Fuel tank rust removal

[mbskeam]

any ideas that you guys have to get rust out of a fuel tank.
the paint job is good, so no acids. does vinegar work?
any ideas?

mbskeam

[Pegtooth]

Mike, I've been using the 50/50 lemon and vinegar mix with good results. Pretty sure it came by way of Billy , so I'll guess he'll know all the pros/cons.

[Cotten]

Vinegar and lemon juice are both acids, yet neither will hurt paint.
Citric is my favorite, but expensive.
If you smear petrolatum over all important paint for protection, muriatic is very fast and effective, but still only attacks the surface corrosion. Any 'scale' must always be removed first by mechanical means, like shaking with aquarium gravel or old roller bearings.

Good luck,

...Cotten

[panhead]

Put a handful of small pebbles in the tank and drive around for some days. That will loosen the rust without damaging the tank itself.

[sleeper]

Mbskeam-

So what R U using for Rust removal ??? & how's it working ???

[mbskeam]

well I think that I will try this.......

https://www.davidbradley.net/ERR.html
https://antique-engines.com/electrol.asp
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/sho ... ectrolysis

I will just fill the tanks up, put the rebar into the neck, hook it up and let it rip. I will try and get pics of this......
but now I am going to try and get the kream crap out with acetone, and not F'up my paint.
I figure if I put the tank level at the fill neck and use a long funnel away from the tank I can get the acetone right up to the neck . it only takes about 15-20 min to break it down into small chunks.then I will open a petcock that have rigged up at the bott. outlets
I did some test on the kream that I pulled out in big chunks.
straight acetone seams to work best.tryed a 50/50 mix with gas and it will break it down but not all the way, and a 50/50 mix with lacquer thinner.
don't try and rinse the tank out with water when done as it will turn the broke down kream into a sticky mess, I will just use gas to rinse the tank out then dump it and maybe anther acetone bath and repeat the the dump and rinse until I think its all gone........

mbskeam

update... straight lacquer thinner works, but it takes about 4hrs, and will be safer to the paint I have. https://www.sikkens.net/

[Red55FL]

mbskeam
Excellent links! Good information to have! I bookmarked them all!
I have heard & read about this process before, but never had occasion to try it.
Let us know how it comes out.

Red

[sleeper]

Mbskeam-

I'm somewhat familiar w/these...too
I sure wouldn't be doing any of those processes inside & certainly NOT close enough to breath any fumes.
Bad stuff..
Whatever you do do NOT us stainless for a metal rod, in this mix. Combo is Extremely Toxic !!

Just my 2 cents, but use caution..

[mbskeam]

ya, I will be doing this outside, and got me a piece of re-bar yesterday, got the soda wash today, so when I get some more lacquer thinner on Mon. I will strip the tank of the kream then will get to the rust removal.

KREAM should be made illegal

mskeam

[sleeper]

KREAM should be made illegal, Yep, it's EVIL Sh**

[Cotten]

There was a time when Kreem was the best (if you had to resort to a sealer, anyway).
But two things changed: I do not believe that today's Kreem is the old formula, and it is certain that the fuels have changed!

...Cotten
PS:
My wife's warhorse still has it in some severely abused tanks I 'customized' back in the early '80s.
Maybe I shall be lucky enough to get some gas back in them this season. The old Kreem had been durable so far...even in ethanol blends,..but is stained worse than an old china teacup.

[Gearbox]

I'm not going to stick up for Kreem and Cotten is probably right about the formula but, I had to resort to it in my tanks (after they were painted no less ) I tried all the tumbling and some acids but it always came back (rust ) to plug my strainer in the shut off valve . The only thing I did different was , I kept the rust remover in the tanks for a full week with a occasional shaking of the tanks ( tanks were loosely left on the bike) to stir them up , I used the Kreem immediately after the tank prep and this my have something to do with the out come is , I did not put fuel in them for a month , with tanks open to air. I know all can not do that but, my tanks look as white inside as the day I did them and no rust. I know by experience that time will tell the out come.I am using repo tanks and that may be why the rust was so much of a problem and this is not the first time I've used it.

[Moose]

put in small pebbles then wrap your tank in a towel tape it real good. then put it in a large blanket put your dryer on no heat and put it in. make sure your wife is not at home. With the small pea gravel it wont dent anything. Make sure the tank is in the dryer and not bouncing around you may need 2 blankets.

Moose

[03Roadking]

I have a friend here in town that has a de-burring company He has these giant tumblers for polishing and de-burring I asked him what he would do
His reply
Find a hobby shop that deals in rock polishing or find a supply house that sells de-burring supplies they have all sorts of different media, some are cork some are ceramic, they have square, rectangle, round and all different weights, he said they sell for 1.50 to 2.00 per pound. You want enough to be about half full now go get the rotisserie off you barbecue you mount the motor so that it is secure then you need a piece of square stock that goes into the motor and you will need to build a support between the motor and the end of the shaft at the end of the shaft you mount a flat piece of plywood (what your building is a turntable on it's side) The flat board allows you to mount anything to it Gas tank, oil tank anything you want to tumble the inside clean. it will turn very slow so it doesn't damage the tanks inside Use 80% water 20% alcohol and a little liquid dish soap Use a non vented cap. plug the other tube If the cap leaks put some tape around it.
let it turn for an hour or two depending on how bad it is I just thought I would put my 2c's in

[Gearbox]

You can also use tumbling media for firearms brass , you can get it from most gun shops ,crushed walnut shells with or with out jewelers rouge and they make it in other types of media for tumbling brass.