Gas Tank

Ken Arms

Ken Arms

Well-known member
I have had no luck finding a repop gas tank for my 34 other than street rod versions or back ordered versions. Has anyone used RENU? they are in several states and refurbish tanks with steel bead blast and then a coating. Its a bit exspensive so im wondering who might be running one they have done. My orig tank is not too bad but has rust outside and most likley some inside, no holes or leaks when I ran it last but that was 49 years ago! Ken
 
Ken,

I used a kit from Eastwood and it worked extremely well but with the condition of by tank it was a lot of work. I sloshed the tank with muriatic acid and water for days before I got all the rust out. Quite a workout on the arms and shoulders. After applying the final conditioner and coating it came out pristine but the key like anything else is in the preparation.

Bead blasting the tank might be OK for the outside but you wouldn't want to get any blasting media inside. It will get stuck under the baffles and won't come out only to show up later down stream in your fuel system.

Scott
 
Check out my previous posts on how I restored the tank on my 36 Fordoor. I used a solution of baking soda and water cooked by the current from a battery charger. PM me for details if you don't see my previous description of the process. My tank turned out very clean, car ran great last summer.
 
Dean, I found your post, that has my attention! Very interesting exept the pics that bruce posted on an old thread of his, has me worried since you cant see the inside on any procedure except to open it up like he did. I may try it though since cutting it open and welding seems un fun! Im still Hoping for feed back on RENU. Thanks Ken
 
I have used Gas Tank Renu for 3 tanks now and they were always more than satisfactory. Running with a gas tank full of gunk will clog up everything soon. We usually change the fuel lines at the same time.

Fritz
 
Ken I consider my repop 34 gas tank ( Drake's I think) one of my better investments. No dirt in gas and the filler flap to help with filler gas cap leaks. Check a round JOE'S ANTIQUE or DENNIS CARPENTER may have one. Good luck.
 
Renu has always worked real well for me. I also have used Bob Drakes repo tanks. Very nice quality and well worth the money. I also changed my fuel lines in cars that have sat for years. I plan on looking up dean333 baking soda solution. Sounds very interesting.
 
Ken-

I used Gas Tank Renu on a '40 Buick coupe I had. A local radiator shop was a Renu agent which made it convenient. The service was fast and it came out great. I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

Tom
 
From what I could see looking thru the filler neck and sending unit holes it looked pretty clean inside.

Tim [dean is my login and middle name]
 
I used Renu for a 34 tank and am pleased. I was told that the outside coating can be sanded flat and primed and painted to give the appearance of original if you want, but the flat black appearance of the outside coating was fine for me.
 
I have cut open several tanks, sandblasted the interior, removed dents and sewn them back together with good luck. I did not take pictures but as I recall a 34 tank has a length wise parallel baffle about 2 - 3" from the front leading edge and two cross baffles. I marked out a pattern and then used a sabre saw with very fine teeth. To start I needed to drill a series of small holes in line in order to start the blade. After that it was a piece of cake
 
Bob NH said:
I have cut open several tanks, sandblasted the interior, removed dents and sewn them back together with good luck. I did not take pictures but as I recall a 34 tank has a length wise parallel baffle about 2 - 3" from the front leading edge and two cross baffles. I marked out a pattern and then used a sabre saw with very fine teeth. To start I needed to drill a series of small holes in line in order to start the blade. After that it was a piece of cake
Click to expand...


Bob I need to clean my tank. Can you please run past us the method for joining the tank back together?

Thanks, Tom.
 
I was afraid you might ask Tom. (Kidding of course) It can be a bit "tricky" to keep the pieces together. I found it best to clamp a piece of stiff flat steel under one edge and tack it in a few spots on the longest two sides to keep warping to a minimum, then lay in the top piece you removed and tack a few spots around the whole tank. Move around to different areas and continue to close the gap a little at a time. Other guys on here probably could offer even better ideas. Depending on how much warping you get around the ends you may need a bit of body filler to smooth it up. I have never used a set of panel clamps to keep edges together but I'll bet they would also be great for a job like that ! We are speaking of the top of the tank, not the bottom so it will not show if you mess it up a bit. I hope this has been a little helpful to ya'll and good luck. Above all, make absolutely certain the tank has NO FUMES in it before you start, you might even fill it completely with water and then empty before hand ? Bob
 
Ken, l sealed a bike tank with POR 15 tank sealer which worked well, way the best sealer I have used, and good for thin rusty tank.

Bob, I want to open my tank up to clean it, but could not see how to join it back up, so thanks for your advice, but concerned about using welding gear on gas tank? What would you think to opening a panel in the top to get access, then fabricate a new closing panel, which would be bigger than the hole, and fix it with, say pop rivets and sealer ?
 
Depending on how big of an access hole you make I think your ability to do a through cleaning would be very limited. Based on what you think you might accomplish with limited access I would probably spring for a new tank. I have one hanging in my basement which I had redone and only changed it to a new stainless one with a tight fitting screw on cap to prevent spilling over when quite full. It was on a street rod so did not matter too much about being stock. Like I said in the earlier post, I would get rid of any fumes and let it air dry after a good rinse and it would be fine, SAFETY FIRST !
 
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