Technical How to get rid of shellac

Ok, I want to try and get rid of the stinky smelly shellac that is in my original 57 gas tank. Any ideas?

After it is gone I am going to try the rust remover recipes that use citric acid. I am just trying to get rid of the rust and then I am going to seal it up and store it.

thanks,

mike

 

I've heard a soak/flush with denatured alcohol can help. I tried with an early A tank and had limited success.

 

If rinsing with fresh gas does nor cut it, why worry?

Ben

 

Crap coming loose in the gas tank and clogging the fuel line sucks, especially when you're a ways from home. The vibration of the road can do it.

 

How bad is the shellac and rust in the tank? Can you apply vibration to the tank somehow to help knock it loose?

 

Remove the tank, flush with clean fuel and a few feet of chain to remove the rust/scale. Repeat if necessary. Don’t smoke or do it near a Tesla.

 

I cleaned a tank using a bunch of nut/bolts/chains and rolled it around for a while. Father in-law attached his tank to a cement mixer and let it rotate. Does a nice job of cleaning.

I then "sealed" my tank with Caswell gas tank sealer. A while later I'm touring on down the highway when the car starts to act like it's starving for fuel. Get off highway, car starts to run well again. I drive home and drop the tank, remove the sender and ... the sealer is coming off in chunks/shards, some partially plugging the fuel line. I end up cutting a hole in the top of my tank so I can get an arm in and tear/chip/pry off as much of the crap as I can (that was a horrible job). I then installed a filter "sock" on the tank end of the fuel line (to catch any extra sealer crud), made a plate for the hole I cut, and off I go again ... no more problems.

My thoughts on your situation ... I would bolt/nut/chain the crap out then drive it (assuming there are no leaks). If your intent is to store the tank for a while, I'd leave it be then deal with the bolt/nut/chain when you need the tank again. As for sealer ... never again for me. If your tank truly needs a sealer and that exact tank is available in the aftermarket, I'd buy new. I got lucky, my fuel supply issue happened close to home.

That being said, years ago I cleaned and sealed a motorcycle gas tank with no issues. The difference may have been that that bike got nothing but premium fuel that was not laced with ethanol/methanol/alcohol etc.

With todays fuels, you won't find me trusting any sealer.

 

Acetone will make it look like new inside. Pour a couple cans in the tank, then drop some chain in and block off the outlets. Shake it around some and the acetone and chain will clean out varnish quickly.

 

I had a 58 Plymouth years ago that had a crusty tank. I took it to a reputable radiator/gas tank shop. They boiled it out and did whatever else was needed and then used a tank sealer. It lasted less than a year before the sealer started to peel off in chunks.

 

57 what? If a new tank is available I would go that route and not worry about rust and sealer coming lose.

 

The stuff that is in there now will drop you in a heartbeat. It is so bad that the mover would not let it in his trailer! That being said I have a new tank in my car already but I wanted to clean this one out and then 'cosmolene' it and put it back on shelf. I also have another tank for my Model A that needs to be cleaned and sealed up for storage.

Maybe I will do a combo of nuts-cement mixer and then alcohol/thinner before the derusting procedure. Does this sound like a sound plan? And thank you for all of the help.

Mike

 

I use purple stuff and then use the electric pressure washer . Don’t laugh ! Like new inside. Set in sun or under heat lamps .

 

I’ve read some guys putting a chain inside and tying the tank to a wheel and then driving around really slow for a while. I don’t know what kind of cleaner was used.

​

 

If you clean the tank out with anything , make sure before sealing it that is super dry inside, especially the seams, as any hint of moisture won't let the sealing goop stick to the surface. Leaving it in the sun on a few hot days will dry it out well. There is water based tank cleaner available , but you will need to use the "nuts and bolts" method to shift the varnish.

 

If you have a radiator shop that has a hot vat, that will clean the tank overnight,it will be as clean as a whistle the next day. HRP

 

I've heard of people using milkstone remover. It's meant for dairy farms, to clean out deposits in their bulk tanks and pipe lines. Here's a link to it at True Value Hardware, you can probably also find it at Fleet Farm or other similar stores. https://www.truevalue.com/product/sterosol-milkstone-remover-acid-rinse-1-gal/

 

If it's a chevy Rock Auto has them new for $116 bucks, why bother cleaning.

 

Save yourself a lot of time and trouble and get a new tank. If you have to use some type of sealer, and it flakes or delaminates later, it could cost a lot more to get towed home and redo it again than just getting a new tank. Then you don't have to worry about clogged gas lines either.

 

I'll second the milkstone remover, used it on a few motorcycle tanks with a hand full of 1/4-20 nuts, and shook it around a while . . . clean as a whistle inside and rather cheap at your local farm supply store.

 

holy crap that would take a big tire… Kind of clever nonetheless

 

https://www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/...OsdEaKVDoRXhxtATvGqve5n3K25PLOlwaAvPo4uBdzOJh

^^^
I have found this method works like a charm.

You are going to spend hundred of dollars on gimmicks, trips to the hardware store, all kinds of junk. Then there’s the labor....tractor wheels and all those gimmicks.
Then....
You are going to get a new tank anyway in the end.
Forget all that baloney and order you a new tank.

 

Personally, I don't trust gas tank sealers, on out way to the Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, the car started sputtering and cut off, the filter was full of the orange sealer that had started to dissolve, we change filters 8 times before we got there.

We went directly to the Michigan Hot Rod Repair trailer and we removed the tank,a local told me where the nearest radiator shop was and they hot vatted the tank overnight, reinstalled it the next day and never had any trouble again, no sealer was used.

If you can purchase a new tank at a reasonable price I would suggest you buy a new one, especially if it's going to sit a while before you use it. HRP

 

Yup, buy once, cry once . Plus I'm a lazy S.O.B...

 

Varnish remover does a pretty fine job .

 

who would have thought, mowing the lawn and working on your old car at the same time…………..?

 

Thank you all for the suggestion. I already have a new tank in the car, this is the original tank and I am just trying to clean it out so I can pickle it and store it on a shelf. so I have the time to try a fun chemical experiment.

 

Pinesol in the gallon jug from homedepot, out in the hot sun in august