How to clean inside of gas tank?

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younggun2.0

younggun2.0

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guys, i dropped the gas tank outta my 65 valiant that has been sitting for a long time. the gas has spoiled and smells like acetone. after i got the tank out and had a look inside it is covered in surface rust and a black texture that looks like mold. its hard to explain but the gas that came out was red with rust. can this tank be cleaned up and reused? or should i cut my losses and buy a new tank?
 
i would just get a new one, i got a tank for my 66 on ebay for 130ish shipped a few years back.

it was heavy construction and made in canada.

mike
 
Eastwood sells a complete to clean and coat tanks, but a new one should be cheap enough to just go that route.
 
If you can pop for a new tank, go for it - would be worthwhile. But, I've done a couple of motorcycle tanks with a kit from these guys and it work out well: http://www.kbs-coatings.com/

Basically a degrease, phosphoric acid wash, followed by a coating.
 
I'd get a new one. You can clean the rust out of them with muriatic acid and then seal it up with a kit from Eastwood. However, I've seen pictures where the sealer pealed away from the sides of the tank and clogged up the lines. That might be exception and not the rule.
 
Lots of folks clean and re-use. Different methods. Examples would be a small chain or pea gravel and a good solvent, long soak and lots of shaking. There are products sold to coat the inside as well, kinda spendy. You'll never get it spotless but I think a good filter in a place easy to change would solve the problem.
 
I sometimes do very old equipment where the tank can not be purchased. What I do then is fill it 1/4 the way with small stone. or nuts, bolts , screws, washers, etc. Depends on whats laying around.

Strap the tank to a old garden tractor rear wheel. Jack the tractor up and let it turn very slow so it tumbles like a dryer. If its smaller then the tire you can leave it on there to cut the grass. LOL

The slower the better though. It causes the tumbling action. The tank should be re-coated inside before using with a two part product. such as epoxy paint. Apply that the same way and dump the extra out.
 
I live in Colorado and im i took my 67 FB Barrcuda tank to a radiator shop in Ft collins. they charged me 25 bucks to boil it and seal it. tank is now fine after sitting in the muck for thirteen years.
 
I got my Challenger tank from RockAuto. It was the cheapest place I found and it arrived in two days.
 
Some good answers here, but in my opinion if you can get a repop tank near the price mentioned, do so.

Just THINK about the time, effort and mess involved in cleaning a tank. I coated the insides of a Massey tractor tank with POR-15 and it was not cheap.
 
67Dart273 said:
Some good answers here, but in my opinion if you can get a repop tank near the price mentioned, do so.

Just THINK about the time, effort and mess involved in cleaning a tank. I coated the insides of a Massey tractor tank with POR-15 and it was not cheap.
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those are my exact thoughts. now i gotta find a place to get rid of the old gas tank. cant chop it up because its full of gas vapor.
 
Motopsycho said:
get a new 1
are you buying a new sending unit
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not sure on the sending unit. I have never had this car going so i dont know if it works or not.

**** I have another question. I know that the factory used the little metal strap from the sending unit pick up tube to the metal fuel line. I will be using steel braided line from the tank forward. how do i get the ground again? could i run a ground wire to a chassis ground?
 
Buy a Spectra tank. You will not be dissatisfied.

If I coulda save the gas tank on my '72, I woulda done as follows: buy a bag of cheapo fish tank gravel and some acetone, chopped the old sending unit down and wedged a pipe plug in the filler neck to seal it up. Shake fish tank gravel and acetone in tank until tank is clean. May take a few tries, but it wouldn't take more than a day to do. Buy enough Red-Kote to coat inside of tank nicely and evenly. This method would cost less than a new gas tank and I know for a fact that it would work. But it requires some time and effort and plenty of elbow grease.
 
younggun2.0 said:
not sure on the sending unit. I have never had this car going so i dont know if it works or not.

**** I have another question. I know that the factory used the little metal strap from the sending unit pick up tube to the metal fuel line. I will be using steel braided line from the tank forward. how do i get the ground again? could i run a ground wire to a chassis ground?
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Yes, chassis ground is fine as long as its grounded I believe
 
best way to clean a tank is with Electricity! MUAHAHA.....but seriously.....google removing rust with electricity (Water+Washing Soda/PHup, a piece of metal, and a battery charger) ....Museums use the method to clean delicate parts. I clean gas tanks, and whatnot all the time with the method. I actually have a huge vat that I drop whole fenders, hoods, and doors in..Cleans them inside and out..Stripes paint and all...And doesn't hurt the metal like muriatic acid does...It pulls the rust out of the metal. you can literally watch it.... Afterwhich, a quick slosh of Oshpho and then a Gas Tank coating kit...Por15's kit is good..
 
think im just gonna suck it up and buy a new tank guys. they are only $150 to the door. by the time i clean the tank with chemicals that i have to later dispose of then reline the tank i will be into it for more then its worth. besides mine has a dent in it anyways.
 
I did my old goldwing (in the frame not on the frame, pain in the butt to get out.) gas tank. I used redkote. worked fine. but I did strap it on to the opening of my cement mixer with snatch straps and threw in some pebbles to help clean it along with pool muratic acid diluted 50/50 I did leave it running for a couple of hours though. 4 years later no problem.
 
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