Cleaning out a fuel tank ?

[turnipbmw]

Any one have any prefered methods of cleaning rust out of a metal fuel tank ?

I have been working on my latest purchase - 1999 GPZ500S with 152 miles on the clock.

Would appear to be on its 2nd tank of fuel and for some reason the fuel tank is quite rusty inside.

I've ordered up some POR15 sealer and spent a few hours tonight shaking it with bolts etc inside then washing out with hot water in the sink.

Just wondering if there is a good chemical cleaner around.

I have a few thousand litres of hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide available but worry they might damage the paintwork

 

[Wizard]

Vinegar. Fill and leave for as long as you can.

 

[Steptoe]

Vinegar. Fill and leave for as long as you can.

He wants to clean it. Not pickle it.

 

[Packer]

I got a POR 15 tank repair kit for the old BM. It comes with a caustic solution to kill the rust and an acid solution to neutralise the caustic and etch the metal prior to paint.

I first treated it to a rattle about with small stones to try and loosen the rust and old paint. I then satarted in with the POR 15 process. It was a very long operation, many hours, of tilting the tank all ways to get the solutions into every bit of the tank, rinsing thoroughly between processes and then trying to dry the inside of the tank with forced warm air. At the same time I was paranoid about not getting the solutions on the 42 year old original outer paint. Finally I had a nice warm tank that looked completely dry inside and so I put in the POR 15 paint and then spent another hour tilting this way and that to try and cover all of the internal surfaces before inverting the tank over a bin to allow the excess paint to drain out.

It still has bare patches inside where their must have been traces of solution or water in the pores of remnant ex rust

I'll probably use it as is for the coming year and then send the tank to be done by a professional who has the correct kit and experience. It will be worth it to get a good job done. Hopefully keeping the tank full of fresh fuel for the year will inhibit further corrosion.

 

[Timolgra]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/POR-15-FU...pplies_Paint&hash=item415c2d80df#ht_500wt_922

 

[Richard A]

I've read somewhere about someone using a domestic type electric cement mixer with abrasive grit inside the tank, plenty of foam padding around the tank and repositioning it every now and then.

 

[turnipbmw]

Well I found a drum of acetic acid and sloshed about half a pint in with 3 gallons of hot water.

Left for a few hours then filled and drained about 10 times, again with hot water.

Left tank above a big, hot, steam trap and it was dry within an hour.

But, it was starting to rust again !

POR15 didn't turn up so I've poured a gallon of degreaser in.

Will give it another go on monday

Dont really understand how the tank got so rusty.

It could only have had about 5 gallons of fuel in it in its whole life.

Same as the carbs - they are pretty gummed up unyet have only had 3 gallons ever go through them.

 

[ELIMINATOR]

I think Richard is referring to a rumbler. These are used where I work to deburr small parts. Regular shaped pieces of abrasive grit are gently vibrated inside the tank. They do remove light rust as well, as well as paint work no doubt.

 

[Beemerman59]

Well I found a drum of acetic acid and sloshed about half a pint in with 3 gallons of hot water.

Left for a few hours then filled and drained about 10 times, again with hot water.

Left tank above a big, hot, steam trap and it was dry within an hour.

But, it was starting to rust again !

POR15 didn't turn up so I've poured a gallon of degreaser in.

Will give it another go on monday

Dont really understand how the tank got so rusty.

It could only have had about 5 gallons of fuel in it in its whole life.

Same as the carbs - they are pretty gummed up unyet have only had 3 gallons ever go through them.

I find it completely understandable why the fuel tank has rusted with that mileage over that period of time. Unless it has been emptied, removed off the bike and stored in completely dry conditions I would expect it to be well rusty by now. Same with gummed up carbs - if they were not emptied when the bike was stored they will be well bunged up by now. You might well find a lot of seals/bearings/tyres/rubber parts/plastic pipes etc on the bike will be in a poor condition as well depending how its been stored.