Whoa!!! Muriatic Acid in the gastank to remove some rust!

I used electrolisys for a total of 5 days. and the tank was still not as clean as I would have liked it. I sealed up the fuel level gauge hole and the petcock hole with innertube and a metal plate, then poured in about 1/4 gallon of muriatic acid. I then sealed the fuel opening with duct tape.

I then swished it around inside the tank. The duct tape did not hold very well (or maybe it was the cap screw) and some nasty thick rust colored fluid seeped out. I quicly rinsed it off with the hose. Then I took off the duct tape. WOW!!! All of the rust was gone! I swished the acid around inside for a total of MAYBE 3 minutes.

I then proceeded to flush the tank with LOTS of water. It is now rust free and shiny.


The only reason I did this today is because I just received my Por-15 tank liner kit. Now I'm off to line my tank!

All safety rules apply when using this method. Rubber gloves, close water supply, lots of fresh air (outside), and safety glasses (or even better GOGGLES).

 

Be warned, you will get flash rust. This is the reason I waited until today to do it, right before I am using the Por-15 liner.

 

por-15 liner sticks to light rust just as good as clean metal. It also draws the remaining moisture out of the rust layer. good stuff.

 

What "Percent" ... was the acid?

 

Re: Whoa!!! Muriatic Acid in the gastank to remove some rust

31.45% Hydrochloric Acid. I got it at the local hardware store. Any hardware store should have it.

 

I would have rinsed with baking soda to neutralize the acid!

 

Re: Whoa!!! Muriatic Acid in the gastank to remove some rust

I would have hurt myself....

 

Re: Whoa!!! Muriatic Acid in the gastank to remove some rust

LOL.....

I've used Muriatic Acid lots of times in the past to remove rust from parts. It also works great to clean out slow flowing drains (if they are plugged in the trap).

Around here it is less than $5 per gallon.

 

It gets down-right scary, in here, sometimes!

But, that's what makes is soooo much fun!

 

I should clarify my first post a little bit.

I still followed all steps with the por-15 kit. I used their chemicals and directions. THe muriatic acid was an extra step I took in the beginning before I started with the por-15 kit.

For anybody who has used the por-15 kit, Muriatic Acid does the same thing as the por-15 metal ready, but a whole lot faster.

 

Re: Whoa!!! Muriatic Acid in the gastank to remove some rust

You may laugh, but I once used a chemical designed to remove rust stains from toilets. It worked so fast you could see the rust disappearing from around the filler neck as it was being poured.

 

That is pretty much how fast the muriatic acid works. It's crazy!

 

Re: Whoa!!! Muriatic Acid in the gastank to remove some rust

will this stuff work on the outside of the bike to remove the rust off the other parts of the bike??

 

It removes rust from all types of metal. It is very volatile and will eat paint and the like. I would test it on a spare part before using it on a good one. It not only removes rust, it etches the metal (basically eats a little bit of it).

 

if your tank is all clean inside and has no leaks, why put sealer in it ?

 

just so I don't have to worry so much about future rust. It is pitted inside. I wanted the muriatic acid to eat the rust out of the pits, then use the Por to fill them. It worked good as far as I can see.

 

i sincerely hope it works out for ya
let me ask you this, if that sealer was in there when you bought it would you have had concerns about it ?
i think i would

 

I wouldn't have had any concerns. I run an extra fuel filter between my gas tank and carbs anyhow, so if something sneaks through it gets caught.

This tank was in very rough shape. The tank sat empty for 10 years before I bought the bike. There were huge flakes of rust coming off, and the petcock filter was gone. I ended up buying a new petcock from Yamaha, and stripping the inside of the tank and coating it. It's all good now (I hope!).

 

Re: Whoa!!! Muriatic Acid in the gastank to remove some rust

Any update on your tank?
I was deciding between muriatic and POR-15. I hadn't considered doing both!
I had decided to go with POR-15 because once it's cleaned and lined, no more problems (hopefully), but if your tank is fine maybe I will do both.
Are you still rust and clog free?

 

Re: Whoa!!! Muriatic Acid in the gastank to remove some rust

Yep. After flushing with muriatic acid, then using the POR15 kit I have had NO problems whatsoever. I have used fuel additives such as JB and sea foam, and the coating is still perfect.

 

Re: Whoa!!! Muriatic Acid in the gastank to remove some rust

I have to say I really like the POR-15 liner. I put it in my tank 5 months or so ago (when I first started working on the bike). It took forever to cure, but once it did, it became impervious to pretty much anything I could throw at it. I imagine that some very strong acid would touch it, but that's not something you'd pour in a good tank anyway I even tried to dissolve it off my garage floor with B-12 professional, to no avail... had to dremel it off.

this stuff remains somewhat flexible and is very tough. Gas with ethanol does not bother it. It's kinda pricey ($45 or so) but still cheaper than a new tank.

They also have a clearcoat with similar properties that I was considering for the outside of the tank after I rattle-canned it (winter project).

 

used muriatic acid where i used to work, pretty nasty stuff. Spilled some on a piece of coated cement and didn't realize it. Came back a few hours later and it had eating through the cement!!!