Best way to clean inside of a gas tank?

Hi all! I am in the process of repainting my gas tank and thought this would also be a great time to clean out the rust that has built up on the inside. I've read a couple threads on here that have suggested CLR or Evaporust, are these products okay to use in my gas tank? I just got my bike and I don't want to mess it up

 

how ever you clean it you will want to remove the petcock
you can clean the tank by putting a bag of fish tank gravel in it and tumbling it in a drier.
remove petcock remove gas cap , pour in gravel ,tape off with duct tape wrap in plastic,trash bag tape it tight.
put pillows or cushion foam in drier to keep tank tight in drier tumble comes real clean. you would want to do this before painting.

you can use phosphoric acid it will turn any rusted areas black and those spots will not rus again .I do not know the mixture for this.

or use electrolis to clean it out

 

Evaporust works well if the rust is not too deep, a little surface rust it'll clean right out. The good thing is it can be reused several times.
Don't know if CLR would do it, in my experience that is really more for cleaning rust stains than removing rust itself.

 

from www.xj4ever.com catalog of parts
Here are a few other good ways to de-rust metal products:

http://www.mopedarmy.com/wiki/Removing_rust_from_a_gas_tank

http://users.eastlink.ca/~pspencer/nsaeta/electrolysis.html

http://www.moreg.org.au/dissolving_rust.htm

http://www.htpaa.org.au/article-electro.php

http://xjbikes.com/forums/index.php?threads/32838

http://xjbikes.com/forums/index.php...val-no-frills-easiest-fastest-cheapest.48196/

http://www.robertscycle.com/chrome-clean.html

 

I would add that if you will be painting yourself soon this will be fine. Once the tank is clean you need to get something in it really soon. I had my tank painted professionally and they had to clean and dry really well before prep and paint. By the time I picked it up, it has rusted pretty good on the inside and I need to run it through the tumble again. Not looking forward to that with nice paint on it now.

 

you can "fogg" the tank when i paint tank i put an expantion plug inthe gas opening and a metal plate over the petcock hole because you are not supposed to paint the area that the petcock sits on.fog spray or light oil.
you are correct you want to clean tank fogg and paint without delay

 

I like this gravel tumbler idea, I'm going to try it out.

 

I am sure I don't have to say this but when you put the tank in the dryer to tumble........NO HEAT....air tumble only

 

And don't tell your special lady friend what you're doing with her dryer

 

or when you take her extra pillows

 

First of all ... my wife would not be happy - grin. However, I am planning on painting the tank this winter (bright blue) so I am very interested in this thread. I didn't think about additional rust in the tank.

 

Here's my experience. I had my tank painted last year and tucked it away with no regard to it bring completely dried for painting. Pulled it out this spring and had this.



Did some research, liked the idea of the tumbler in the dryer but really afraid of wrecking the paint. Got WD-40 Rust Remover. At $25/gallon, its not cheap and you have to be creative in moving it to get all sides but heres what I had after a week of flipping etc.



Went in clear, came out like this. Its supposedly reusable until black. I'm hoping I can still use it for other things otherwise its an expensive but effective option.

 

That tank looks to me just like one that has been treated with phosphoric acid. I looked at the MSDS for the WD-40 Rust soak, and it lists oxides of phosphorous as a byproduct of the soak when it is in a fire. I think you may have overpaid for what you got. It does seem to do a good job though.

 

I wouldn't doubt, companies make good money on simple stuff we can make at home. It was a convenience thing. I had researched the phosphoric acid route and was planning to do that. Happened to see this at Lowes and a quick google search showed excellent reviews so I went for it. dump in, let sit, flip, done! With my schedule that helps.

As always, YMMV! Wanted to share my experience with it.

 

YMMV? What does that mean?

 

Your mileage may vary.

 

I cleaned mine out with Apple Cider Vinegar. Man, that stuff works wonders!

 

I've been using a 20 ~ 30% phosphoric acid solution for de-rusting stuff for years. Great for larger lumps too, like trailer chassis, gates, etc. Just knock the big loose bits off, brush it on, leave overnight, it turns the rust black, hose it off and let dry. It can then be overpainted with primer or just a couple of coats of Hammerite or similar if you like. I have a trailer chassis lying in the yard that was a rusty mess, treated with this about 7 years ago. It's been lying out in the weather since and not a spot of rust has re-appeared.
Never tried it on the inside of a tank, but will do so when I need to.

 

I have had great results with vinegar as well. Cheap and easy, just not as quick.

 

Best way would be to cut the bottom out, blast the inside and weld it back together. It will be like brand new.