Rusty Fuel Tank - Fix Or Replace???

[LaraWilde]

I have been restoring my chev for years... obviously it takes a while.
For the past 3 years it has been at a paint shop waiting for an auto electrician... but it is nearly out.
This week when we flushed the tanks and tried to get her running again... I found that the tank behind the seat is filled with a dirty gunk on the bottom and the filler spout is very rusty.
Is there a way I can clean it up or should I order a new one and wait another 3 months to get her on the road?
I would prefer to get her out as quick as possible if I can.

[tcb-1]

first off, Welcome to the forum! nice to have you aboard!

if it was me, I would buy a new tank. BUT from your info, your in Queensland, right? in that case, getting a tank might take a while if there's no restoration part warehouses in Australia. you can try a product called Creme that is usually sold at motorcycle shops. but you have to remove the tank, thoroughly clean it, etch it, then you can coat it. it takes a while and it still may not be perfect.

to get your truck on the road, you may just put 2 filters in line, run it, change the filters, and repeat UNTIL you get a new tank.

good luck!

[Sammy]

There is a product used to recoat, clean & treat a tank. Someone will know the brand. After my truck sat for 10 years I just emptied the tank, swished new fuel around & it was clean after that. Then after a few days I replaced the filter both in-line & in the carb. But they were decent. Hardest was redoing all the brake lines & wheel cylinders the brake fluid doesn't like to sit that long. Good Luck.

[LaraWilde]

Thanx Lads,

I hadn't thought of brake fluid.
I will order one and while I wait I will clean it as best I can and see if I can get it on the road.
I do have an auxilliary tank so I can always use it until the new one arrives.

What else have I forgotten? Fuel, oil, brakes... is it really just a full service?

[LaraWilde]

A quick thought... Can I replace the fuel tank with one that doesn't sit behind the seat to give me more cab room?

[Sammy]

Only other thing is tires & watch for dry rotting. Yea brake fluid & condensation love each other. Try rinsing that tank several times & flush the M/C & brake system and keep an eye on leaking wheel cyl or pulling to one side.

[Sammy]

Blazer tank under the bed but with a bench seat you don't gain room really unless you need storage space.

[LaraWilde]

I am putting in buckets to replace the bench... I could use the storage but under the tray is a little sparse on room too. I may have to keep it where it is.
I would like to put some weight under the tray though to improve the ride... I will have to play with it.
Thanx for your input guys.

[telly]

You may think this is crazy...but it worked great on my motorcycle.

I took my bike's tank off after it sat for over 5 years and its insides were rusted. I plugged the drain and filled the sucker with Coke (the cola variety, not the nose candy). You should have seen the rust start to dissolve on contact. I let it sit for 1 day and occasionally shook the tank. I drained and rinsed with H2O, swished some acetone inside to get rid of the water residue and then reattached the tank. The best and easiest I have ever rid myself of rust. (This is after I tried the whole "motorcycle rust repair products" that ended up clogging my tank when I tried to apply its final coating).

[LaraWilde]

It holds 80L... that is a lot of coke to swish around. But I will give it a go. It is not as if it is any good for drinking without the whiskey in it anyway.

[Sammy]

Ahh another man who knows what to do with coke-a-cola..goes just great with any blended wiskey or scotch. KUDOS and good luck let us know how you tackle your problem & the results.

[telly]

Originally Posted by LaraWilde

It holds 80L... that is a lot of coke to swish around. But I will give it a go. It is not as if it is any good for drinking without the whiskey in it anyway.

You could always fill it only about 1/4 and then rotate how it is sitting in order to soak a different part of the tank. I'd rotate it about every 2-3 hours. (It wasn't necessary for me to have it sit for an entire day).

I have in fact used Coke to take surface rust of my rear floor board in my '80 Camaro - just poured it in and let it sit, rinsed, and lightly sanded. Worked like a dream. Hope you have a similar experience.

Good luck.


PS - why the heck would you ruin whiskey by adding coke?

[lts70]

Muriatic acid used to clean bricks and etch concrete works amazingly well and is relatively cheep. I got two gallons from home depot and have only used on gallon and have taken care of 5 or 6 motercycle tanks. Just dump it in and rotate the tank every half hour or so to get all sides. You can use a length of Cain if there is some rust that needs to be broken up. Then rinse with water. Then use asatone or MEK to dry out the water. Then I recommend using a product called Red- Kote to seal the tank from future rust. This process is easy and works great.

[LaraWilde]

Alrighty lads,
One: what is Cain?
Two: How many litres to a Gallon?
Three: Sammy did you imply that I was a man?
Four: Telly; in Australia we rarely if ever drink straight spirits... I do occasionally but mostly only with liquers.
I will try it out this week... let you know how it goes... the fuel tank and the drinking straight whiskey.
Hell, I will try anything twice.

[telly]

Originally Posted by LaraWilde

Alrighty lads,
One: what is Cain?
Two: How many litres to a Gallon?
Three: Sammy did you imply that I was a man?
Four: Telly; in Australia we rarely if ever drink straight spirits... I do occasionally but mostly only with liquers.
I will try it out this week... let you know how it goes... the fuel tank and the drinking straight whiskey.
Hell, I will try anything twice.

1) I think it was intended to be "chain". It helps to knock some of the loose rust off the side when you shake/shift the tank. Don't use a very heavy guage or you could dent/damage the tank.
2) 3.785 liters per 1 gallon
4) Rarely drink it straight...just cut it with a little water and ice. Doesn't mask the flavor, just softens the bite.

Keep us posted.

[leddzepp]

If you want to restore your old tank, use POR 15...they make a complete kit with instructions to get it done right the first time.

[Brock]

Originally Posted by telly

You could always fill it only about 1/4 and then rotate how it is sitting in order to soak a different part of the tank. I'd rotate it about every 2-3 hours. (It wasn't necessary for me to have it sit for an entire day).

I have in fact used Coke to take surface rust of my rear floor board in my '80 Camaro - just poured it in and let it sit, rinsed, and lightly sanded. Worked like a dream. Hope you have a similar experience.

Good luck.


PS - why the heck would you ruin whiskey by adding coke?

Off topic a bit but the "Coke" reminded me...my brother worked for a car dealership for MANY years and one of the tricks of the trade was to use 7-up to clean off bug guts. it seems as though the acid levels are perfect.

I'm in the same boat with the rusty/varnish smelling tank so I'm gonna try some of these and save buying a new tank. Thanks

[Olden Days]

radiator shop should be able to boil and seal it. I would check that cost against new. Shipping there has to be a killer. I saved a number of old tractor fuel tanks like that.

[Sammy]

It didn't register @ first. Accept my apology plezz. (Good Pic)
Some good things come from down under. Wagga Wagga has good wiskey & plenty of good coke for your tanks..