Projects Cleaning the gas tank on the 56 buick wagon

I got the gas tank dropped from the wagon today .Drained it and then washed it out about 8 times with dawn and water .A lot of dirt came out .I took a peek in side with a tiny flashlight and there is a little crud still there.Tomorrow i am going to mix up a batch of Arm and Hammer baking soda and put the battery charger to it to clean the crud and rust out. Watch the 6 oclock new and see if i made it .lol.Bruce.

 

LIKE that wagon!

 

I'm afraid a tank that dirty will give you problems and it won't be long,while you have it out take it to a radiator shop and let them hot vat it overnight.

This is from experience,,trying to save a dollar cost me a pricy trip home on a rollback.HRP

 

For what it's worth: My tank only had very light surface rust (if you could even call it that) in it. I dropped a bore light down in it and used a telescoping It was actually pretty decent. I just figured since it wasn't in the pickup yet I'd try and make sure it would be as trouble free as possible. So, since it was very light, I tried Evap-O-Rust. Followed the directions to a T. It actually made things worse.

 

Add a handfull of BB's and shake the hell out of it, pour out the backing soda and wash the inside real good with a hose and then fill tank with a 50/50 solution of vinagar and water and let set overnight. Pour out the solution and again rinse real well with hose. Blow out tank with air and use a hair dryer to get all the moisture out of the tank, you should be good to go.

 

have it boiled out you will be glad you did.

 

Do it right once and you'll never have a problem with it... it will be something else then. I have to drop the tank on my '59. The problem is finding a shop that will clean it.

 

I have done this so many times.....I can do one from start to finish in about an hour.
Stick a piece of 3/4" heater hose onto shop vac hose and **** out any loose stuff, then add purple power and warm water and a piece of swing set chain. Slosh it around real good and drain/rinse. Pour in a gallon of muratic acid (pool acid) and roll it around to get all surfaces. Drain into a bucket and rinse the tank with baking soda and water, drain. Pour in about a quart of acetone to absorb the leftover water. Drain back into a container. Pour in a quart of Red Kote tank sealer and roll around to coat everything. I add a little of the acetone to thin it a little. Then let it dry.

 

Really i used that on my tractors tank and then sealed it with red koat sealer and havent had any problems.Thanks Bruce,

 

I saw a u tube where they mixed up a batch of baking soda and water and poured it in the gas tank, then put a piece of rubber where the sending unit was and took to the positive. side of the batery charger and put a piece of metal in the tank tank after putting a big rubber gromet on to of the sending unit hole with the mix of baking soda and water in the tank and you could see it bubbling away the rust.They went thru 3 pieces of metal but it worked.I am not taking any chances and doing it out side the shop lol.Then use red kote sealer i have left to finish the job.Thanks Bruce.

 

Alot of work has gone in to this wagon for the past almost 2 years .When i got it the guy said it ran and drove.If you have followed my adventures with it you know when i got it it had a motor with motor rod knock and a junk trans.I finally found a good 322 nail head motor and a dynflow trans that didnt leak and been working on her ever since.Being on disability i can only sink so much a month but shes almost ready to be a daily driver i think lol.Thanks Bruce.

 

Hes as she looks now highway man .I still need to do the seat though.Bruce.

 

VERY NICE! lookin GOOD Bruce there's just sumthin about 55 & 56 wagons that just winds my clock i've HAD a "few" -- Fords & Mercs -- but I like ALL ofem from them 2 years -- gittin the seat done will be a HUGE improvement in the way you feel when you drive it

YEARS back, i had a customer's Plymouth Sattilite in my shop for a timing chain job -- while it was here, i took out the dilapidated front seat [ which he had covered w several layers of cushions and blankets to pertect his *** from the springs stickin out ] and took it to a upholstery shop I knew did excellent work -- had them redo the seat like NEW for him -- When John came for his vehicle, he paid me for the work i'd performed and thanked me, then, as he started to git IN, still lookin at *me* -- he automatically reached in to adjust the levels of what he'd HAD on the "seat" and did a DOUBLE take in surprize!!!!!

The look on his face was PRICELESS!

he'd been a longtime client, and supported me w his business since he was a teenager, so it gave me great pleasure to say "NO charge Johnny -- enjoy!"

He never stopped talkin about it till the day he died --

 

I worked at a radiador shop back in the late 70's. In order to enable the gas tank to drain completely, we would punch a small hole (3/16" or so) on one of the top corners of the tank. Before and after vatting and rinsing, the tank can be positioned with that corner down, acting as a funnel & all the liquid will drain. You could even pull the hole out a little with a screw. The hole was repaired by tapping it flat and soldering a penny over it. There was also a drier that blew hot air into a tank to help. Even after all the cleaning, the repair tech. would still put the gas tank under the big water tank used to pressure test radiators and tanks, and stick his torch in it. as a last ditch safety measure. He said he only had one pop on him. Not sure what radiator shops use these days, the caustic used back then was some serious stuff and did a great job cleaning the crud out of fuel tanks. I imagine that the EPA has banned it's use today.

 

Big Chuck i was washing it out and draining it out thru the filler tube,I saw a samall plug but wasnst sure i could get it loose.I sprayed the heck out of it with P.B. buster a few times, and let it sit for a while, then took a pipe wrench to it SLOWLY.I said either i am going to rip the bottom of this tank out or that plugs going to come out.Well i will be darned it came out and i couldnt belive of all the **** that came out of it so i think thats going to help a lot more.Thanks Bruce.

 

Heres what the car looked like when i got it 2 years ago with the motor knocking , trans gushing fluid all over the place.After this picture was taken i limped down to my shop which was at the bottom of the hill ,i thought it had brakes due to the high pedal but wouldnt stop the car and with my bad left ankle i couldnt use the e brake .I thought i has it slowed down enough but she hit the back wall and knock it out a 12 inches.Didnt hurt the car but i had to stuff bed shet rags in the huge hole that winter till it warmed up enough to repair the wall.That the 1st thing i had rebuilt was the brake power booster.lol. MAN was that car ugly looking.Bruce.

 

I just cleaned a tank in my '59 Dodge. I used muriatic acid and car washed the inside and then poured in a 1/4 gal WD40 to stop flash rusting. Before and after pics. FYI

 

I have been fighting a dirty gag tank in my 53 wagon for a few weeks. I was going to have it hot tanked but most said it is just temporary fix. I ended up doing some research and found the 55 chevy tank was similar in shape, foound a repop and then modified it slightly to work. what does your tank look like? maybe there is something out there similar to another wagon that is repoped. nothing better than a new tank

 

Well the baking soda and battery charger worked pretty good now to seal it.Bruce.

 

I used the RedKote sealer on my Lincoln tank after I cleaned it out. So far, so good.

 

BamaMav thats what i am going to use.Thanks.Bruce.

 

I would not seal it unless it leaks, your just looking for trouble down the road! My 2cents GaryGary

 

Ok Roadster 1927,Thanks for the tip.Now i found where som,e one slapped some patch gunk on the tank .I am wonder if i should tack weld the hole or soder it? Or just put some more patch stuff on it.Yes it was leakingWhat do you think? I would sent it out but i am on a very tight buget.Thanks Bruce

 

I agree with this advice. Justsomething to come loose later if it doesn't adhere to every surface. If my '59 Ford tank is anywhere questionable, I'm getting a new one. But they're easy to find, old Buicks aren't that common.

 

If you seal it with Red Kote it won't come loose. Also as far as the leaks, just stick some tape over the holes before you pour the red kote in. It will seal the holes and when dry you just peel the tape off.

 

Well i blew tru the tank, then sodered the hole .I took a flashlight and looked in side and looks like the soder came thru so hopefully it will hold.Now to put some gas in in and see.Thanks to all you guys for the input.Bruce.

 

I am going to coat it this weekend with the red koat sealer and let it dry a couple of days and try it out and see what happens.Thanks for all your input guys..Bruce.

 

Best way is to pull it down the tank and really clean it to drain. make sure also lines are flushed and change the fuel filter.
Make sure when you don't use the car more than about a week, have at least half tank of gas to avoid moisture build up..