Topic: Testing the Vinegar Tank treatment...

[flybox1]

This thread deserves to be in the Tips & Tricks page.   
Well Done!

[Cut]

Started on the vinegar tank soak three days ago.  After three days, I had to drain the vinegar back into a five gallon bucket due to losing the seal on the petcock.  Luckily I was smart enough to place the tank atop of the bucket and was able to recover the vinegar for a second round of soaking.  While thinking of a better method to secure the petcock hole, I flushed her out with my garden hose about three times and am quite pleased with the results thus far. For round two (another three days) of my vinegar soak, I cut a piece of bicycle tube and clamped it around the petcock hole with a hose clamp to ensure the integrity of the seal.

Note:  Flash rusting was readily apparent and spread like cancer after only seven minutes (yes I timed it) after flushing the tank of water.  Ensure that you have your acetone, ATF, Seafoam, two-cycle oil, WD, or whatever flash preventer you plan on using "at the ready" when you are done with the vinegar regiment.  As for me, I intend on using ATF given the overwhelming positive press it has been given on this subject.  Alas, I am going with the concensus.

P.S.  I you have as much $hit coming out of the tank depicted in 750K's pictures above, you need to line your tank.  Do not think " I will be fine".  Fine, my friend....is only a matter of time.  One does not need gray hair to be a wise man.

[Dave K]

On my XL 350 tank, I was very pleased how the vinegar soak went. Anyhow, my deal is to chrome the tank when finished with. Of course like all here, I am concerned with leakage from the rust. Since I am plating the tank. I am hoping to have the interior plated with what ever the platers recommend. There are no known leaks now and none showed up under about 9 psi air pressure with vinegar and then water in it, followed by the 2 stroke oil. I don't know if it will be zinc or nickle plate, but I hope that it will be, a coating would be great to stop it and protect it is what I think I need. I am just so afraid of the tank coatings that many use. I have seen good and bad from them.

[PeWe]

What kind of vinegar should be used?  acidity? 5% or stronger?
Is it something like these?
http://www.dutchvalleyfoods.com/products/search?searchText=White+Vinegar

http://www.miss-thrifty.co.uk/2009/04/07/frugal-fabric-softener/

http://blog.warnersstellian.com/2011/01/31/vinegar-cleaning-ideas/

[VTCBike750]

This is fantastic. I used the works the last time I did a tank and it developed small pin holes. Not sure if they were there before or not. So I've been thinking of doing this method on a different tank with minimal rust.

750k with all the rust that came out, id be a little concerned about fuel leaking. Just my opinion though.

[Teatimetim]

I used Reverse Electrolysis  looked about the same as these.    I wish I had gone this route, though it wasn't that much more hassle, and supposedly it saves more metal.   I would however recommend the Por 15 starter kit.  sealed the whole tank.

[Dave K]

I used the regular off the shelve vinegar. Cheap as I could find, but didn't look very hard either. I got a couple of gal. ar Dollar General. A previous poster is also correct, it is good weed killer when you are done with it. No weeds in my driveway cracks.

[750K]

Yeah you have to be on it quick with the baking soda rinse to kill the flash rust, it happens quick.

I've been toying with lining the tank, so far it's holding gas but we'll see. I have another kz1000 tank for it that's not rusty but I'd like to keep the stock tank on for now I'm just going to keep an eye on it. It's not been on the road for 15 years so I'll only be doing short trips for the first couple hundred kms, once I get new tires and fine tune the carbs I'll worry about potentially lining the tank. I'd rather not have to if I can help it.

[lucky]

When sculptors want the rusty metal look and do not have time to wait, they use white vinegar mixed 50% with water. The metal will rust very quickly.

[750K]

If you don't neutralize the acid of the vinegar it will just continue to rust Lucky, that's why I rinsed it with baking soda which is an alkalie. It sat with two stroke oil in it for months and when I flushed that with fresh gas and drained that no rust came back, none. Its spotless inside and no pinholes so far and it's been months since I cleaned the rust out, I won't line it till it starts leaking.

[CrankyOldGuy]

White or apple cider vinegar?

Harry O.

[750K]

Heinz white vinegar, full strength. The apple cider had a lower acid percentage on the label, worked wonders Harry.

[CrankyOldGuy]

Thanks 750 K.  My tank now sits full of 35+ year old gas so it will be interesting what I find 

Harry O.

[750K]

Let us know how it works out for you, the Kz tank I cleaned out had been half full of gas for 15 yrs and it cleaned out all the varnish as well as the rust. The petcock was so gunked up, I pushed plugs of varnish out of the passage ways while I ran it through the ultra soinc cleaner haha.

[The Dude Abides]

I'm a little confused as to how you "rinse" with baking soda after your vinegar soak? Do you dump a box of baking soda into your tank and toss it around? do you flush warm water through with the baking soda? do you flush with gas? i'm a bit confused.......

[bjatwood]

Get a pail of water, warm works better. Dump a box of Baking soda into it and stir it with a wooden spoon. When it's dissolved dump it into the tank for the rinse.

[The Dude Abides]

Get a pail of water, warm works better. Dump a box of Baking soda into it and stir it with a wooden spoon. When it's dissolved dump it into the tank for the rinse.

I see, thank you!

[jstfkndi]

This is cool! I will have to try this. I have a tank on a CB350F that needs it bad! I tried a phosphoric acid treat on it, but I am pretty sure I did not do it right. I can get pretty potent chemicals and I got some concentrated phosphoric and diluted it and did the whole shaking it around and maneuvering the tank for a week. No luck. I am going to try this method, although, I will put some before and after pics up, I need to put a before pic up because this tank may not make even after the vinegar treatment. I feel it is too rusted and may develop a leak, but worthe a shot!

[mafd2]

Started on the vinegar tank soak three days ago.  After three days, I had to drain the vinegar back into a five gallon bucket due to losing the seal on the petcock.  Luckily I was smart enough to place the tank atop of the bucket and was able to recover the vinegar for a second round of soaking.  While thinking of a better method to secure the petcock hole, I flushed her out with my garden hose about three times and am quite pleased with the results thus far. For round two (another three days) of my vinegar soak, I cut a piece of bicycle tube and clamped it around the petcock hole with a hose clamp to ensure the integrity of the seal.

Note:  Flash rusting was readily apparent and spread like cancer after only seven minutes (yes I timed it) after flushing the tank of water.  Ensure that you have your acetone, ATF, Seafoam, two-cycle oil, WD, or whatever flash preventer you plan on using "at the ready" when you are done with the vinegar regiment.  As for me, I intend on using ATF given the overwhelming positive press it has been given on this subject.  Alas, I am going with the concensus.

P.S.  I you have as much $hit coming out of the tank depicted in 750K's pictures above, you need to line your tank.  Do not think " I will be fine".  Fine, my friend....is only a matter of time.  One does not need gray hair to be a wise man.

OK I don't wanna be the dumb one here but what is ATF? The only ATF I know is Alcohol, Tobacco And Firearms

[Mo]

OK I don't wanna be the dumb one here but what is ATF? The only ATF I know is Alcohol, Tobacco And Firearms

Automatic Transmission Fluid 

[mafd2]

Duh I gotcha now.  Should've known that just wasn't thinking  .

[76cb550k]

can anyone tell me if it is absolutely necessary to flush out the tank with water?  I feel like this is what is causing majority of flash rusting. 

If i dump out all the Vinegar after a wash and immediately slosh with 2-stroke oil and gasoline, re-empty, and perhaps reproduce this process enough, any remaining vinegar would be gone.

Am i foolish to think this? After a few days of researching, I'm not sure if there is a great way to prevent flash rusting easily?

[HondaMan]

can anyone tell me if it is absolutely necessary to flush out the tank with water?  I feel like this is what is causing majority of flash rusting. 

If i dump out all the Vinegar after a wash and immediately slosh with 2-stroke oil and gasoline, re-empty, and perhaps reproduce this process enough, any remaining vinegar would be gone.

Am i foolish to think this? After a few days of researching, I'm not sure if there is a great way to prevent flash rusting easily?

Flush with the water and baking soda mix. If you don't, the vinegar won't stop, which is where the surface etch is coming from (it makes free ions of iron, which rust immediately). You can also use anything that will absorb the acid, but things like acetone and mineral spirits (which neutralize it fast) will also remove paint on the outside when you drip (!).

[750K]

I you have as much $hit coming out of the tank depicted in 750K's pictures above, you need to line your tank.  Do not think " I will be fine".  Fine, my friend....is only a matter of time.  One does not need gray hair to be a wise man.

So just to update anyone thats interested, its been a year since I de rusted that kz1000 tank. It sat half full with gas over the winter in an unheated garage and it has no new rust nor has it started to leak, so I will not be lining it any time soon.

[Jay Ace]

can anyone tell me if it is absolutely necessary to flush out the tank with water?  I feel like this is what is causing majority of flash rusting. 

If i dump out all the Vinegar after a wash and immediately slosh with 2-stroke oil and gasoline, re-empty, and perhaps reproduce this process enough, any remaining vinegar would be gone.

Am i foolish to think this? After a few days of researching, I'm not sure if there is a great way to prevent flash rusting easily?

You will have to flush with water because there will be A LOT of crud in there that you have to get out. When you do it you'll see what I mean. Also, you will have to work really fast so make sure you have everything ready to go. Rust will start to form literally after couple of minutes.