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I know this is more a car forum but we all have rusty petrol tanks. I'm restoring a 1956 BSA Bantam D3, it had been stood for about 30 odd years with a tank half full of fuel. I've had the tank blasted, powder coated & made all pretty again, so now I need to sort the insides out.  Will vinegar do the trick or do I need to spend a few bob more and buy one of the Frost POR15 kits? Cleaning the carb & filter is an easy job on these simple bikes. www.frost.co.uk/por15-motorcycle-fuel-tank-repair-kit.html |
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barty
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,088
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shame you didnt sort the inside of the tank before you done the outside, it all depends on how bad the inside really is
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v8ian
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,758
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probably the easiest way to sort it would be half fill the tank gravel, top up with water, then wrap the tank in bubble wrap, lots of it, then put the tank in a cement mixer, obviously pack out the tank so it dosent tumble about in the mixer, set the mixer at a shallow angle, switch on, go and have lunch, sit and watch TV for a couple of hours, remove the tank and be pleasantly surprised how clean and shiny the tank now is
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Atmo V8 Power . No slicks , No gas + No bits missing . Doing it in style.
Austin A35van, very different------- but still doing it in style, going to be a funmoble
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Yeah it all had to go at once & I didn't have time to sort it beforehand! Obviously a lot of care & attention will be taken to ensure the paint isn't damaged at all.
So they don't necessarily need sealing afterwards then? I can just strip the rust out & leave as is?
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When I did mine I filled it with old nuts and bolts, shook it for ages and loads of curse word came out. Washed it out and did it again, a little less rusty bits.. then did it again until it was pretty clear. Then did electrolysis on it with a battery charger.. then lined it with por15 tank liner stuff. Seems sound now..
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shame you didnt sort the inside of the tank before you done the outside, it all depends on how bad the inside really is |
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dazcapri
North East
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Posts: 1,056
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This months Classic Bike has an interview with a pro restorer who recommends initially using thinners then rattling a load of nuts and bolts in it to get rid of the stubborn bits
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Mk3 Capri LS
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Buy yourself a large bag of small marbles and put them in the tank with about half a pint of petrol and shake it about every now and then, or do as I did and fix it to the washing line and left it for a week, emptying it every day to get the dirt out of it,It works for me.
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I bought a Lada Riva that had stood for 14 years, the tank was in terrible condition inside, after asking on here "what to do" people came back with driveway cleaner, also known as concrete cleaner,
So I sealed up the tank and poured the cleaner in and added new nuts and bolts, shook it like mad until my arms had had enough, did this process a couple of times and the inside came up like new,
The new nuts and bolts lost all plating on them and turned black,
It's acid so be careful,
It will do it though, shame you didn't do this before the outside,
Good luck
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MK2 Cortina Estate
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I did a bike tank with oxalic acid and 13mm nuts and bolts and was easy enough just got tired arms with shaking the living bejeezus out of the tank for ages
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you'll have to be carefull with that because shaking it about with nuts and bolts inside will cause small dents if the material is thin and then the paint will have small cracks which will cause water to get underneath and lift off the paint, so you will have to do swirling action it will take longer but will not damage the paint.
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you'll have to be carefull with that because shaking it about with nuts and bolts inside will cause small dents if the material is thin and then the paint will have small cracks which will cause water to get underneath and lift off the paint, so you will have to do swirling action it will take longer but will not damage the paint. I was just reading the above and thinking the same thing, and that paint job in the first pic looks lovely. If the tap hole can be plugged up then diluted brick cleaner (hydrochloric acid) should work fine without the nuts. Brim it full and leave it in a well ventilated spot for a while. Electrolysis would work too: brim full of water with some washing soda crystals (sodium carbonate) mixed in, suspend an iron anode in though the filler making sure it doesn't touch the inside and connect up a battery charger for a few hours. I'd be tempted to just slosh a bit of petrol in to wash off any loose dirt and then use it as is and keep an eye on the rust. So long as the tank is not perforated and the cap is working correctly, the fuel vapour should displace any moisture in the air inside the tank and stop dew condensing on the walls. I have an ancient lawnmower still in regular use where the outside of the tank has a heavy patina and had lost much of its paint but the inside is still silvery fresh bare steel. Pretty sure it's not plated with anything as the seams are leaded. The inside of my van tank looks the same and is 40+ years old: horrible on the outside and silvery smooth on the inside. |
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Last Edit: Jun 4, 2014 15:50:08 GMT by Clamity
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taurus
Posted a lot
Posts: 1,084
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Just don't do what a mate of mine did, poured slow epoxy into the tank, shook it round and left it to set. Then wondered why no fuel came out of it.
I'd second giving it a swill with fresh fuel and then see how it goes. if it's basically sound and kept in regular use it ought to be OK.
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