Topic: Mavel Mystery Oil Vs tank Lining

[carnivorous chicken]

If you have pin holes you have a tank that could definitely benefit from a liner as odds are, there are many more areas ready to pop through. The Caswell kit is a 2 part kit and the POR15 is a single part kit that goes on thinner and is more like paint. You have absolutely no reason to fear applying The Caswell liner. I have done many tanks both metal and fiberglass with no failures. If you follow the simple instructions you will have a leak free tank that lasts.

Not sure what you mean here by one part kit, but the POR-15 process is a 3 step process: rust removal, acid prep, and liner. Each step has to be done perfectly according to instructions (e.g. the tank has to be bone dry before the final step, the liner, is put in). And it has to cure for a few days. I've sealed up pinholes with it before, piece of cake and no problems since.

[grcamna2]

There's a company here local to me that does an expensive liner/treatment that's very involved and takes a while w/ many processes;the job is done and is permanent/guaranteed for life.I had it done and am enjoying that I won't have to 'mess' with it Anymore.  gas-tank.com

[przjohn]

If you have pin holes you have a tank that could definitely benefit from a liner as odds are, there are many more areas ready to pop through. The Caswell kit is a 2 part kit and the POR15 is a single part kit that goes on thinner and is more like paint. You have absolutely no reason to fear applying The Caswell liner. I have done many tanks both metal and fiberglass with no failures. If you follow the simple instructions you will have a leak free tank that lasts.

Not sure what you mean here by one part kit, but the POR-15 process is a 3 step process: rust removal, acid prep, and liner. Each step has to be done perfectly according to instructions (e.g. the tank has to be bone dry before the final step, the liner, is put in). And it has to cure for a few days. I've sealed up pinholes with it before, piece of cake and no problems since.

I mean't that it does not require 2 ingredients mixed together like the Caswell kit.

[carnivorous chicken]

If you have pin holes you have a tank that could definitely benefit from a liner as odds are, there are many more areas ready to pop through. The Caswell kit is a 2 part kit and the POR15 is a single part kit that goes on thinner and is more like paint. You have absolutely no reason to fear applying The Caswell liner. I have done many tanks both metal and fiberglass with no failures. If you follow the simple instructions you will have a leak free tank that lasts.

Not sure what you mean here by one part kit, but the POR-15 process is a 3 step process: rust removal, acid prep, and liner. Each step has to be done perfectly according to instructions (e.g. the tank has to be bone dry before the final step, the liner, is put in). And it has to cure for a few days. I've sealed up pinholes with it before, piece of cake and no problems since.

I mean't that it does not require 2 ingredients mixed together like the Caswell kit.

Ah, gotcha, correctamundo!

[Ace Blackwell]

Thanks all,

I am going to go with a liner.  As you guys suspected I do have more than just the 2 pin holes.  Its more like 4 from what i can tell, though the metal seems pretty solid.  Couple of things I learned doing this.  And unfortunately didn't really have a great solution to either but just thought I'd share.  Maybe someone else my think of a better way before getting knee deep in the middle.

- The 550 tank doesn't have any opening at the lowest point of the tank.  Meaning, flip the tank upside down and the counter sink of the tank cap area becomes a raised platform.   And right side up, the petcock area apparently isn't the lowest point as I couldn't get everything to drain. I have shaken the hell out of the tank today and it took forever to get the vinegar and then the water out of the stupid thing.  I did use alcohol to dry the remaining dampness.  Because I didn't have my liner yet, I just poured in container of Marvel's, then shook it,  and have left it in.  I did use air from a pump for the alcohol, but didn't have access to a compressor to hit with high pressure.

- Sheetrock screws Vs BBs as a shaker media.  As most know, one of the recommendations is to fill the tank with a pound of screws or something to rattle around for a while in the tank to dislodge the loose rust.  I chose BBs.  They sounded like a better idea because they are smaller.  Could get to more areas right?  Well they did a great job but for the reasons listed above, they were a pain to get out of the tank.  It's up to the individual, but for a tank with a counter sink cap I would strongly recommend something larger than BBs.  Something you can reach in and get the last few by hand.

I have come to respect the guys that went through this process on a painted tank.  I had rust filled vinegar and then water all over everything.  In any case I really do appreciate all the good info.  Now to find where I can get the liner.  Advanced Auto here didn't have it.

Thanks
Ace 

[mystic_1]

Cool cool, you'll want to make sure to clean off the Marvel oil really really well before trying to line it, so that you don't get any adhesion problems.

The thing about using drywall screws is that the points of them would help scratch up the inside surfaces of the tank almost like sanding, which will give the liner some mechanical "tooth" to cling to.  The points would also get down into the corners a little better than the BB's would.

Any way sounds like you have a good plan for moving forward.  You'll probably need to order the liner, I've never seen it just on the shelf anywhere.

mystic_1

[Flyin900]

Whenever I do a tank I use a little acetone to roll around in there in the final stage of drying. I fortunately have a shop vac that can also be used as a blower by reversing the hose on the assy.
By using the cone shaped attachment tool that came as any accessory with the shop vac in the gas cap hole I blow the remaining water/acetone out the petcock hole and allow it to sit for a few hours afterwards. It is dry as a bone inside when done and ready for your liner material.

[calj737]

Definitely need to flush that tank with Acetone before using any liner product. With a bit of water residue, you could have just added Prep N Etch as it dehydrates the water anyway.

As for using screws, BBs or whatever, Vinegar (or any other acid) doesn't need mechanical additives to work. And the PnE will scratch the surface to create a liner "bite", so you can abandon that whole nightmare going forward. But, for anyone that wants to use a mechanical fastener, I strongly recommend 12-14MM stainless nuts. They're large enough, heavy enough, and inert to the acids. And they're much easier to extract later. I've got about 2 dozen for helping to beat an old liner from a guys tank that went in wrong.

But definitely thoroughly clean your tank now before installing a liner. Caswell is purchased most easily over the Web. I've not seen a lot of Auto Parts stores stock it. I prefer the "clear" formula personally.

[przjohn]

Yup, I agree, you need to get that Marvel out of there, every bit of it. Acetone is your best bet and is what Caswell says to use. Personally I use sheet rock screws, but anything that gets the rust and loose stuff off should work. A couple of tips that I have learned,

The screws come out easier if your are shaking them out with water, and not just dry. They will follow the flow of the water, just keep filling the tank and emptying.

Get a small piece of garden hose and tape it into the suction hose end of a wet/dry vac to suck out water and a remaining screw or 2.

I use a hair dryer set on low and tape it to the top of the tank and let it blow for hours while I work on something else. The tank will then air dry for a day before lining, it is desert dry by then.



I too am a fan of the clear Caswell, follow the instructions to the letter and you will have excellent end results.

[bochnak]

I had pinholes in a Z50 tank. I placed some masking tape over them before pouring in the caswell. I made sure to have a extra thick coating on the bottom. It's at least 1/8" thk and I don't have any problems with it. You can always double coat it per the instructions.

[Ace Blackwell]

Thx all,

Przjohn good idea on the blow drier.  Sure beat the sin out of shaking the silver off the metal.

Bochnak  The tape thing makes sense. Thanks for the heads up.

Hey does the liners come with the prep stuff? I don't imagine it comes with acetone but I m hoping it comes with the etch .

Ace

[seanbarney41]

Caswell comes with nothing...I spent $50 in extra materials to prep for it, granted, much of that was to protect an original paint job and alot of that stuff a normal household may already have on hand.  POR15, I believe , is the only one that comesas kit, with cleaner and etching compound.

[bochnak]

Bochnak  The tape thing makes sense. Thanks for the heads up.

Hey does the liners come with the prep stuff? I don't imagine it comes with acetone but I m hoping it comes with the etch .

Ace

Caswell does not need as much "prep" as other sealers. I use evaporust or vinegar to derust the tank a bit. If using vinegar, make sure to neutralize with baking soda.

Quick tip on using acetone as a final wash: don't pour directly out of the metal can it comes in. Instead, transfer it to an easy to pour container, otherwise there is a good chance you will spill it all over the place. Ask me how I know and you can imagine what this does to paint. Mask the hell out of it.