Author Topic: I tried the Molasses method for derusting a tank (Read 10419 times)

lrutt · « **on:** March 04, 2006, 07:13:50 AM »

And it worked amazingly well. I had a c70 passport tank that was real bad on the inside, at least it looked that way. Not rusted through but rusted up and constantly plugged filters etc. I bought a like a 8oz bottle of dark molasses at the grocery store. I poured about 1qt of water in the tank, poured the molasses in, shook it up real good, then topped it off with water. I sat it lever for about 2.5 days. The article I read said to use about a 4 to 1 water to Molasses mix. I think I had about 9 to 1. Today I drained the tank, took my water hose with a pressure tip on it and washed it out. And what did I see, bare metal and lots of it. I tossed a couple rocks in with more water and shook it up real good and drained it again. It looks amazingly well. I can't believe it to be honest. Even the cap came clean. I have an old CT90 and 305 Dream to do yet. My next time around I think I'll mix it a little stronger, maybe 5 to 1. I don't ride them much so I'll make a special gas can of mixture with stabil and 2 stroke oil mix to help preserve things but I am extremely happy for my $2.50 investment.

I'm tearing into the other tank tomight, after I go to Daytona to bike week for the day.

Just thought I'd share what I found out.

DiscoEd · « **Reply #1 on:** March 04, 2006, 08:30:03 AM »

As much as I appreciate hearing this information, now I'll never eat a molasses cookie again.

DiscoEd

seaweb11 · « **Reply #2 on:** March 04, 2006, 09:58:55 AM »

"I tossed a couple rocks in with more water "
Could you elaborate?

cb650 · « **Reply #3 on:** March 04, 2006, 12:00:08 PM »

The rocks will loosen some crap up. Dont know about the water I use mineral spirits or diesel.
I wonder how coke would work? The drinking kind!!!!

terry

TwoTired · « **Reply #4 on:** March 04, 2006, 01:02:47 PM »

Anything acidic will work, and the more acidic the faster it will work.
pH scale goes from 0-14
0= acidic
7=neutral
14= basic

Batery acid is about 1
Household lye is about 13
Distilled water is about 7

Lemon juice, vinegar, coke, are all slighly acidic. I think molasses is as well, but not certain. Bicarbonate or baking soda is slightly basic. All are used in the kitchen during food prep. You can eat acids (or bases) if they aren't too strong. Your body will make and add acids or bases to your stomach after eating to adjust for proper pH during digestion. But, these have limited strength and slow response time.

Theoreticaly, you could puke in your gas tank and it would remove rust, too!

Who'll be the first to report those results?

Cheers,

BobbyR · « **Reply #5 on:** March 04, 2006, 02:30:18 PM »

Twotired, The Hydrochloric acid in you stomach would contribute to more rust. Now if you drank enough Coca Cola that contains Phosphoric Acid which is the active ingredient in most rust removers the mixture may just do the trick. I am not sure what a bladder full of Guiness would do in the tank, but there is a fellow up the stret I amy try it on!

lrutt · « **Reply #6 on:** March 04, 2006, 02:32:31 PM »

Actually, the Molasses is not acidic. I read where it has a checmical reaction with the rust known as chelation I think. I didn't want to use anything acidic to worry about etching and eating out the tank much. Molasses seems to work like the Evaporust product in it's chemical reaction with rust.

And yes, the rocks where to get the big stuff off then let the molasses do it's thing.

cbjunkie · « **Reply #7 on:** March 04, 2006, 03:01:17 PM »

BRAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!!

BobbyR that is hilarious! let us know how that works out for ya!

junkie out...

8 Track · « **Reply #8 on:** March 04, 2006, 04:31:44 PM »

Did somebody say 2 stroke oil?!?

seaweb11 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 14, 2006, 05:55:51 PM »

Well this seemed to good and tooooo easy so I poured in 3 boxes of Molasses in a 4-1 water ratio today on my CL350 project tank http://www.sohc4.us/forums/index.php?topic=4489.30

I will respond back with my results/

howardstapley · « **Reply #10 on:** March 14, 2006, 05:59:45 PM »

Interesting, what about flash rust after the fact??

seaweb11 · « **Reply #11 on:** March 14, 2006, 06:15:56 PM »

Crap!
No one mentioned this as a problem before hand. I would have thought that once the tank has fuel in it again, all would be well.

It wasn't really bad, just a light dusting of rust from having no fuel in it for a while.

I'm going to shake my tank

Looking for more comments.

Lumbee · « **Reply #12 on:** March 14, 2006, 08:26:45 PM »

Interesting, what about flash rust after the fact??

Quote

...last step should be rinsing it with gas...or if its gonna sit up for a while, maybe a gas/oil mix to give it a light coat...

seaweb11 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 14, 2006, 10:29:08 PM »

Hell, the tank will be rinsed and filled with gas and the bike will be RUNNNNNNNNN

I hadn't thought about running it on Molasses, although.........at $5.00 a gallon///////

cbjunkie · « **Reply #14 on:** March 14, 2006, 10:43:59 PM »

you just wait! pretty soon we'll be trying to run our scoots on spit -

eldar · « **Reply #15 on:** March 15, 2006, 08:16:53 AM »

How do you get all the water out of the tank? No matter how much I turn the tank, I cant get all the water out.

Gordon · « **Reply #16 on:** March 15, 2006, 08:39:12 AM »

Quote from: eldar, Master of the K8 Thunder! on March 15, 2006, 08:16:53 AM

How do you get all the water out of the tank? No matter how much I turn the tank, I cant get all the water out.

Pour in some acetone (nail polish remover), it soaks up the water. Then just pour as much of it out as you can, and the rest will mix with the gas and burn off.

Greg · « **Reply #17 on:** March 15, 2006, 09:31:03 AM »

so did the molasses trick work?

howardstapley · « **Reply #18 on:** March 15, 2006, 09:59:00 AM »

Deisel rinse after the fact might just rid most of the water and add a nice coating until you get gas in there.

seaweb11 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 15, 2006, 11:26:14 AM »

A friend mentioned to me that a diesel rinse and soak would be a good idea so I will try that.

dusterdude · « **Reply #20 on:** March 15, 2006, 11:46:00 AM »

Quote from: eldar, Master of the K8 Thunder! on March 15, 2006, 08:16:53 AM

How do you get all the water out of the tank? No matter how much I turn the tank, I cant get all the water out.

put it in the oven and let it bake for a while.

cbjunkie · « **Reply #21 on:** March 15, 2006, 12:31:40 PM »

i set mine in front of a "salamander" heater... worked great.

dusterdude · « **Reply #22 on:** March 15, 2006, 01:13:16 PM »

damn junkie,i was making a crack at the k8 god and you come in with something sensible to back me up....thanks

Clyde · « **Reply #23 on:** March 15, 2006, 04:25:15 PM »

I used methylated spirits when I put a kit in my F1 tank. It dried it out very well after the passivation stage and before putting the final coating in.
The guy who sprays my tanks uses molasses to clean up the tanks outside and inside, but I have never tried it.
I have a tank that needs cleaning out and will do it over the next two weeks
How long did you leave the molasses in?

seaweb11 · « **Reply #24 on:** March 15, 2006, 06:13:39 PM »

I put it in yesterday/ I will open and see what's up on Sunday/

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Author Topic: I tried the Molasses method for derusting a tank (Read 10419 times)

howardstapley

eldar

Greg

howardstapley