The original tank on my 56 pickup is still in the truck and has sat for 25 years. What works best to clean the inside of a gas tank? Or what's worked for you in the past?
muriatic acid, vinegar, lots of ideas. I ended up getting an aluminum cell. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=284531 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=549854 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=737391 http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=599502
A brand new replacement tank for mid 50s Ford trucks is under $300.00 from Tanks Inc. Then you know what you've got.
On my Model A I put pebbles in the tank and shook it like crazy to loosen up the rust. It was a P.I.T.A. getting them all out because they got stuck behind the baffles. Then I used a product I got from Harbour Frieght called Evapo-rust. It's biodegradeable and seemed to work fine.
Most def need to weigh the cost of cleaning and sealing a rusty gunky tank with a new unit. Also for safety and storage room moving the gas tank out of the cab on my COE. The tank was "dry" when I got it back after 18 years of sitting - but some nasty gunky sludge in the bottom. Rust wise it looks solid. Safety wise in the cab nearly over the engine - not so smart. Going to mount a TANKS poly unit out back under the bed. Rust will never be an issue anyways.... This looks like a good TANKS seller - have my eye on the 17 gallon '49-'51 unit..... http://stores.ebay.com/leadmineproducts/_i.html?_nkw=tanks&submit=Search&_sid=3024895
I just talked to leadmine and am ordering a universal 64 - 68 Mustang tank for my roadster. $205.00 and free shipping.
google: Ken's Eletrolysis setup: I also posted a link, I used this method on mt '52 IH L110 and my '48 f-1 works great......... Ken French's Electrolysis Setup: Back to Clay's Motorcycle page Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 http://altelco.net/~jacil/clay/motorcycle/KElecSetup.html
most radiator shops will boil them out for you. if the tank is good otherwise, no need to buy a new one.
I just did a 42 Ford panel truck tank. the car was restored 15 years ago then never driven. had 1" of sludge in the bottom of the tank. got some kerosene and a couple lengths of chain, took the tank out, put in some kerosene and then shook it all up with the chains inside. if it had rust or other solid junk in it,or if it needed to be sealed or coated I would have replaced it with a new one
IMO..Cleaning a tank is not fun..If a radiator shop still has the ability to boil then fine but either way you still have to coat with sealer and that to me is even less fun..Last time I used sealer it was Eastwood brand..Dried way too fast, couldn't be sloshed around..Pissed at them and finally found out it could be thinned, way better...I'd get a new tank..Win/win to me..
After fighting a number of old tanks that had ac***ulated a lot of dirt, crud and in one case the neck off a broken bottle I'd go with a new tank if it was in the budget. Guys have sloshed a piece of chain, a handful or two of nuts and bolts the previously mentioned gravel. When I cleaned the broken gl***, dirt and other stuff out of the tank on my 51 Merc after it had sat behind the barn from 1967 to 1979 I used the steam cleaner at work to do most of it. Even after flushing and cleaning it out I still still plugged up inline fuel filters on a regular basis for several months before getting most all of the gunk flushed out of the tank. Which brings up what I wanted to mention and that is old cleaned out tank or new tank make sure you put a good fuel filter in the line between the tank and the pump. That will help save your fuel pump if something is still in the tank or line.
I did a tank on another one that had been coated with some silver stuff when it was put together some years ago. now the silver stuff was coming off along with the rust. that one I replaced, there was no hope for it.
here's one a really old friend of mine showed me ... take all the guts out of it ,,tape up all the holes ,, put in some SMALL gravel ,, and soap and water .. wrap the tank in some old blankets .. STRAP this thing on the front of your cement mixer ,,, and turn it on for 5-10 min.. it works ,,
A pressure washer works. Also I use a dog chain with nuts and bolts in it, easy to fish out when your done. Never used the cement mixer trick but I like it. Have also sandblasted the inside of a tank. You may need to cut an access hole and weld it up afterwards.
I want to know which sealer works best? They seam temperamental at best if you get the wrong one, or apply it wrong. Also...when throwing in some nuts and bolts, count how many go in, so you know you got them all, when you take them out.
I got a new one for a 54 Merc on ebay 300.00.Toms Cl***ic.I cleaned and sealed my galaxie tank with blue stone.threw in blue driveway stone and shook it up a bunch of times.
My 1938 IHC D-2 tank looked great from the outside. Pulled it off the frame and immediately noticed it was too heavy to be empty. Pickup had sat for decades so I didn't expect gas in it. What it had in it was 5 gallons of tarry stinky muck. Had to s****e what I could get to twice. Radiator shop just laughed at me. Then pressure washed it and more stuff fell out. Local shop took pity on me and hot tanked it over a weekend. Pressure washed it again, more stuff fell out. Finally, rad shop said they'd take a shot. They cleaned it AGAIN and soldered three holes. "Straw" is capped with a long Rochester inlet fuel filter so one piece of stray trash wont plug it off. Gas Tank Renu was going to be about $550+. You get your old tank back! No aftermarket tanks avail for old IHC but suspect they'd be more for stainless? What a nightmare, probably one month wasted fooling around?
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