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Redneck Tank Derusting

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  • Start date Start date
Frank Z. said:
Beautiful. You a NASA engineer?... Looks suspiciously like a prototype for the Project Mercury capsule.

A19680241000CP11.jpg
Click to expand...


Upon re-entry my paint burned off .................. :eek:
 
I've replaced the entire floor of a Jeep Cherokee.
Nearly destroyed two angle grinders in the process.
I've spent more money on rustoleum, than gas!

Good times...well not really
 
Last edited:
5azzmonkey said:
I originally used vinegar this past summer and more rust developed in the following week than what developed when it sat for 10 years!

I plan on coating it with por 15 too

-Dave
Click to expand...


Hmm, I did mine with great results and it was bad, really bad.
I wonder if letting it sit in the tank for a month made the difference?
No coating here! I played heck getting the coating out of mine before the soak. I will never coat a tank
 
Highway_Glider said:
I saw a video on youtube were this good old boys fills is tank with old bolts, wrap it up in a blanket and stiffs it in a drier for an hour.

Seemed effective.

DP
Click to expand...

I did mine by hand but lemme tell ya, a few shakes with a tank full of vinegar and aquairium rocks almost made me wanna hit Craigslist and look for a cheap dryer.

Thought about duct taping the tank to the drive wheel of a car. Jack the car up and put it in gear. Round and round we go..
 
Alright folks, stop dealing with expensive chemicals and weird processes that don't seem to do anything. No matter how rusted your tank is, here's what works. Go out and buy a couple bottles of Sno Bowl toilet cleaner. That stuff eats through anything oxidized or rusted, but it doesn't actually etch the metal, and it doesn't damage paint if a few drops spill out, just make sure you wipe it off fairly quickly. Also, it is so effective there is no need for rocks, bearings, BB's or whatever. Pour a bottle in the tank, close it up, and shake it up. Let it sit for a bit, it doesn't take long, maybe twenty minutes. Pour it all out and do it again. After you pour it out the second time, rinse it out with water. It doesn't etch the metal like muriatic acid so it's not going to instantly rust again. Check to see if there is any sediment left. If there is it should be loose, just keep rinsing with water til nothing comes out. If the tank is really bad I still might do it a third time after all that. Also, generally this works well enough that there is no need to fill it up over the "hump" of the tank. Just shaking it up will clean the hump off.

I have used this process many times. The first was on a 1979 Triumph Bonneville that had gas sitting in it for almost 10 years. The tank was disgusting, had a nice layer of varnish on the bottom and the whole tank was filled with rust. It was BAD. Before knowing this process I would have called it a total loss. A few treatments of Sno Bowl later and it looked like it had just been pulled off a brand new bike.

If you're worried about the strength of it affecting your paint, you can cut it with water, it'll just take more treatments. But I can assure everyone, I work in a dealership that sometimes has to deal with older carbureted bikes that have sat with gas in them for years. This is the only process I use. IT WORKS.
 
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Sc0ttzi said:
Alright folks, stop dealing with expensive chemicals and weird processes that don't seem to do anything. No matter how rusted your tank is, here's what works. Go out and buy a couple bottles of Sno Bowl toilet cleaner. That stuff eats through anything oxidized or rusted, but it doesn't actually etch the metal, and it doesn't damage paint if a few drops spill out, just make sure you wipe it off fairly quickly. Also, it is so effective there is no need for rocks, bearings, BB's or whatever. Pour a bottle in the tank, close it up, and shake it up. Let it sit for a bit, it doesn't take long, maybe twenty minutes. Pour it all out and do it again. After you pour it out the second time, rinse it out with water. It doesn't etch the metal like muriatic acid so it's not going to instantly rust again. Check to see if there is any sediment left. If there is it should be loose, just keep rinsing with water til nothing comes out. If the tank is really bad I still might do it a third time after all that. Also, generally this works well enough that there is no need to fill it up over the "hump" of the tank. Just shaking it up will clean the hump off.

I have used this process many times. The first was on a 1979 Triumph Bonneville that had gas sitting in it for almost 10 years. The tank was disgusting, had a nice layer of varnish on the bottom and the whole tank was filled with rust. It was BAD. Before knowing this process I would have called it a total loss. A few treatments of Sno Bowl later and it looked like it had just been pulled off a brand new bike.

If you're worried about the strength of it affecting your paint, you can cut it with water, it'll just take more treatments. But I can assure everyone, I work in a dealership that sometimes has to deal with older carbureted bikes that have sat with gas in them for years. This is the only process I use. IT WORKS.
Click to expand...


I've heard of a product called "the works", also a toilet bowl cleaner.
Read some where that if used in the same process you described you'll get similar results. Cheap and can be had at WalMart.
I wonder if it's the same product?
 
hydrogen chloride is the main active ingredient, I did a search and it is used for de rusting metal.
 
Actually if time isn't a luxury, just go straight to Muriatic Acid(hydrochloric acid).
Actually it works a little "too" fast depending on dillution. Becareful, it will etch the **** out of your tank if you throw it in Straight and leave it even a short period of time.
I tried the "green/safe" version at home depot, and was very impressed.
No flash rust either.

Phosphoric Acid works wells too!(Naval Jelly)
If you use this, it will buy you Major time before it flash rusts.
 
I am currently doing the electrolytic process. 2nd time doing it and it seems to work great. especially when you see the rust floating to the top of the water and the sacrificial steel plate is cover with the bad stuff. will try to add some pix.
 
lol, its in there! The tank is fully submersed. anything that is bolted to it, i.e. petcock, is removed. The water is white at first because washing soda was added. As i understand it iti is a catalyst. I think all total it was in just under 24hrs. I then emptied it of all water and sprayed pb blaster(ran out of wd-40 :) ) inside to wick away any residual water and to prevent any more rust from starting again.
 
Can someone put my mind at ease? About 9 hours ago I filled my tank with 2 gallons of vinegar to de rust and I left the petcock and fuel guage in there. Do you think they will survive the vinegar treatment?
 
vinegar soak

vinegar soak

So my 9 hours ago is now about 36 hours. I got called away from the house for a work related issue, but nonetheless, the petcock is still soaking in the tanks vinegar bath. I'll let ya'll know how it turns out. The lever on the petcock to switch from PRI ON or RES was broke off anyway so I don't know if it worked anyhow. WE shall see.
 
dfinnegan71 said:
Can someone put my mind at ease? About 9 hours ago I filled my tank with 2 gallons of vinegar to de rust and I left the petcock and fuel guage in there. Do you think they will survive the vinegar treatment?
Click to expand...
I have not read this entire thread, so I am not sure if if has been covered, but they say add a cup of salt to the vinegar to make it a stronger solution.
I left my gas cap on, and it ate the two aluminum nubs that lock the tank. It ate them to almost nothing. After twenty tries, and thinking I was using the wrong GS key to get the cap off, it luckily engaged and came off. I left the original (garbage) petcock in also and it ate some of the base plate.
 
How long did you leave the vinegar in there? Was it right up to the top as to saturate the gas cap? I have a little bit of air space between the cap and fluid level. I won't get back home for another 36 hours....I hope it's alright!
 
IIRC I left vinegar in mine for about a week. Didn't do any harm but I didn't leave the fuel valve and sender in the tank.

The float in the sender might be toast.
 
loud et said:
I have not read this entire thread, so I am not sure if if has been covered, but they say add a cup of salt to the vinegar to make it a stronger solution.
Click to expand...

I've also read that salt increases the effectiveness.

Oh, and in experience some aquarium gravel really helps the derusting process as they scrub the metal. Using something large, like nuts and bolts, or smooth, like bb's, won't scrub the metal as well as the small sharp edged aquarium rocks.
 
update

update

So after a solid 4 days of vinegar in the tank, with petcock and fuel guage sender assembly still in there, I have some news to report.
The rubber on the sender remained in one peice, however it did separate from the metal holder piece it was attached to. The petcock survived, and much to my delight unclogged itself and is now a usuable fuel valve. And as for the rust....completely gone! I did a quick rinse first with half a can of WD-40, than about a quart or two of gasoline. It looks rust free as far as I can see. Vinegar! I woulda never thoguht!
 
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