BillS

iTrader: (13)

I am getting a used tank to install my Racetronics pump kit. I want to clean it out as I dont know its history. What is the process and what cleaners to use?

jdustu

iTrader: (2)

Isopropyl and water is what you are supposed to use......isopropyl is usually the major ingredient in rubbing alcohol.......i rinsed mine out with a hose, then dumped some rubbing alcohol in it and shook it up good......i drained as much as i could out, then blew out the rest with an air hose.....i let it sit out for a while and every few minutes i'd blow some more air into it so that the moisture wouldn't set in one spot and cause any damage......don't know if it's the right way to do it, but it worked fine for me.......

MrDude_1

iTrader: (4)

when i restore motorcycle gas tanks, if they're not rusty, i just pour some gas in there and slosh it around.

gasoline is a solvent, so generally there isn’t any buildup of crud... if there is, its usually just varnish from old gas.. it dissolves into the new gas and cleans up good.

99+ cars have plastic tanks, so your main worry will be dirt and crud in there... id wipe it out best that i could... that would remove any rust and grit from the gas station pump... and you'll be fine.

John_D.

iTrader: (2)

What about rusty tanks?

618HAWK

iTrader: (361)

I just replaced my 01 tank, with a used unit. Cleaned it with SIMPLE GREEN and water. Than dryed it out as well, had the kid use his small arm with a white rag to make sure it was clean and dry. Make sure you blow air through all the evap lines as well if it has been sitting in a dirty location.

jdustu

iTrader: (2)

i'm guessing if they've been sitting empty for a while and have rust on the inside then maybe they need to be cleaned and somehow coated on the inside before use? not sure.....

MrDude_1

iTrader: (4)

how rusty?

if its just a little bit of surface rust at teh bottom, clean off the loose stuff, and dont worry about it.

if its bad, you need to to a coat of this sealent stuff on it.. i donno the name of the stuff... i just used to grab it off the shelf at the shop.. but its a multistep process..

(keep in mind, i mostly worked on motorcycle tanks)
first i used a chain and some solvent to break up the chunks.
then i scrubbed it out best i could.
cleaned it with some acid etch
then poured in this cremey texture sealent stuff, and rotated the tank around so it coated everywhere.



but for a 4thgen, its cheaper and easier to buy another tank then it is to redo one.. the only reason it was worth it with the motorcycles is that some of the tanks were irreplaceable

crainholio

iTrader: (2)

When I dropped the factory 1982-vintage tank from my Z28 back in 1998, I was amazed at how clean it was...looked nearly new. No rust, no layer of sediment/gunk on the bottom.

MrDude_1

iTrader: (4)

yea, my 91s tank looked brand new inside too.

as long as its kept full of gas, and the car moves around occasionaly to keep the walls clean, it'll stay new looking inside forever. ive seen early 70s tanks looking new inside too.


its when you let them sit and water is in there that you have problems... or when they rust from the outside in.

John_D.

iTrader: (2)

It's moderately rusty. (it's a motorcycle tank) I was slipping in a slightly off-topic but still sorta keeping it on topic too...

I've heard not to use the white stuff (Kreme I think it's called).
I'm leaning towards some stuff Eastwood sells. MEK or something along those lines I think.

MrDude_1

iTrader: (4)

the stuff i was using was yellow and kinda thick... like yellow cake batter.

i wish i could tell ya the name of it, but i cant.

Elite_Hot_Rod

MEK is Methal Ethyl Keytone(SP?) we use it in aviation as a paint stripper. It probably won't do much to remove the rust. Be very careful when you use it not to get it on your skin, it has been proven to cause cancer of the liver and the damage is not repairable.

ACW

http://modernmusclecars.net/forums/a...php?do=gastank