Rust and crud in my gas tank

[melhilburn]

Is there a method to the madness of removing the gas from the tank and cleaning out the rust and crud - I would rather keep the old tank and spend the money on suspension parts.

[mbfiretech]

I yanked mine out on saturday to clean it out, but ended up pushing a screwdriver through it since the rust was so bad. Make sure to inspect yours.

[melhilburn]

My gas sending unit has a bad float so I don't know exactly how much fuel is in the tank (but I know it at least 5 gallons) - What is the best way to deal with the old gas - I live close to DC and they are really tight on EPA issues around here - Do I just siphon out the old gas until its low enough to yank the tank then pour the rest in a bucket - But not sure how to get rid of the darn gas after????

[jdl71]

Depending on how much gas you're dealing with I suppose you could pour it in a bucket then use sand, kitty litter, or the actual stuff made for soaking up petroleum products to absorb it. You might then be able to bag it up and put it in the trash. You could also check with a local auto repair shop and see if they have some way to dispose of it properly. Personally, I'd pour it on a brush pile and burn it off, but I don't live where you do so I realize your options are limited. You might also check the yellow pages under hazardous waste disposal and see if you can find someone to give you guidance on the proper disposal.

[jdl71]

http://www6.montgomerycountymd.gov/s.../hhw/index.asp

[theastronaut]

Our local recycling center has a tank for old oil/gas.

For cleaning out the tank, dump some rocks or chain and kerosene in it and get a buddy to help shake any loose rust out. Dump that, then pour in muriatic acid to eat the rust out.

Here's what my tank looked like after a being cleaned at a radiator shop. Most of the rust was gone but it still had a thin coating of rust inside.








After cleaning with muriatic acid and rinsing with water/baking soda mix to neutralize the acid.







Water/baking soda mixture rinsed out, then used PPG DX series Metal Cleaner to get the hazy rust off from the water/soda rinse. I poured the PPG Metal Cleaner out, then rinsed the tank with PPG Metal Conditioner and dried it with a heat gun aimed into the sending unit hole. We've done a few tanks this way and the one in our '57 VW that we did a few years ago still looks like new inside. The PPG Metal Conditioner leaves a coating that prevents rust, and won't come off and gum up the fuel lines and carburetor like some sealers can.





Outside wetsanded and painted.

[61_FL_Apache]

Nice tips on the tank cleaning.

[duallyjams]

What size tank do you currently have in your truck ?
I just replaced one that had ten gallons in it , just pulled it out and poured it into gas cans , stained the gas and reused it , it cost to much to waste.

[melhilburn]

Wow - Thanks for all the great information - Where can I find the PPG products - They sound like they are perfect for the job - And by the way your project looks fantastic!