Gas Tank Lining Headache in a '32

G

Gordon Ellis

Member
15 years ago I had a local company line the inside of my 32 Ford gas tank. 5 years ago it started peeling off. Three years ago I tried to remove the old lining as best I could and lined it myself with a POR15 product. The POR15 is now flaking off.
This is a huge concern. Must I buy a stainless tank or are there other options that are excellent? I do have a filter in the line.
 
Remove it, clean it to remove the old linings, don't reline it with anything, and don't use it to store gasoline if your drives aren't at least every month. And use only alcohol-free gasoline.
 
If you can still find an 'old school' radiator shop, take the tank there and have them boil it out. Best way to remove the pealing off lining.
 
I think back to my first deuce gas tank. Living in Nebraska in 1974 the go to guy back then for deuce parts was Lowell Kimbell in Norfolk. Lowell gave me directions to a little town where he had his 32 salvage yard. I needed a firewall of which there were a good selection and a gas tank. I picked a nice firewall and a nice gas tank plus a few other parts, paid for them and went home. At some point in it's life the cap must have been off the tank because it had good batch of upholstery padding stuffed inside. It was quite a struggle to get all the crap out of the tank but I finally got it clean and to my knowledge it's still on the back of the sedan I used it under?
 
Krylon32 said:
I think back to my first deuce gas tank. Living in Nebraska in 1974 the go to guy back then for deuce parts was Lowell Kimbell in Norfolk. Lowell gave me directions to a little town where he had his 32 salvage yard. I needed a firewall of which there were a good selection and a gas tank. I picked a nice firewall and a nice gas tank plus a few other parts, paid for them and went home. At some point in it's life the cap must have been off the tank because it had good batch of upholstery padding stuffed inside. It was quite a struggle to get all the crap out of the tank but I finally got it clean and to my knowledge it's still on the back of the sedan I used it under?
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Lowell is still the go-to-guy. He's got an amazing collection of parts.
 
DavidG said:
Remove it, clean it to remove the old linings, don't reline it with anything, and don't use it to store gasoline if your drives aren't at least every month. And use only alcohol-free gasoline.
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I completely agree with DaveG on all of his points.

I might add a couple of other things I have done that seem to be working for me on more than one car with rust in the tanks.

My '40 Ford tank had rust - not severe, but rust particles would still appear in the fuel filter and carb float bowl. I removed the tank and closed up all the openings so nothing would leak out and poured in 2 gallons of phosphoric acid (you can get this at Home Depot called "Prep and Etch"). I sloshed it all around inside for 1 full day by constantly turning and flipping the tank over and over to completely coat the inside of the tank. Then dumped the remaining excess acid, rinsed with a couple of gallons of water and stood the tank up on end with the fill opening facing down and let it drain and air dry for about 2 days. The phosphoric acid neutralizes the rust but doesn't harm the good metal. After the tank dries, it looks clean inside and I don't see any more rusty particles or residue showing up where I don't want them.

Secondly, I always add Marvel Mystery Oil to the gasoline. If nothing else, it helps keep a light oil film on the inside of your tank to inhibit future rust formation and that ain't a bad thing.
 
Thanks guys for the fulsome responses. I will take your advice on this matter.


Re stuff in a 32 gas tank, when I bought my Ford, about 70 years ago, it had been stored in a barn shed for years. The farmers kids had filled the gas tank with turkey pellets. Gobble gobble.
 
I second mcgarrett's advice regarding the use of phosphoric acid (metal prep) once you've got the goop removed.
 
My '36 half-ton some years back - professionally halved it, sandblasted and buffed it inside(gleaming) and out. Back together exactly as it was original.
Literally brand new. Painted exterior professionally and installed.
Doesn't get any better that that! Thank You -
 
1956 ford said:
y not buy a new tank?
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I'm thinking you probably wouldn't appreciate some of the answers you might get to that question, but as a newbie here, we'll give you the benefit of the doubt and advise that is not a question to ask an owner of an original 1932 Ford, unless of course you mean a rare as hens teeth New Old Stock tank! :D
 
Well when someone tells me they coat a tank 15 years ago it started to peel then put por 15 over the old coating and it started to peel the por 15 not what is peeling is the 1st coating I have had many tanks coating professionally done I'm 80 year old 1938 ford has been done 25 years and still doing well
 
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