Topic: What's the best way to prevent flash rusting?

[Tugboat]

I cleaned out a tank yesterday with The Works toilet bowl cleaner.. actually 2 of them + filled to the top with water.. 2 hour soak. It did an awesome job - totally clean on the inside UNTIL I drained it out. Flash rust. Any suggestions for keeping that from happening again?

[lucky]

Steel starts to rust within 4 hours of cleaning.
It must be coated as soon as possible to keep oxygen away from it.
Some tank liners actually adhere to that flash rust very well.
Caswell's for instance.

I have applied Caswell's liner to a slightly rust interior with good results.
I add white colorant to the epoxy so I can see the inside condition of the liner.
I buy the white colorant from TAP plastics. It is a small  jar premixed and Caswell approved it.

[flybox1]

Kleen Strip Prep-n-Etch.  works fine with flash rust.
pour a bottle in, top off with water.  leave it for an hour or so.
leaves a nice gray phosphoric acid coating.  no rust.
be sure to rinse it REALLY well with water after, then acetone to dry out the water, and then a little 2-stroke or ATF, if you will not be filling it with gas right away.

[2wheels]

After you drain the cleaner out,  rinse with water, blow with compressed air if you can to get as much water out as you can.  Then put a quart of alcohol (Methyl Hydrate is alcohol) rinse it around good.  That will absorb all the water. Dump it out and blow with air again.  Then  put 2 stoke oil in the tank and swish it around good.
All the above needs to be completed in about 10 minutes.

[Vinhead1957]

Rinse it drain it use a hair dryer to get the rest of the water out and fill it with gas, mount it and run it

[davis96]

Rinse it drain it use a hair dryer to get the rest of the water out and fill it with gas, mount it and run it

+1 It won't rust if its got gas in it. This is what I did after using the works on my tank

[Bankerdanny]

You can also pour in some Marvel Mystery Oil (half a bottle or so) and swirl it around to coat the inside of the tank. That's what i did with mine and I only had a small amount of flash in a couple places where the oil didn't cover.

When you add gas later it will rinse off and it won't harm your engine to cycle it through.

[dusterdude]

What danny said

[chewbacca5000]

After you drain the cleaner out,  rinse with water, blow with compressed air if you can to get as much water out as you can.  Then put a quart of alcohol (Methyl Hydrate is alcohol) rinse it around good.  That will absorb all the water. Dump it out and blow with air again.  Then  put 2 stoke oil in the tank and swish it around good.
All the above needs to be completed in about 10 minutes.

+1  faster the better.

[Duanob]

I used fogging oil in mine worked pretty good for a few weeks while I was painting my tank. But yes dry it out as much as possible right after derusting it.

[Scott S]

 The Works and water and a heavy chain.
 Drain.
 Rinse with water.
 Water and baking soda to neutralize the acid.
 Drain.
 Rinse with water.
 Drain.
 Denatured alcohol to help evaporate water.
 Blow dry or set in the sun for a few minutes.
 Marvel Mystery Oil...about an ounce or two. Swish, spin, twirl, etc., to coat the entire inside.

 I had a tank sit at the bodyshop for a YEAR like this and it was still spotless.