what is the best way to remove the rust
from my gas tank thats been empty for a while?
from my gas tank thats been empty for a while?
GAS TANK RENEWAL
- Thread starter aearch
- Start date
POR-15 gas tank restore system
thank you
so then i would need to fill it so it doesnt happen again sitting around. right.
so then i would need to fill it so it doesnt happen again sitting around. right.
Alan - The prior owner of my car had let the car sit for six years with half a tank of gas and I had rust in the upper half of my tank. I used a product called Evaporust to clean up the inside, and then used the two step POR 15 gas tank restoration system Steve recommended.
With the Evaporust, I poured a gallon inside the tank, and then positioned it so that the stuff would sit on a particular portion of the tank for 24 hours. I then moved the tank to reposition the liquid and let it sit another 24 hours. I took me about a week to get all the top parts of the inside of the tank clean.
Once it is sealed with the POR 15 system, you don't need to fill it.
With the Evaporust, I poured a gallon inside the tank, and then positioned it so that the stuff would sit on a particular portion of the tank for 24 hours. I then moved the tank to reposition the liquid and let it sit another 24 hours. I took me about a week to get all the top parts of the inside of the tank clean.
Once it is sealed with the POR 15 system, you don't need to fill it.
mdf
Active Member
I have had good luck with gas tank slushing compound (doing it myself) in the past. It is an epoxy coating that you use to coat the inside of the tank. IMPORTANT to remove all traces of rust before you apply. For badly corroded fuel tanks the ultimate solution is a company called Gas Tank Renu. Expensive but top quality. Check out the web site... This is a job you do not want to do again - and they get it right the first time. Good luck...
-Michael Fatsi
-Michael Fatsi
POR-15 gas tank restoration kit is a three step process: 1) tank cleaner 2) rust removal 3) impervious coating. I've used it on two tanks with great results.
This comment will start a ton of negative comments but oh well
i installed a new radiant heater system for the house and cleaned the (E) pipes w/ muriatic acid
so i had some left and filled the tank w/ it
-all rust gone in an hour.
today im filling w/ the neutilizer -then ill fill w gas -done
i installed a new radiant heater system for the house and cleaned the (E) pipes w/ muriatic acid
so i had some left and filled the tank w/ it
-all rust gone in an hour.
today im filling w/ the neutilizer -then ill fill w gas -done
Alan how will you protect against rust going forward?
I refurbed my tank recently and came to the conclusion that it's best left with the tank full of fuel as much as possible. My 40 year old tank was spotless on the bottom, it was just the top that was rusty. The rust holes along the seams had actually been caused by water sitting outside the tank, in the boot (trunk) floor. I researched all of the miracle tank lining products exhaustively and decided it wasn't worth the risk of possibly needing to remove a coating that had failed. POR15 I considered, but although it's great when it sticks, or doesn't bubble up, sometimes it just doesn't behave, even when all of the rules of application are followed to the letter. It's a nightmare on a surface you can actually access, but if it's a surface you can't reach you're in trouble.
...oh, and I forgot to add, I filled the tank with vinegar and left it about a week, worked a treat. I put a pile of old nuts and bolts in and shook it up every day or so. I also sealed up all of the holes so I could also let it sit upside down. There are a load of guides online about how to do it, I think I needed to neutralise the acid with baking soda after if I remember correctly. Regards, Damien
What I understand is the following; when you look in your tank and see rust, you want to remove it.
It has rusted because water contacted the inside of the tank, which is bare steel. Usually that is due to it sitting empty during restoration (like mine); there's air in the tank, and there's humidity in that air. Another source of rust is bad gas; traces of water exist in none-pure gas. It accumulates in tanks and causes rust from the inside.
So clean it whichever way you like, strong acids are fast but can be dangerous, mild acids are slower and just itch when they go through your gloves and then there's the abrasive way.
I learned that Muriatric acid is also known as Hydrochloric acid for our non native US speakers; it's bloody fast and you will be bloody fast if you spill it. Vinigar is also an acid, but a mild one. 3 step systems like POR15 (US brand), Tapox, Tank Cure and what not also use a mild acid to etch the rust. All acids need to be neutralized after use. Tumbling your tank with blasting sand, sharp screws and pebbles on a cement mixer takes it the abrasive way.
Once it is clean of rust, you can coat it (all coating systems are Epoxy coatings as far as i can tell), or leave it bare; the "Original -wie das sein soll- condition".
That's choice is mainly down the the next steps: If you know it's going to be filled with fuel directly after your cleaned it, then it won't rust; there's simply no water to start the process. If you however want to store the tank in an open and empty condition then something is needed to prevent surface rust. An epoxy coating will prevent surface rust. But also a thin oil coating could do the trick if your just want to store it for a few months. (like steel sheet from the factory is also covered in a light oil film)
hope this helps the choices of others.
It has rusted because water contacted the inside of the tank, which is bare steel. Usually that is due to it sitting empty during restoration (like mine); there's air in the tank, and there's humidity in that air. Another source of rust is bad gas; traces of water exist in none-pure gas. It accumulates in tanks and causes rust from the inside.
So clean it whichever way you like, strong acids are fast but can be dangerous, mild acids are slower and just itch when they go through your gloves and then there's the abrasive way.
I learned that Muriatric acid is also known as Hydrochloric acid for our non native US speakers; it's bloody fast and you will be bloody fast if you spill it. Vinigar is also an acid, but a mild one. 3 step systems like POR15 (US brand), Tapox, Tank Cure and what not also use a mild acid to etch the rust. All acids need to be neutralized after use. Tumbling your tank with blasting sand, sharp screws and pebbles on a cement mixer takes it the abrasive way.
Once it is clean of rust, you can coat it (all coating systems are Epoxy coatings as far as i can tell), or leave it bare; the "Original -wie das sein soll- condition".
That's choice is mainly down the the next steps: If you know it's going to be filled with fuel directly after your cleaned it, then it won't rust; there's simply no water to start the process. If you however want to store the tank in an open and empty condition then something is needed to prevent surface rust. An epoxy coating will prevent surface rust. But also a thin oil coating could do the trick if your just want to store it for a few months. (like steel sheet from the factory is also covered in a light oil film)
hope this helps the choices of others.
excellent write up
yep the acid did the trick very well
then i put the neutilizer in and hosed it out.
after i dryed it with a shop vac . i installed it and immediately
filled it to the top with gas and sealed with the cap cap.
yep the acid did the trick very well
then i put the neutilizer in and hosed it out.
after i dryed it with a shop vac . i installed it and immediately
filled it to the top with gas and sealed with the cap cap.
Though the inside was pretty clean, my tank was rusted under the right side where it sits on the flange. The trunk seal was leaking and water was sitting in the trunk and wicking under the tank. The corrosion wasn't extensive, but it was enough to allow slow leaks when it was more than half full. I pulled the tank and saw that a previous owner had used something like JB Weld to patch the tank, without removing the rust. I took an angle grinder with a wire wheel to it and promptly found several holes that had been blocked by rust. One was a few mm in size, the others were pinholes.
I was getting ready to move to the mainland from Maui so didn't want to refill my welding tanks, so chose to braze holes in the tank. I had limited heat available and that may have led to a less than perfect repair. Upon testing with water, there were a few tiny spots that still seeped liquid. I chose a locally available tank lining product, some things you can't get shipped to Hawaii via normal carrier, they must come by boat and that involves quite a bit of hassle as well as time.
The sealing worked fine and I've had no issues. Looking back, I still think brazing the tank is better than gas welding since it's easy to get it too hot and create warpage. Now that I have my TIG setup, I could cut out the damaged area and make a perfect patch, but with the Oxy-Acetylene rig, the heat is not as easy to control.
Ian
I was getting ready to move to the mainland from Maui so didn't want to refill my welding tanks, so chose to braze holes in the tank. I had limited heat available and that may have led to a less than perfect repair. Upon testing with water, there were a few tiny spots that still seeped liquid. I chose a locally available tank lining product, some things you can't get shipped to Hawaii via normal carrier, they must come by boat and that involves quite a bit of hassle as well as time.
The sealing worked fine and I've had no issues. Looking back, I still think brazing the tank is better than gas welding since it's easy to get it too hot and create warpage. Now that I have my TIG setup, I could cut out the damaged area and make a perfect patch, but with the Oxy-Acetylene rig, the heat is not as easy to control.
Ian
And don't replace the foam seal with more foam, it traps water. Use 3M Strip Caulk.