Good "A" Question

[ryan1929]

I have a 29 phaeton and im removing the gas tank to have it repaired because the colum is leaking. No problem..But...The tank was cleaned and coated with a sealer a few years ago by Gerard. Now when i have it re-cleaned will the old sealer come out? or can i just have the tank cleaned out and re-seal it with another sealer on top of the old sealer? I geuss if I cant get the old sealer out do I still use gas tank Etech? I dont want to cut open the tank to have the inside sandblasted if i dont have too. Does any one have any ideas on what to do?
Also Gerard what type of sealer did you use?. I want to use the Hersh Sealer From George Moirs Antique Auto Parts.
Thanks Ryan

 

[Glenn C.]

IMO to obtain a good solder bond and seal around the steering column mount, you have to have a good hot pickling and flushing, before applying enough appropriate heat to enable "wicking" and bonding of the solder. To my way of thinking, dirt and paint have to come off, at least in the general repair area. Heat in the repair area will destroy the bond of the original internal tank coating. I do not believe, just hot water or steam will clean the original internal tank coating sufficiantly to ensure over covering with a new tank sealer satisfactorly. Don't forget....these tanks have internal baffles, which impede you from seeing the internal general area of repair.

 

[Gerard]

Ryan, Glenn is right this could be the way to go. On the other hand Re sealing and slushing the new sealer over the older sealer WONT work whatever sealer you gonna use.
I think we have been over and over this issue here on the barn as well in pm messages. So once more again : have the support soldered / brazed and to minimise
the present sealer damage .A proffesional welder has a substance ( heatertransfer reducer ) squized out of a tube and placed around the area he want to weld. The ONLY other solution is to take to a prof who opens the tank cleans it etc etc.

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

I have a 29 phaeton and im removing the gas tank to have it repaired because the colum is leaking. No problem..But...The tank was cleaned and coated with a sealer a few years ago by Gerard. Now when i have it re-cleaned will the old sealer come out? or can i just have the tank cleaned out and re-seal it with another sealer on top of the old sealer? I geuss if I cant get the old sealer out do I still use gas tank Etech? I dont want to cut open the tank to have the inside sandblasted if i dont have too. Does any one have any ideas on what to do?
Also Gerard what type of sealer did you use?. I want to use the Hersh Sealer From George Moirs Antique Auto Parts.
Thanks Ryan

Wow, this poor horse has been beat to death here in the past discussing this but maybe it bears mentioning again....

A) The MSDS sheet for Bill Hirsch's sealer is the same as Permatex's Gasket Sealer. I have many documented instances where it will break-down when saturated in modern gasolines.

B) Hot caustic, (--which is what I use) heated to about 175 degrees will partially disolve most sealers however my experiences is that it will not fully disolve it even after a week of soaking and aggitation. We generally use a putty knife to scrape off the bigger pieces and then use abrasives to blast it away. Most metal etching products use Phosphoric acid as the ingredient to etch the metal however Phosphoric will not even touch any organic item.

C) I have always found that if the tank is leaking around the column brace, when the rivets are inspected closely, there will be fracturing of the tank metal which has allowed the rivets to work loose. Until THAT issue is repaired, no amount/type of sealer will band-aid this leak because every time the steering wheel is turned, upward & downward forces are placed on the tank along with the normal lateral forces just as we use our hands to brace us as we drive.

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