tank cleaners/sealers are only for those tanks which have flakin and heavy rust on the inside or a leak.
 
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