rust in tank

[opiewontaylor]

with all that said... how much rust is enough to get the tank recoated? I had just a little on the top near the filler cap to sence i had the bike but was never afraid of it. This winter i am repainting and noticed i had a bunch of what sounded like sand in my tank. So i ( not really thinking) ran water through it to rinse it out. I then blew it out really good with air and then dryed with a heat gun. A week later i came back to it and noticed that rust had spread and that there was a fine surface rust as well. so this has me concered....should i?

That's a decision only you can make. Surface rust is just that. It is on the surface. It should not compromise the tanks ability to hold fuel. But if you found a lot of loose rust in the tank, then it sounds like it might be more than "skin" deep. Rust can form on a surface overnight. Ever leave a wrench or hammer outside? My own experience is that rust doesn't grow inside of a fully fueled tank. I'm not a scientist (but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night) so I don't know if gasoline is a rust inhibitor, or whether rust just needs a certain blend of moisture and oxygen to grow.

[Anonymous]

Tank Danger?

As a health and safety manager for a large environmental company, the last thing I want to do is downplay the hazards associated with handling chemicals. Having said that (and having used the product on two occasions), I can say that, if you follow the instructions (wear rubber gloves, use in a well-ventilated area, such as outdoors and not, say, your dining room), these hazards are manageable and nothing to be afraid of. I was unable to come up with a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) online for Kreem, but I will make it a project to do so and report back here.

If you are unsure about the hazards of any chemical, you should always ask for an MSDS and read and understand it throughly before using.

Frankly, from my recollection of the ingrediants in the Kreem kit (phosphoric acid, methyl ethyl ketone, waterborne resin?), there isn't anything remotely worrying about it if used in a well-ventilated area. But I will check.

None of this is to disparage the use of a good shop if you don't want the hassle and mess. Kreem actually does the most good with scabby old tanks like my old Yamaha 550 Vision (which always rusted out due to low points in the tank collecting water). For a tank that is just a little flaky, the radiator shop technique might produce a superior result.

And never forget folks, far and away the most dangerous chemical we deal with in motorcycling is gasoline-treat it with respect, and never bring it into your house-

Vince Daliessio, CIH

[dgeorge]

A really cheap and easy fix if it is surface rust is to use white vinagar mixed 50/50 with water. Fill the tank full and let it sit in about 24hrs and you will be suprised at how much rust it will remove.

[Anonymous]

For a Cadillac Fix...

...try this site;

http://www.gas-tank.com/bike.htm

The page that referred me also recommended sandblast media instead of nuts and bolts for cleaning the inside of the tank.

That is all,

vini alesi