Fuel Tank..To line or not to line?

[Guest]

Hello Gents,

I recently purchased a used gas tank from ebay for my '80 GS550E. The exterior is in great condition save for one nickle sized dent. The inside looks pretty good but does contain some rust. My question is should I purchase a tank liner kit or just attempt to remove the rust? And if you guys think i should go the way of a kit, which do you recommend? Here's a link to pics if that helps. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1980-Suzuki-...72.m2749.l2649

[Rijko]

i ordered the Hirsch kit some years ago, and it holds perfectly.

Makes a way thicker coating than most other products and seems really strong.

http://www.hirschauto.com/Gas-Tank-Sealer-_-Repair/products/4/

Through a colleague of mine who designs airoplanes i found out this is the same liner KLM uses in their airoplane tanks.
I was explaining to him i needed something that would resist bio-ethanol and he laughed at me ... airplane fuel is much more agressive so i need not worry he told me.

[hannibal]

Why not try removing the rust first? If the tank comes out clean then run it. If not, find a liner. I used vinegar to clean my rusty tank and left it in too long. The acid ate through the rusty metal and left 2 small holes at the seams. I had to use a liner to save the tank and it has held up well for over a year.

BTW jet fuel is basically kerosene. Very different from gasoline with ethanol.

[sedelen]

Does it leak?

[GingerRacer]

Not sure if it leaks yet. Im currently waiting on petcock so i can assemble everything. But just from visual inspection there are no holes. Haven't looked at the gasket for the fuel sending unit yet but i wanna say it's good.

Does it leak?

[Nessism]

There are at least 1000 posts in the archives about how to derust a tank. Evaporust works well and is the safest if you are worried about protecting the paint. My preference is phosphoric acid such as contained in Kleenstrip Etch and Prep as sold by Home Depot. It's not overly dangerous to paint, just don't let it dwell on the surface and you will be fine. Either which way you need to fashion some plugs for the various tank openings. Don't rely on the petcock and gas cap, and remove the sending unit. After derusting it's critical to properly flush and dry the tank to avoid flash rusting. All that info is in the archives too.

[GingerRacer]

There are at least 1000 posts in the archives about how to derust a tank. Evaporust works well and is the safest if you are worried about protecting the paint. My preference is phosphoric acid such as contained in Kleenstrip Etch and Prep as sold by Home Depot. It's not overly dangerous to paint, just don't let it dwell on the surface and you will be fine. Either which way you need to fashion some plugs for the various tank openings. Don't rely on the petcock and gas cap, and remove the sending unit. After derusting it's critical to properly flush and dry the tank to avoid flash rusting. All that info is in the archives too.

Thanks for the solid advice!

[azr]

i ordered the Hirsch kit some years ago, and it holds perfectly.

Makes a way thicker coating than most other products and seems really strong.

http://www.hirschauto.com/Gas-Tank-Sealer-_-Repair/products/4/

Through a colleague of mine who designs airoplanes i found out this is the same liner KLM uses in their airoplane tanks.
I was explaining to him i needed something that would resist bio-ethanol and he laughed at me ... airplane fuel is much more agressive so i need not worry he told me.

never heard of this product before, thanks