tank cleaning question

[Anonymous]

Hi everyone,
I'm finally getting around to cleaning my tank of rust. Based on what I've read, I'm going to try the vinegar then methyl ethyl ketone trick. I'm going away this weekend and was wondering if there would be any problems with letting the vinegar neurtalize the rust from friday morning till sunday mid-day in my garage. Does that sound like an ok idea? That way I can rinse with the mek when I return, let it dry overnight and pop it back on...
any thoughts?
Thanks all!
Katie

[dwarf8]

Low quality acids like vinegar can take a little longer to disolve the rust...
Keep it from getting too cold and it should take a few days. Try not to keep peeking to see where it's up to. Once you do the drain and rinse, get the MEK (methylethylketones) in really fast. The rust will bloom on the tank like frost on a window if it's exposed to air after an acid bath. Really cool to watch.... if it isn't your tank that's rusting.

[Anonymous]

cool..so is there a good way to do this? I was going to drain the vinegar out from where the petcock goes in, then just dump in the mek, shake it around for five minutes or so then drain it...is that right? I only have half a gallon of mek...do i need more? I just need to coat the sides, correct? Then I can let it dry overnight before putting it back on the bike?
Thanks!
Katie

[earlfor]

Katie, be careful with the MEK. It is unfriendly stuff. Wear eye protection. From experience, if you get the slightest bit in your eyes, you will be blinded in less than 2 seconds. Wear gloves. It is absorbed through the skin and is toxic. For some people with sensitive skin, contact can burn like acid. Have a bucket of soapy water nearby and in a place you can find easily with your eyes closed. Dont eat or drink anything without washing your hands first.

Earl

[Anonymous]

mek

real good advise earl, mek is real nasty stuff, also only use it in an open air enviroment, wear nitrite gloves latex wont stand up, this stuff will suck the oil and moister right out of your skin

[snowbeard]

if you can get MEK, you can probably also get neat acetone, which I found will work quite well for helping dry the water out of your tank, if that's the only purpose of the MEK. we used to use acetone in organic lab to clean and dry the glassware, and that's what I used on my tank. just pour in a bit and slop it around, then blow some air thru and do it again, it will mix with the water and carry it away faster as it evaporates. I actually also used phosphoric acid, diluted in water instead of vinegar, just to be a geek! :roll:

does the MEK actually do more to stop the rust later on?

[redliner1973]

Muratic acid, available at pool supply centers or some cases Wal Mart, works real good, too.

[Anonymous]

tank cleaning

ok, so one last question. I'm all set for the mek wash. I work in a lab, so I have nitrile gloves and safety goggles. I'll have soapy water around just in case, and will be doing this in my backyard so no worries about fumes. Once I put the mek in, I swish it around for a few minutes then pour it out. To let it dry, should I have it completely sealed off? Duck tape over the hole where the petcock goes? Or should I leave that little hole open? It can dry in my garage overnight so not to worry about dew or anything. Also, how long should I swish ithe mek around for? 5 minutes?

Thanks everyone.
Katie

[first timer]

you are going to want to swish some mek around the tank after you drain the gas and before you add the vinigar or other acid. The mek will break down any varnish and oil on the inside of the tank and allow the vinigar or acid to directly act with the metal.

-ryan