Fuel Tank Repair

Guys,

I have a Tank that sat for 10 years with fuel in it. :cry:

I have pulled the tank and pressure tested it and it holds. Which is great down fall the inside is completely trashed and needs to be cleaned and resealed.

Does anyone have any idea how this can be done and on the cheap. I am on a short leash ($) and need to just try, if i cant get it clean then i will have to tru and find another tank.

Any help would be great.

Thanks

 

I've got evapo-rust that I'm yet to use. I've heard good things about it, so i'm gonna try that when the tank is ready.

You could try coca-cola and roofing nails, or maybe vinegar. I think those both work, but maybe not as fast as evaporust.

There's also the liner, like kreem and others. I remember some on here talking about a tank epoxy system that works well, but I can't remember ATM.

Caswells, that's the stuff: http://www.xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic ... liner.html <- see here

 

Sealing is more expensive than cleaning because you must use the right kind and Kreem is not one of those. Por-15 works the best. Their complete kit is less than $100-a used crappy tank can be twice that, a nice tank even more.

Don't try soda it won't do anything to that decade long crap. Vinegar would help some but it won't break down the varnish, evaporust will eat the rust but not varnish or gum. On the 'cheap' your best bet is to get some caustic cleaner like por-15's Marine Clean, or make your own from Lye and Distilled water (40:60). Put it in 'hot' and it will eat all the organic material and eliminate the gum and varnish from the tank, you could include something like bolts to shake around and shorten this process but be sure and get them all back out and use stainless whatever nothing ferrous like regular nails.

Then you can de-rust and etch the tank using Phosphoric Acid (available at Lowe's etc. as Metal Etch) or Evaporust. If you don't seal the newly cleaned tank with a sealer then you will need to flush it out well with clean gas and either keep it full at first or coat it with Marvel Mystery Oil until you start using it. The metal etch will remove the rust but un-sealed and/ or unprotected metal will eventually draw moisture and re-rust.

One last thing, some recommend using Muriatic Acid (aka Hydrochloric Acid). I wouldn't because it will eat metal and you plus it must be neutralized.

 

if it had gas in it there might not be much rust, just old varnished up gas.
you might start with just some fresh gas then some lacquer thinner just to get that old stinky stuff out.
i wouldn't use tank liner if i could help it, nothing makes me walk away from a for sale bike faster than tank liner

 

This works pretty well also pull the petcock and sending unit plug the holes. Pour some parts washer fluid or mineral spirits put a piece of chain in it keep swishing it around the chain gets the hardened stuff broke loose as well as big pieces of rust. after that i use electrolysis. My honda tank sat for 8 years with fuel in it. After the chain gets all the loose flakes. The electrolysis will turn the rest a dark black color. Rust never came back and its been 2 years i put a good bronze inline filter and have never had another problem and it sits for months at a time. Something you need to keep in the back of your mind the gas could have hardened and plugged any tiny holes.

 

Tank you all, I will have to try those and see what results I find.

The fuel sending unit has been removed and a new plate I fabricated to replace the sending unit. but the petcock is another story. i have to rebuil it and the rebulid kits do not come with the internal screen. so i may just use 2 inline filters, one fiber and one bronze.

Anyways.... Thank you all so much for the help. now I need to find a welder, cause the i need to do some other Mods and it will require a welder.