Topic: Gas tank rust removal without harming new paint

[cb500bobber]

Muriatic acid works great to I used a hole gallon on mine and then filled the rest of the tank with water and let it set for 2 hours or how ever long till it comes clean. You will need to shake the tank every 15 minutes or until it looks clean. Then rinse it with water and then put oil in the tank and move it around to coat the inside.

[Lostboy Steve]

These threads just keep resurfacing. Do a search. There have been about 30 threads about this since I joined a few months ago.

[gnarlycharlie4u]

These threads just keep resurfacing. Do a search. There have been about 30 threads about this since I joined a few months ago.

this.

that being said:

vinegar works, beet juice works well, molasses is a total pain but works

I'd just etch it with phosporic acid (Prep N' Etch @ home depot) and be careful not to get it on the paint.
It won't mess it up upon contact but who knows what will happen if you leave it on there.

Also be sure to remove your petcock before using any of these.


edit:

Be carefull with electrolosis. The byproduct with this method is hydrogen gas!

yea but unless you're doing it in a small sealed area you're fine.

or you could just put a funnel with a hose on the end upside down over the tank, put the other end of the hose into a water bottle and catch the H gas. then you have minibombs!

[mrbreeze]

These threads just keep resurfacing. Do a search. There have been about 30 threads about this since I joined a few months ago.

If you read the subject....I'm asking about doing it WITHOUT comprimising my new paint. I've been here long enough to know about the search function .....believe me!!!! I'd be here all day scouring over all of the info and then picking out the safest ways of doing it.I don't need no steenkin' search button police!!!!!

[Hinomaru]

I’ve had good luck using the Scotch / 3M Blue painters tape (part number: 2090) on gas tanks. Two overlapping layers does the trick. You still need to exercise caution as the tape cannot offer 100% protection against all cleaning chemical spills. If the tape gets soaked, it’s easy enough to remove and re-apply with some fresh tape. Tip: Waxing the tank with your favorite car wax before applying the tape offers extra protection.
 
More here:
 
http://www.scotchblue.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotch-BlueBrand/Scotch-Blue/

[mrbreeze]

I have a roll of that (good stuff by the way). You don't think it will take the paint with it when I remove it? It has gas proof clear coat.

[Hinomaru]

If the paint is fully cured, I don't think you will have a problem. The other option is to consider the 3M Orange painters tape, part number 2080EL. It has a lower adhesion factor than the blue tape. I haven't personally tried the orange tape, so I can't vouch for it.

http://www.scotchblue.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Scotch-BlueBrand/Scotch-Blue/Products/Directory/?PC_7_RJH9U52308H150IUO3HIL13CO6_nid=VQKRVTF736gs3CJGDZ9S2Qgl8R09XS8RX3bl

[mrbreeze]

I don't have the orange on hand so I'll try the blue maybe down where the seat covers it at first. I would think the paint is cured by now. Its a been coupla months.

[Lostboy Steve]

Yeah I understand the paint thing. About 3 weeks ago a guy had a brand spankin new paint job on his tank and had a whole thread about how to fix the inside after a previous sealer had become #$%*ty.

[lucky]

I think I've read about that stuff.......bazillion $$$ per gallon ...won't hurt paint.....can be reused. I heard the toilet bowl cleaners are good but you can't get it on the paint. I wonder how the Molasses is ? Even coca cola....I heard they take longer but what about the paint? Whatever I use ...I'm gonna be real careful and cover the tank somehow but knowing my clumbsy a$$....I'd still get some on there!!!!

I get so tired of that myth about Coca Cola being acidic.
IF you really think so, try it and find out.
All it will do is get the surface wet.
I don't care how long you leave it on. Or if you put a nail in the bottle of coke.
Does NOTHING.

[mrbreeze]

I think I've read about that stuff.......bazillion $$$ per gallon ...won't hurt paint.....can be reused. I heard the toilet bowl cleaners are good but you can't get it on the paint. I wonder how the Molasses is ? Even coca cola....I heard they take longer but what about the paint? Whatever I use ...I'm gonna be real careful and cover the tank somehow but knowing my clumbsy a$$....I'd still get some on there!!!!

I get so tired of that myth about Coca Cola being acidic.
IF you really think so, try it and find out.
All it will do is get the surface wet.
I don't care how long you leave it on. Or if you put a nail in the bottle of coke.
Does NOTHING.

Guernyville hey? Close enough for me to splash coca -cola at you!!!......Ya gotta come south and hook up for a ride dude!!!!

[Terry in Australia]

I get so tired of that myth about Coca Cola being acidic.
IF you really think so, try it and find out.
All it will do is get the surface wet.
I don't care how long you leave it on. Or if you put a nail in the bottle of coke.
Does NOTHING.

It's no myth mate, Cola (most cola's) contains both Phosphoric Acid (a great rust remover) and Carbonic Acid. When I was an Army recruit back in the 1970's, the gas plugs on our combat rifles would get a  hard layer of carbon on them after a range shoot, and nothing would get it off, nothing that is, except an overnight soaking in a glass of Coke.

Have you not seen the Mythbusters episode where they use coke on a rusty chrome bumper and confirm that it is a great product for cleaning rust off chrome? You're right about not using it to remove the rust in a heavily rusted tank though, the phosphoric acid would be in such a small proportion to the other non-rust removing ingredients, that it won't do much, in fact the other ingredients might even make it rust more. Cheers, Terry.