Rust in fuel tank, options ?

[stewie]

Ok, so I did a search and found a few methods and was wondering what everyones favourite was ? Ive tried the nuts and bolts in the tank and shake method on the old VFR 400 it was kinda ok but not brilliant so was considering either the elecroysis method or possibly some form of rust reversal chemical method, any ideas ?
Cheers
Stew

[andrewsmith]

How bands bad??
I'd look at POR15 sealer, its not cheap but the yanks love it and it does work. I did my curvy tank over the winter and it looks like it saved it.

I'll hunt out the firm Sarah Jordan recommends of its beyond a diy rescue


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[stewie]

theres plenty of untouched steel showing but want to get on top of it from day one, Ive drained about 1/2 gallon of old fuel out and there were small bits of rust coming with it, was going to give it a gentle blast with a power washer on a lowish setting to clean it out as much as poss and then take it from there.
Cheers :D

[andrewsmith]

if the steel is okay, POR15 will be reet. Do it once and be done with it

[stewie]

if the steel is okay, POR15 will be reet. Do it once and be done with it
Cool, thanks :D

[SV650Racer]

Or if that fails we use this company, very very good IMHO.

http://www.iandmautobodyrepairs.co.uk/motorbike-cleaning.php

[squirrel_hunter]

This is something that I’m looking at now as well. I have been speaking to a couple of local firms and they can all offer a service. For me I think I’m just going to get the tank acid dipped as its going for a full paint job anyway. However I’m interested in the treatment post cleaning. I have heard some interesting things about tank treatments, for example POR15 and there apparently is some discussion over it and or other similar coatings. Apparently the additives in the fuel can eat away at this lining and cause problems blocking the filer/ carbs etc, or the exact same problem a rusty tank can have.

The company I talked to today recommended not doing anything like that. They could strip and clean the tank and then would spray the inside with oil to protect it while it went for paint. After that a bit of petrol swilled around to take this oil off before use is what they suggest. Thinking about it a tank fresh from the factory does not have any treatment to it does it? Furthermore the company linked to above makes no mention of post clean treatments.

So my question would be should I treat the tank with anything post clean? If so what? If not why? I would be very interested to hear what people have used in the past and their success with that approach.

[yorkie_chris]

The POR15 is apparently OK.

Kreem I have heard this coming loose inside with modern fuels.

[Bibio]

stick some nuts/bolts in then tank with some phosphoric acid (krust or similar) and 'shake' (like sieving flour) the hell out of it. remove nuts/bolts and excess liquid then let cure overnight. once cured swirl some petrol around and empty out.

[SV650Racer]

Furthermore the company linked to above makes no mention of post clean treatments.



They do the whole job, cleaning and treament. It leaves the exterior paint untouched. Have used them for the past few years and they have done an excellent no fuss job on all the tanks we have sent them.:cool:

[andrewsmith]

The POR15 is apparently OK.

Kreem I have heard this coming loose inside with modern fuels.

Its the ethanol, seems to be the US that sound Kreem wasn't resistant (along with plastic tanks).
Kreem has been reformulated in the last year or so

[stewie]

stick some nuts/bolts in then tank with some phosphoric acid (krust or similar) and 'shake' (like sieving flour) the hell out of it. remove nuts/bolts and excess liquid then let cure overnight. once cured swirl some petrol around and empty out.
Tried that method with and old VFR 400 tank, it kinda works, Classic bike mag took that one stage furher though by bubble wrapping the tank and attching it securely to the inside of a cement mixer ! gonna give it a clean out and take it from there I think, thanks for advice guys :)

[stewie]

Well I gave the tank a good cleaning out and it came out pretty good for an old bike but now its sprung a tiny pinhole leak so going to go down the POR 15 route as suggested but was thinking of getting the tank stripped of its paint, so I thought about using nitromors but heard its got mixed reviews, are there any alternatives anyone can recommend, clutch fluid for example ? Dizzy mentioned using a badass stripper in an earlier post so I googled badass strippers....and you can guess the result :love:
Ta :D

[widepants]

You are a bad man

[squirrel_hunter]

Well I have had a chat with I & M Auto Body Repairs (http://www.iandmautobodyrepairs.co.uk/motorbike-cleaning.php), they can do me the whole job, but its not going to be cheap and as I'm after having 2 tanks done I think I'm going to have to take a slightly different route. So an acid dip for me it is.

However while chatting to I & M we discussed the various approaches. And to clear the outside of the tank from paint the two main options were, thinners or paint removers, and blasting. The removers can be done at home but will take some time to do and will involve a lot of time and effort but is comparatively cheap. Blasting on the other hand is quicker, can be done at home with the right equipment or you can get a local blasting company to do it for you and shouldn't cost to much. The thing with blasting is you need to use the right media so not to damage the metal and then to make sure you get it all out if any gets in the tank.

I suppose I will have the same sort of problem with the acid dip. I will need to be sure that all the acid is out and no longer reacting. If there are holes in the tank then I will need to get that sorted. Will also need to get the outside primed and painted sharpish and in use so not to undo the good work of the acid from the dip as I don't think I'm going to use any internal coatings.