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Rust in gas tank

  • Thread starter Thread starter doug g
  • Start date Start date
D

doug g

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I have a tank that I am looking to repaint but prior to this I would like to remove the rust in it. It does not have a ton of rust in it but enough that I feel it should be addressed. I also do not want to Kreem the tank. What have you tried to take care of this situation? All suggestions are welcome.
 
Take it to a radiator repair shop!!! they will "Hot tank" it ; which removes all the rust, paint & any bog, they can also seal it there and then.
All up cost is about $30.

Dink
 
Hey Dink, I know our North American cousins have radiator shops that provide that service (have read about it often enough on the GSR), but you get it done here in Oz, eh? Wish I'd known that earlier. :shock:

Doug g, I share your worries about Kreem kits, quite a few folks have had the treatment fail (one theory is that the failure is caused by alcohol in the fuel).

So a few months ago I tried a kit called POR-15 in my Katana and GS tanks. So far has done the job perfectly. Same initial treatments as the Kreem kit (ie. detergent followed by phosphoric acid rust treatment), but the POR kit is supposed to be epoxy-based (irreversible curing action), whereas the Kreem is solvent-based (can be dissolved again using acetone or methyl-ethyl ketone).

There are other kits around, but Kreem and POR-15 are the only ones I've had any experience with.
 
Mine had been "Kreemed" improperly which led to rust forming under the coating. What a mess! I removed the gauge sender and the stopcock assembly. I made some plates and gaskets out of scrap to cover the holes. I used MEK and melted all the Kreem. Then came the rust... I used a muratic acid wash and multiple rinses with hot water. I used a heat gun to make sure all the water was gone. I then added about a pound of drywall screws. I covered the openings with the "handy man's secret weapon" (duct tape). I wrapped the tank in a blanket put it in the clothes dryer surrounded by pillows so it was wedged tightly in the dryer drum. I set it on air fluff for an hour (what a racket!). I removed the screws with a magnet on a string. I used compressed air and blew out the remaining rust. A final rinse with MEK and dry then reassembled the tank. I re-installed the tank on the bike. I didn't add any more Kreem or anything. I just keep the tank as full of gas as possible and I have no rust after 18 months.
 
If a radiator shop "hot tanks" a tank, does this remove the outside paint, too? I'm thinking I may need to clean out my tank, and I also want to re-paint it, so if this took off the outside paint too, that would be spiffy. Thanks for the radiator shop tip!
 
Oh, and remember, if you are using Methyl-Ethyl Ketone, or MEK, it is INCREDIBLY carcinogenic! It causes cancer! USE A RESPIRATOR AND DO NOT GET IT ON YOUR SKIN!! Funny story: guys in aircraft shops used to practically bathe in the stuff at the end of their shifts. Well, I guess that ain't so funny....
 
kungpaodog said:
If a radiator shop "hot tanks" a tank, does this remove the outside paint, too? I'm thinking I may need to clean out my tank, and I also want to re-paint it, so if this took off the outside paint too, that would be spiffy. Thanks for the radiator shop tip!
Click to expand...

Hot tanking totally cleans the part inside and out, paint, putty , rust everything gone.

Dink
 
I have not tried this and I have no connection with this outfit whatsoever.

But I found this site some time ago and decided that, when it's time for me to dive into gas tank repair, I would try this before I tried either Kreem or POR-15.

The price is definitely right!

And that the web site says: 'OVER 950,000 CANS OF BILL HIRSCH'S SEALER HAVE BEEN SOLD IN OVER 30 COUNTRIES SINCE IT WAS INTRODUCED 30 YEARS AGO. MORE BILL HIRSCH SEALER HAS BEEN SOLD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD THAN ALL OTHER BRANDS COMBINED. IT IS THE LARGEST SELLING SEALER AND IS THE ONLY TYPE SEALER USED IN AIRCRAFT.'

Sounds really good to me...


http://www.hirschauto.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=27&Product_ID=8&CATID=3
 
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Por 15 is THE best product for this if you decide to go this route. Its been around since the eighties. It started out as a body panel rust repair product in the restoration industry before retro body panels were readily available. It is a more liquid form of JB weld which as everyone knows, is impervious to everything automotive and stronger than you need.

Im pretty sure POR-15 makes a kit specifically for gas tank repair.

Anything named Kreem has to be crap
 
There is a product SUDCO sells called rustol. It is a little high but I have had good luck with it on more than one tank.
 
Well since the tank needs to be painted I am going to got for the hot tank procedure. Thanks for all of the tips I am sure it will be helpful not only for me but others in the future.
 
I have a bike whose tank was cleaned up and sealed at a radiator shop. they blocked the vent hole and the throat of the tank. caused very odd gas belching. Watch for this and save yourself some grief and paint.
 
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