cleaning gas tanks

wingnut

wingnut

Member
Anyone have experience cleaning a gas tank?
I would like to clean mine,then seal it.
I have heard muritac acid works, does it ? or is that too strong??
 
Hello I removed mine and used nuts and bolts .tied it on to the side of a tractor tire drove it around slow slow slow dumped the bolts out .then used a air hose to blow out the dust and rust. Copper tube on end of air hose to get air down into tank. Then used the tank sealer. Hope you have good luck.I also have a 29 sport coupe that hase a fine powdery rust due to setting years whilebeong restored. Used serverl inline paper filters. Allmost cleared up now.did not remove this tank because of the new paint job.
 
My friend and I washed one out that had been barn stored for 15 years with gas in it. The spark arrestor screen was half rotted away. Anyway, we removed the gas gauge and shutoff, drained the old gas then plugged the drain, added about a half gallon of strong engine cleaner, filled with water, let that drain and used the pressure washer. After a couple of rinsings let dry out for a week then put in a new gage and shutoff(with the stand up screen) filled the tank and ran it. We keep a close eye on the glass sediment bowl and clean it of the fine rust occasionally but don't plan to add any tank sealer. It goes fine so far and that tank was a mess.
 
Lyle said:
Hello I removed mine and used nuts and bolts .tied it on to the side of a tractor tire drove it around slow slow slow dumped the bolts out .then used a air hose to blow out the dust and rust. Copper tube on end of air hose to get air down into tank. Then used the tank sealer. Hope you have good luck.I also have a 29 sport coupe that hase a fine powdery rust due to setting years whilebeong restored. Used serverl inline paper filters. Allmost cleared up now.did not remove this tank because of the new paint job.
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Wow, what year tank? Are you certain you reached all the areas where the rust was and knocked it loose before applying the sealer over the top?

.
 
Can you submerge the entire tank in a plastic swimming pool and use electrolysis to remove the rust inside and paint/rust outside?
 
I took mine out and went to the hardware store and bought a foot of small chain and then cut the chain into 4 sections. I hung the tank in the garage and put about a gallon or two of kerosene in it with the chain and shook the tank all around knocking a lot of the rust and scale loose. I did this over a weekend, after doing this I took the tank to the local autoparts store and had them hot tank it.

I haven't had any problems with the tank since.
 
RonC said:
Can you submerge the entire tank in a plastic swimming pool and use electrolysis to remove the rust inside and paint/rust outside?
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OK, ...and then the clean-up of the de-rusted metal is done how?

I have never done it here at the shop but I have watched the process done by a couple of friends on other projects. What I have noticed is the rust will be turned to a "black film" that usually needs to be rubbed off with something slightly abrasive. I have not figured out how to get inside to do this without opening the tank up, ......nor have I figured out how to get the waste junk out from behind the baffles.

The other problem I am seeing more & more of is, how do you remove the sealers that people are putting over the top of the rust and etc. (nuts, rocks gravel, ??) that are left inside the tank after they have been "cleaned"?



Leroy, did you get all the rust out using your chain & kerosene method?
.
 
You have a point Brent. I sealed the tank on one of my 29s back in the mid 80s or 90 after cleaning it the best I could at the time, now I notice rust and sandlike particles lifting the sealer that's why I only washed out and flushed the other 29 and put a stand up screen on the shutoff. I figure it's better to flush out the sedement bowl once in awhile rather than take a chance of coating over rust and dirty sediment. Agree, the very best way is to remove the tank, open it up and sandblast.
 
There are baffles in the tank that if you put a chain down the gas filler hole, it would not get into the left side or the right side. Notice the two pictures below from a tank who's top was removed. The baffles either side of the area where the gas goes in goes from top to bottom.

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Look at how much crud was in this swap meet find tank. I can't imagine electrolysis or nuts and bolts rattling around getting all that junk out of the side areas! This is what was found inside the tank.
gastank.jpg



The best way would be to take your tank to a company that dips metal parts to remove rust. The radiator shop doesn't cut it in my opinion. Here in Dallas, we use Metal Rehab. http://www.metalrehabinc.com/
 
BRENT in 10-uh-C said:
Leroy, did you get all the rust out using your chain & kerosene method?
.
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I'm not 100% sure I got all the rust out, but I know the glass bulb show little if any. I didn't use a sealer and also run a clear plastic filter after the glass bulb just incase. Works for me, your mileage my vary.
 
i dumped 100 1/2" nuts in mine, put 50/50 water and swimming pool acid in it and sloshed it around, drained. twice. it was really bad. then soap and water a couple times, then sealed it with red-kote. works perfectly, as it was cracked at the steering column mount.
 
If you use elctrolocis it will brake down the lineing inside as for the black stuff that builds up it comes off like grease I actulay it is grease from some aria of the part that just spreds like film just fill with laquer thiner and shake. and let sit and shake and let sit then empty.
 
I used por15. they have a three stage cleaner and sealer for metal tanks. It worked great. I used the two cleaners and then stuck my pressure washer in both openings to blast off all the really caked on crud. the sealer is great too it leaves a nice thick coat in the tank just rotate the tank a few times with each step and it comes out great. Just remember to follow the instructions!
 
I think the Por15 process uses phosphoric acid. What iron oxide it doesn't remove is converted to a phosphate coating that won't corrode the same way as the original steel material. How long any cleaning and sealing job will last is anybodys guess. Several motorcycle tanks that I have done are still in good shape as long as they are driven regularly and stored inside out of the weather.
 
I think everyone is missing a key point. Originally, these tanks were bare steel inside, no special liner or coating. If you get ALL the rust out, don't seal it. There are plenty of chemicals out there to strip and neutralize any rust. If you can de-rust it, don't seal it if you don't need to. Sealers are known to fail. If the car is to be stored for any length of time, drain the tank, let it dry, and set a small wax cup of desiccant into the spark arrestor screen. Check monthly, change if saturated.
 
Chemical Cleaning Experience

The tank in my 31 Tudor was totally caked with varnish and some minor rust. I tried all the remedies I could think of (some mentioned here) and nothing worked. I then was informed of a chemical stripping company in Eastern Iowa. I contacted them and they do tons of tanks for all kinds of vehicles. I had them clean my tank. When I got it back, it was all new metal inside and out. No rust, totally clean new metal. I was not convinced the inside was really that good...so I used a lighted flexible mirror device. It was totally clean inside everywhere...including behind the baffels. I then used a liner kit. I worked very well with all the acid and water rinses and etc. Tank is like new.

It sure worked for me. I have a like new tank. No more pieces of crap continually clogging the filters and carb.
 
Russ/40 said:
Originally, these tanks were bare steel inside, no special liner or coating.
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My cabriolet tank appears to have been galvenized inside. Not sure if that was done at the factory, but I do know that the last time it was on the road before I had it was in 1962. And it's shiney new looking inside I've heard others with the same report that they had a galvanized tank, also.
 
Tank plating

Model A tanks were actually "terne plated" inside and out at the factory. This is a lead/ tin sacrificial coating.
It normally will be consumed on the inside of these tanks after many years of moisture and abuse.
Below is an early 31 tank I recently purchased. You can plainly see the raw gray terne where the painter never reached between firewall & tank.
I sanded it lightly and sure enough it powders off like lead.

Terne is an authentic plating option for the generator cutout & oil filler cap.
 

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Re: Chemical Cleaning Experience

Curt Campbell said:
The tank in my 31 Tudor was totally caked with varnish and some minor rust. I tried all the remedies I could think of (some mentioned here) and nothing worked. I then was informed of a chemical stripping company in Eastern Iowa. I contacted them and they do tons of tanks for all kinds of vehicles. I had them clean my tank. When I got it back, it was all new metal inside and out. No rust, totally clean new metal. I was not convinced the inside was really that good...so I used a lighted flexible mirror device. It was totally clean inside everywhere...including behind the baffels. I then used a liner kit. I worked very well with all the acid and water rinses and etc. Tank is like new.

It sure worked for me. I have a like new tank. No more pieces of crap continually clogging the filters and carb.
Click to expand...

Who and where in Eastern Iowa??
 
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