Topic: Fuel tank cleaning on Interceptor...

[DarkRider]

Ok...now that i have gotten my head clear about this...As reported in a previous thread the tank on my Interceptor has 3 holes in it from when a dent was repaired on it by a previous owner. I have since gotten another tank that came with one of the many interceptor parts bikes that have been here and gone over the past couple years. The problem with this one is that it has a rust colored slime/varnish kinda crap on the bottom of it. What is an easy way to get rid of this? I have been told to put  diesel in it and let it soak then drain it...and i have also been told to put fresh gas in it and let it soak and to run a fuel filter on the tank for awhile after either method to catch any other crap that may have been missed. Any other suggestions? Bear in mind i cannot remove the petcock since it is built into the tanks on the VF series bikes. Only removable component is the fuel sending unit which i might swap over from the old tank anyways to make sure i have a working fuel guage.

Not exactly the best pic of the problem but this is what i am dealing with in the "new" tank



And since i dont think i ever posted pics of the bike after it recieved its new paint...

[bill440cars]

  Man Chris, that tank's quite the mess, eh? I've never dealt with one near as bad as that, so I'll be looking to see what info is offered myself.

                                         Take care, Bill

[HondanutRider]

As mentioned in other threads, POR-15 is highly recommended.  They have a kit for motorcycle tanks that includes a cleaner, stripper, and sealer.  The sealer is similar in some ways to another common product called Kreem, except many believe the POR-15 product better in adhesion.  If your petcock can't be removed and it isn't steel, but an alloy metal, then you will need to be cautious and avoid the strippers - and maybe even the cleaners, as they will/may start dissolving that part.  (The POR-15 cleaner is supposed to get rid of varnish and oily deposits; you might want to contact the distributor for specific characteristics.  The stripper removes rust.)

[Alan F.]

I think I'd say a quart of warm denatured alcohol would be a good bet to loosen up that varnish, followed by another quart afterward.
Check out reply #10 in this thread for an idea that seems to work really well to get rid of the rust and probably won't hurt your petcock, although some discussion on the matter should take place before you try it... http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=62733.0
-A

[mgbgt89]

I just cleaned a tank with 3 gallons of white vinegar.. looked about like that. Let it sit for about 48 hours, rinsed it out and dumped some heet in it. Then some wd40. worked really well.

[DarkRider]

I just cleaned a tank with 3 gallons of white vinegar.. looked about like that. Let it sit for about 48 hours, rinsed it out and dumped some heet in it. Then some wd40. worked really well.

what is heet? This method sounds like the most petcock friendly solution so far.

[Frankenkit]

virtually the same as denatured alcohol.

[mgbgt89]

It's sold as fuel line de-icer. It will pull all the moisture out of the tank after you rinse it.

[DarkRider]

Nice! So basically vinegar soaking, rinsing with water then fuel line antifreeze or heet or denatured alcohol then im good to go...probably still a good idea to use a filter just to be on the safe side. Now my question is do i use the vinegar at full strength straight out the bottle or do i dilute it a bit first?

[mgbgt89]

Full strength.. and you'll still have to let it sit in the tank for at least 2 days. My tank had an old liner of some sort and it pulled it off in chunks, along with 90% of the rust. I was reluctant to try any harsh chemicals.

[78whiteorbs]

Flush the crap outta it with aggitating with a chain and then use some naval jelly. It is a florescent pink gel and is not as corrosive as some , i believe it's phophuric acid( spelling?) You could swirl it around upside down so as to get the top really well and position it so it doesnt pool at the bottom toward your petcock. Let is set 10 minutes ,20 minutes, 30 minutes (however long need be and flush it with fresh gas and dump out of the fill hole. Messy but hey ....another option is to cut out your petcock and have a bung welded in , then it'd be removable . Just food for thought. Bike paint looks nice~

[Frankenkit]

+1 on naval jelly, too... at least in theory.