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Cleaning a rusty tank the easy way (I think)
Cleaning a rusty tank the easy way (I think)
I just tried it!
Cleaning a rusty tank the easy way (I think)
We?ve all heard about filling a rusty gas tank with some sand or gravel, then shaking the crap out of it to remove the rust. The problem is then getting the sand out of the tank when you?re finished. Someone mentioned using old nuts and bolts instead of sand. You still have to get them out. Here?s what I just did with, what seems to be, pretty good results.
I tossed a bunch of old nuts and bolts in the tank. I taped all the holes up, wrapped the tank in a thick blanket secured by three bungee cords. I placed this bundle inside two plastic garbage bags. I then put the tank in the clothes dryer and placed blankets and pillow all around it so it would not bounce around. I turned it on with NO HEAT and let it run for an hour and a half. I then took the tank outside and blew it out with a leaf blower (fit right in the filler hole), blowing rust dust out the petcock hole and the sender unit hole. I then took a flexible magnetic ?pick-up?, stuck it inside the tank, and began extracting all the screws and bolts! Worked like a champ!
Now I blew the tank out again and flushed it several times with a garden hose till clean water ran out. After emptying the tank as much as possible, I propped the leaf blower against the wall with the end sticking in the filler hole. I turned it on and let it run for over 30 minutes to dry any residual water left in the tank.
Looking inside as far as I can, it seemed to remove about 90% of the rust?what?s left appears to be more stain than rust, but I can?t be sure.
Here?s my question?what do I do now? Is it safe to put the tank back on and try to use it (after cleaning carbs and lines)? Or, do I need to pour something in it to line the tank?
Thanks,
Twister
Cleaning a rusty tank the easy way (I think)
I just tried it!
Cleaning a rusty tank the easy way (I think)
We?ve all heard about filling a rusty gas tank with some sand or gravel, then shaking the crap out of it to remove the rust. The problem is then getting the sand out of the tank when you?re finished. Someone mentioned using old nuts and bolts instead of sand. You still have to get them out. Here?s what I just did with, what seems to be, pretty good results.
I tossed a bunch of old nuts and bolts in the tank. I taped all the holes up, wrapped the tank in a thick blanket secured by three bungee cords. I placed this bundle inside two plastic garbage bags. I then put the tank in the clothes dryer and placed blankets and pillow all around it so it would not bounce around. I turned it on with NO HEAT and let it run for an hour and a half. I then took the tank outside and blew it out with a leaf blower (fit right in the filler hole), blowing rust dust out the petcock hole and the sender unit hole. I then took a flexible magnetic ?pick-up?, stuck it inside the tank, and began extracting all the screws and bolts! Worked like a champ!
Now I blew the tank out again and flushed it several times with a garden hose till clean water ran out. After emptying the tank as much as possible, I propped the leaf blower against the wall with the end sticking in the filler hole. I turned it on and let it run for over 30 minutes to dry any residual water left in the tank.
Looking inside as far as I can, it seemed to remove about 90% of the rust?what?s left appears to be more stain than rust, but I can?t be sure.
Here?s my question?what do I do now? Is it safe to put the tank back on and try to use it (after cleaning carbs and lines)? Or, do I need to pour something in it to line the tank?
Thanks,
Twister
