Cleaning a steel tank

[Mailman]

In the process of puting my JDX4 back together I dumped the fuel out of the steel tank with the idea of cleaning it. Aboyt 25-30 years ago I had coated the inside with some rubber coating from JC Whitney and over the years it has started to let go and become tacky. Is there a way short of spliting the tank and rewelding that a person can clean the tank to get the rubber crud and rust that was in the tank in the 1st place? If a person took it to a radiator shop would they be able to get it clean enough or is there a magic method that I can use? Thanks Sandy O.

[ihengineer76]

You might be able to get the rubber stuff to melt out with some Xylene or lacquer thinner. As for the rust, put a few hundred BB's in it and shake the hell out of it.

[Mailman]

Thanks, with the ammo shortage hope I can find BB's. LOL

[Matt]

Or a length of chain, and oven cleaner.

[400brian]

The steel tanks are a problem.

Oven cleaner takes out the black crud, with the help of a bunch of nuts, bolts, rocks chain, etc. Rust is the next issue, various acids will take that out, but it will be hard to keep it from coming back. Kreem is often suggested as a coating, I have not tried it. I have found that often the necks at the top of the tank will be rusted through. On my '72 tank, I mudded in the pin holes in the gauge neck with mil-spec gasket sealant.

[friendlyfarmeria]

I've used POR15 twice with great success,,,,,,, be sure to follow the directions to the letter.

[nick80lf]

One of the guys at work used Danzig's electrolysis method to neutralize the rust inside of a motorcycle tank. He filled the tank with the washing soda solution, mounted the electrode (bent at a 90 degree angle) in a wood block, inserted said electrode, hooked it up to a power source and let it cook. He reported that it worked very well.

[81 spitfire]

I have also used the POR15 kit on a motorcycle tank. Two years and still no rust

[HoosierDeereMan]

It's been 12 or 15 years ago but I had to clean the steel tank on my '73 400. As mentioned earlier I used a piece of chain and a hand full of hex nuts pitched in the tank with some paint thinner. I had to shake the heck out of it and it took several times of rinsing and shaking to get it in decent shape inside. I bought a Kreem kit at a local bike shop. It came with a etching acid that your pour in and slosh around the the tank then followed by the Kreem coating. One kit was enough to do the tank. It has held up well and I haven't had any rust issues since.

Since that time a local radiator repair shop offers a epoxy coating they can coat the inside of a gas tank with. We've used his services twice on diesel fuel tanks on tractors with very good results. You may do some checking with your local radiator shop. You may get lucky and find one that offers this service. Price was very reasonable I thought.

Troy

[Danzig]

electrolosis works

[JDT]

electrolosis works

So does waxing but it realy smarts.

[Mailman]

When useing "oven cleaner" is there anything besides the spray on type. I have found the spray on type but haven't been able to find any liquid type to say just pour in the tank and shake with nut & bolts or do you have to spray the can in the tank and then shake up? Thanks Sandy O.

[Livestock 109]

I realize this is an old post but I've used muriatic acid with great success. Quick and cheap even on really rusted tanks. Looks almost like new.