Gas tank clean up advice

[garnold]

I've taken my gas tank down to the metal and it looks great. Should be a really nice paint job if I can take my time and do this correctly Seems like I have some rust in the tank and I have read that apple vinegar can clean that right up. Is this a good idea for our tanks? I was not sure if the tank had a lining that the vinegar would hurt.

[darryljs]

Originally Posted by garnold

I've taken my gas tank down to the metal and it looks great. Should be a really nice paint job if I can take my time and do this correctly Seems like I have some rust in the tank and I have read that apple vinegar can clean that right up. Is this a good idea for our tanks? I was not sure if the tank had a lining that the vinegar would hurt.

Tanks usually don't have a lining. Here's the process used to clean a tank with light rust. Vinegar can be used to clean rust from the inside of a gas tank because it contains acetic acid. This can be accomplished by filling the gas tank with water and then draining that. Next, plug the hole where the petcock goes, and fill the tank with the vinegar, leaving it in overnight to dissolve the rust. Leave it in 24 hrs if rust is heavy. After pouring out the vinegar, rinse the tank with water. Next fill it with water and a small amount of baking soda to neutralize the acid. After 15 minutes, rinse the tank with water again and continue rinsing until the water you pour out of the tank is completely clear. At this point it is important to make sure the tank has no more water in it. This can be accomplished by getting as much water out as possible, adding WD-40 or rubbing alcohol to the tank, and rinsing it out with gasoline.
Alternatively, a salt and vinegar mixture can be used as these ingredients will react to form a weak sodium acetate and hydrochloric acid solution. This solution should remove rust more quickly than the acetic acid in vinegar alone.

[garnold]

Originally Posted by darryljs

Tanks usually don't have a lining. Here's the process used to clean a tank with light rust. Vinegar can be used to clean rust from the inside of a gas tank because it contains acetic acid. This can be accomplished by filling the gas tank with water and then draining that. Next, plug the hole where the petcock goes, and fill the tank with the vinegar, leaving it in overnight to dissolve the rust. Leave it in 24 hrs if rust is heavy. After pouring out the vinegar, rinse the tank with water. Next fill it with water and a small amount of baking soda to neutralize the acid. After 15 minutes, rinse the tank with water again and continue rinsing until the water you pour out of the tank is completely clear. At this point it is important to make sure the tank has no more water in it. This can be accomplished by getting as much water out as possible, adding WD-40 or rubbing alcohol to the tank, and rinsing it out with gasoline.
Alternatively, a salt and vinegar mixture can be used as these ingredients will react to form a weak sodium acetate and hydrochloric acid solution. This solution should remove rust more quickly than the acetic acid in vinegar alone.

Thanks for the steps I was only going to clean with the vinegar but was wondering what to do next. This guide should help a lot

[darryljs]

Originally Posted by garnold

Thanks for the steps I was only going to clean with the vinegar but was wondering what to do next. This guide should help a lot

Your welcome. If it is going to be a while before you use it, put some premix (like what you use in a 2 cycle engine) in and slosh it around in the tank. This will help prevent rust till you use the tank.

[jcsmith]

I've used CLR on a few tanks with surface rust and it worked great. I fill it 1/3 , shake it a bit, then let it sit. Every so often, ( depending on severity of rust) turn tank to a new position. I did mine for 1 week like this, looks brand new. You could put small nuts and bolts, or aquarium gravel in to help scrubbing action.

Just remember the baffle in the tank. If anything solid gets behind it ,it may not come out. I used CLR only for this reason. If you have calcium , lime , or rust in your water, dump it down the sink or "terlet", your choice. Then rinse as above, should be good to go. Have fun.


Chris

[ford4150]

I used CLR and hex nuts (easy to remove with a magnet). Strapped it to my cement mixer. Ran the cement mixer for an hour a couple times over the next few days. Neutralized with baking soda. Sealed it with a product called 'Red-Kote'. Turned out perfect.

[garnold]

Tank and straps came out really nice.

[darkminion_17]

That is a shiny tank,did you tank everyone for their advice?

[garnold]

Originally Posted by darkminion_17

That is a shiny tank,did you tank everyone for their advice?

Ugh! Hahaha thanks for the info :-)