Guys - I'm working on a '51 Studebaker with a crusty gas tank on the inside. Outside of the tank is in great shape and I'd like to try to save it. What have you found to be the best chemicals to cut the varnish and crud in an old tank? Thanks much!
Get a couple gallons of e-85 gas slosh it around with small clean stones or ball bearings.That gas is a good cleaner,bout all its good for.
I did the lacquer thinner with half of the spare nuts and bolts I had in a bucket from old builds and sloshed it around with a buddy of mine at a car wash. We soaped it down and sloshed some more and then washed it out with the pressure washer they had and after I dried for a day or so in the sun I used a slosh sealer to coat it and it’s been in service for the last 30+ years
yup I have done similar but instead of using nuts and bolts I used a heavy log chain. much easier to get out afterwards. and kinda hokey but I laid a stool with a rotating seat on my bench. Strapped it down so the seat hung over the edge and strapped the tank to it and spun it around while the chain and some Lacquer thinner did the work... also rinsed with hot soapy water
I've saved many tanks with regular old vinegar. Patience is the key. Fill it up, do the nuts and bolts thing or chain. Give it a slosh and a tumble a few times a day. Empty and repeat if necessary. I usually put a little gas mixed with some Marvel mystery oil in them once they're clean and give them a shake.
I like that stool thing! My Dad cleaned one years ago "just like that " only different. He strapped it to the rear wheel on the tractor and mowed 15 acres! Hell of a racket. Ben
I once used a jug of a liquid solution from the MayTag repair guy, intended for removing rust from dishwashers. Don't know if it is still available or not. I was instructed to mix it 50/50 with aquarium gravel. I built a wooden cradle to hold the tank and fastened it to the agitator of an old washing machine. I sporatically ran it for a few days. It did a great job of cleaning the tank but it took forever to get all the gravel out.
Pro tip: remove the straps and tennis ball from the chain. I found they do nothing to help in this instance.
I have "repaired" 3 gas tanks in my car life by buying new ones. one thing I did learn is don't used those coatings for the inside as they will eventually fail and the coating will then be your issue. the coating was like gooey sheets of plastic inside the tank no longer attached to the tank itself. the vehicle with the failed sealer was restored in the 90's. new tanks are pretty cheap and they make them for many different cars
I was going to post a pic but since we’re more PC and don’t want to get the boss in trouble I’ll spell it out for you. Think “Blower Drive Service” with an “M” on the end
Do NOT - DO NOT= do anything at your local Power Car Wash. You get caught emptying any chemicals into their Pit Tanks and you are in for a serious environmental crime / fine. Most Power Car Washes have cameras so you'll get busted. Some DUMB *** decided to do that at the Car Wash up the road and now has a criminal record and paying a large fine. Just a FYI
About thirty years ago I used the Eastwood kit for cleaning/etching and sealing the gas tank. The white sealer eventually turned brown over the years, but has held up great otherwise.
I prefer taking my tanks to the radiator shop and let Jerald put them in the hot vat tank overnight, next morning they are as clean as a whistle, usually charges me 20 bucks. HRP
Another option for smaller tanks. Use the chemicals and nuts or chain of your choice and strap it to the drum on a portable cement mixer and let ‘er rip for a while. Noisy but effective.
I have cleaned/ sealed many fuel tanks without a failure of the sealer. The key is PREPARATION!!! You cannot skip and steps and must follow the instructions exactly. I use KBS products exclusively. To make it easier I modified my engine stand to hold the last tank I repaired, it is smaller than most tanks but this procedure could be used with a larger tank also. Remember: PREPARATION!!!
When I was building my PU I asked my seamstress daughter to make a pair of bed chain covers for me. She said "Dad! I'm gonna need months of therapy for that image!" People often confuse my intent...not all the time, but often. I love the rotiserie @kabinenroller but welding mounts to an old gas tank may clean it out a bit too much. Neater if it used big *** magnets, suction cups or a adjustable arms to grip it. You could put an electric motor on that thing and go have dinner
Actually nothing was welded to the tank. I fabricated a plate that was the same shape as the ends of the tank, welded a piece of round stock to the plate and that fits the bearing. The plate is held in place by the flange on the tank. I can see how the picture makes it look like it was welded to the end of the tank, but in reality it is not.
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