Getting the rust out-HOPEFULLY

Hello ladies and gents,

I'm trying a rust removal solution one of the members shared. I'll try to share my results soon. Just slowly trying to get my KZ650 road worthy.
Based on the picture provided, does it look like I'm heading down the road to a rust free tank? I know it's just one picture but ill fill in the blanks with this; about 4 gallons of vinegar and a cup of baking soda filled to the brim. The screw acting as the conduit at which point my 10 amp chargers positive terminal is attached. The screw is suspended in the solution with a plastic lid and the negative terminal connected to the tank directly.

Yes, please let us know....I'd like to see the results...

I also seen guys use Coca-Cola for removing rust....I wonder how that would work filling a tank with that and letting it sit for a week....

I'm using Evaporust in a tank off a 64 Honda Dream that sat for thirty years , I'm going to give it a second treatment today and then coat it with Marvels mystery oil until it's time to put fuel in.
Then we will be installing a nice big clear fuel filter and hope for the best.

I have heard about the process that you are using, please keep us posted on your results, I hope it works well for you.

JD

That is a slow process. It would be alright for flash rust but would use acid for anything heaver.

Keeping an eye on this as I have two tanks in need of cleaning...

Well guys, I'm sorry to disappoint. I can't seem to keep the tank sealed. I've clamped a cap on the nipple but there's about half of the solution in the basin I was using to hold the tank.
If I use acid, what kind? How long?

I clean all the rust off of the gas tanks with a solution of water and muriatic acid, let sit overnight, then wash with water only, and finally use WD-40 to get water out and flash the metal, and if tank is going in storage I also add engine oil to coat metal.

bluej58 wrote: I'm using Evaporust in a tank off a 64 Honda Dream that sat for thirty years , I'm going to give it a second treatment today and then coat it with Marvels mystery oil until it's time to put fuel in.
Then we will be installing a nice big clear fuel filter and hope for the best.

I have heard about the process that you are using, please keep us posted on your results, I hope it works well for you.

JD

After reading the label on the Evaporust I discovered that it is not a acid base like the stuff I used before and they say to fill the tank up and leave it in up to 12 hours. :whistle:

So I headed out to the Farm and Fleet and bought some more Permatex Rust Dissolver and dumped the whole 8 oz bottle in the tank and left it in for about 30 min. rolling it every so often .

After two treatments the inside of the tank is looking a lot better, I think I'm done.








Time to rebuild the petcock

If you're not in any rush and have time on your hands, I used with vinegar on my tank with excellent results. Took about two weeks. But it was pretty bad in at the beginning. If you search this site for the topic, you will also see recommendations for using oxalic acid which everyone who used it highly recommend it. Apparently, it will also coat the metal to keep it from getting flash rust.

i have also seen people put in a bunch of old nuts bolts and screws, and then put the tank wrapped in towels in the dryer if its heavy rust. but i have done it this way on a car tank before.

www.facebook.com/WFOCustomPaint

I went your route a couple yeaers back, find yourself a threaded cap for the petcock hole and you can get a rubber stopper of somoe type for the gas fill hole at the hardware store or plumbing supply house. If you are going to use the charger method the bigger the piece of metal you suspend the better, I used a piece or rebar, again not a big expense, just use your imagination.

Vinegar works as a cleaner too. As well as Evaporust. Adding some pieces of metal inside the tank when using vinegar etc will help scrape the rust off, a handfull of square edge nuts for instance. Put them in shake it around work it thne drain and do over. I filtered the solution through rags into a bucket then re-used it. Evaporust is not cheap. Vinegar is.

Check Dana's FB page above, he has taken tanks that you would never think could be saved and brought them back to life. You can sand and scrape inside a tank with scotchbrite and a stick or as I used a piece of metal bridgeing that had been discarded from a carpenters worksite. Good Luck!

I did my tank today , mine was rusted quite bad . I did a bit of research on this and i used drain cleaner , the cleaner i used was called The Works and came from the dollar store . However it cost $1.65 lol, but it cleaned my tank with in 10mins no rust no where . Its nasty stuff mind have to watch your self with it ,I did it in the bath room in the bath with the extractor running .. After i got the rust gone , i put the shower head facing the tank and kept water flowing tho it for about 10mins . After that a hairdryer till it was dry inside , then put some oil in it to stop it flash rusting .. Here some other things i found as well that may do the job .


Concrete / etcher/cleaner is hydrochloric acid = nasy stuff .

Cider vinegar ment to be stronger then white vinegar .

Swimming pool acid is muriatic acid .

Caustic soda nasty stuff again .

Spirits of salt .

Phosphoric acid . bath room dept at store .