rusty tank

W

wbs

Senior Member
there is a video on the net of someone cleaning a tank by putting pellets and vinegar in the tank and shaking it. does this work? it seems that because the tank has 5 segments that this method would not work. by the way, how does gas get out of the other 4 segments and into the main segment and into the outlet?
 
There’s nothing that works like cutting it open, blasting, coating and welding back together.
There are folks that do that and can be found on this site….I’m not familiar with them. It’s about $1k service!
The “segments” are actually baffles to avoid full slosh in the tank. They have plenty of holes to allow fuel leveling.
 
build a rotisserie and put a few handfulls of small machine bolt nuts or similar in the tank and let it tumble for a few days.
 
eagle said:
build a rotisserie and put a few handfulls of small machine bolt nuts or similar in the tank and let it tumble for a few days.
Click to expand...

I wish I had a dollar for every tank that has come to us with 'debris' (i.e.: aquarium rocks, small nuts, sand, pellets, etc.) lodged behind the baffles that the restorer was not able to remove. Imagine how well that debris does when it is partially covered with gas tank sealer. My advice on that is do NOT put debris inside the tank unless you have a sure fire way of getting to the inside of the tank to get it removed.
 
They are baffles. They allow flow but only in key lower areas of the tank. The upper ends of the baffles don't extend all the way to the top but they aren't far from it so that air space can cover the whole top area. The 1930 /31 tanks are more complicated than the 1928/29 types.

Acetic acid or vinegar is a mild iron oxide desolver that can be used to remove iron oxide but it is difficult to stop oxidation or dry the tank out without more iron oxide forming. Mild phosphoric acid with several other chemicals mixed it will conversion coat the metal surfaces to inhibit corrosion from reforming but it usually is good to rinse and dry the tank with MEK or methyl alcohol. A person would have a fard time getting any pellets, pebbles, or other small bits of steel out of the tank. It would take a while for sure. There would likely always be something stuck in there.

Sealers are also difficult to slosh and remove excess. When welding a tank top back on after abrasive blast & cleaning, a person may have a problem with the weld ares if sealed too close. A good portion of the tank could sealed before but those seam areas may have to be sealed later after welding/ The slosh would basically have to cover around the top and right & left sides to seal the weld areas. I would be curious how others do it.

There is a product available now that is referred to as MAX GRE or gasoline resistant epoxy. I'll have to try some of that stuff one of these days and see if it works.
 
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Ive grown to be huge fan of Evapo rust, and Rust911. I bought Rust911 in concentrated form, and filled some plastic storage bins. I dropped in some old heads, and an engine block that was rebuilt and assembled 20+ years ago. I let it soak for a few days, and pulled it out to dry. I found that the rust was gone, but the solidified assembly lube was still there, and still hard as a rock. It took some elbow grease, but I did get it cleaned, and all the machined surfaces were still in spec.

Ive also used Por15 on a motorcycle gas tank on a bike I rescued while in high school 24 years ago. I was able to empty a pie tin full of rust out of this tank. This tank doesnt have baffles so I was not concerned about getting my nuts and bolts out. Fast forward to a year ago when I gave the bike to my father in law and he paid to have it fully restored. The paint still holds tight, and has never flaked off. The tank has never leaked, and looks as good as the day I installed the Por15.

If it were my Model A, I would take the tank off the car, and run a hose through it while I tried to reach in with tools to get an debris out. then I would cork the drain, and fill the baby up with Rust911. After few days, I would drain it, let it dry, and follow all the steps for Por15. One of the main steps in Por15 is to use a Marine Kleen Metal etch. Lastly I would run a sediment filter to keep a visual on what the fuel looks like.


Thanks,
Daniel Nelson
 
The tank in my Chandler AZ 30 pickup had a bees nest in it with comb . No way to break it up to remove it so I cut the tank top out to get at it ( no honey ) MIG welded the top back in cleaned up the weld and a bit of bondo then paint . This was 9 years ago and all still good I did not use any sealer . I keep the gas cap on so the bees do not return . My original gas cap was stolen a few years back I think it was the bees !!! Before any cutting/welding make sure the tank is GAS FREE .


John in Autumnal weather Suffolk County England .
 
If you use any heat on a gas tank you can fill it with argon or carbon dioxide to make sure that there is no oxygen to cause an explosion. Dry ice can supply the carbon dioxide, just use a vented cap.
 
as to Brents comment- you can put in one or two short lengths of chain, which is easily retrievable.

also a HF mixer can be bought for this job and be given dual use........
strap the tank to the mixer and let her run!
 
Molasses makes a great rust remover. I've cleaned up plenty of blocks, sumps and other bits with it. Depending on how rusty the component is, it can take up to a week to thoroughly clean off the rust. A slosh with bicarb soda will neutralise the acid and you're ready to go. I've sealed every tank in my 4 Model As and had no sign of trouble with any of them.
PS. The rusty item MUST be oil and grease free.
 
Back strap molasses is from the final centrifuge extraction of sugar from the sugar cane and is best used for a supplement in livestock feed but if allowed to ferment, it can also be used to make vinegar and/or citric acid. The first extractions are used to make sugar and is a lot lighter in color. The second extraction is darker in color and is the form that was used for baking and candy production. It is also used for mash in the production of rum.
 
you can also fill with vinegar, wait a few months and rinse. works well if you have time and is cheap.
 
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