gas tank cleaning by a radiator shop

so screwed up doing the kreem thing and i need to get my
gas tank cleaned professionally, i had to patch a couple of holes with "quicksteel" and i was wondering if that would come off when the ras shop cleans it.

i had one of my tanks done by a radiator shop and i just asked them to fix any holes while they were at it.
it came out whistle clean and repaired for like $125.
but it did destroy the paint which was no big deal since i was repainting anyway.

"i was wondering if that would come off when the ras shop cleans it."

Yep they're toast.

KZCSI

mpatrick19: If you find a radiator in the Greater Houston area that will do tanks, please PM me...I have ben looking for one in that area for three years...to no avail:(

im not 100% sure but i think the radiator shop that we use at work will do it. Its in laporte on underwood its called dons radiator shop. I will call them tomorrow and let you know.

Just had mine done by a local "gas tank renu" and it came out great. Everything is burned off though prior to getting coated, so plan on a repaint.

I had mine done as well. I was quite pleased with how it came out and am glad I decided to pay someone to do it instead of me giving it a go myself. You know, the whole choose your battles type thing. :laugh:

Go by Wal Mart and pick up a pack of 1000 bbs. It'll cost you less than 10 bucks.

Put the bbs in the tank, then put the tank in your dryer, using old towles, blankets, carboard, etc. to stuff around the tank until it can't move. Run the dryer on "no heat" for 40 minutes to an hour, more if it's really rusty.

Tank comes out clean as a whistle, with no chemical residues to worry about, it won't screw up your quicksteel repairs, and it's a whole lot cheaper than having it done by a radiator shop.

Post edited by: seanof30306, at: 2008/02/07 12:03

Post edited by: seanof30306, at: 2008/02/07 12:33

I have two tanks that I acquired from folks who didn't know how to use Kreem properly...both tanks need to be stripped to the metal to remove the piss-poor lining jobs...BB's just won't cut it

Mcdroid wrote:

I have two tanks that I acquired from folks who didn't know how to use Kreem properly...both tanks need to be stripped to the metal to remove the piss-poor lining jobs...BB's just won't cut it

Also, when the radiator shop does it, the tank is coated with a high quality liner to prevent future rusting. The BB's sound like a great way to remove the rust and prep for lining (if not already lined).

Mcdroid wrote:

I have two tanks that I acquired from folks who didn't know how to use Kreem properly...both tanks need to be stripped to the metal to remove the piss-poor lining jobs...BB's just won't cut it

BB's just won't cut it -- But ACETONE will.

Could have probably used only one gallon, but I used three gallons to easily dissolve and flush the cruddy old flaking-off Kreem inside the tank of my Z1. Be VERY CAREFUL to avoid getting acetone on the exterior paint. This Kreem removal procedure worked quickly (less than an hour).

Side note -- Used a large clean metal container to dump the mess from the tank, filtered it through some coffee filters and reused the still milky acetone for hardcore non-bike cleaning jobs.

Followed Kreem removal with the muratic acid treatment, then rinse/flush with soda water solution (neutralizes acid), clear water, common rubbing alcohol (absorbs moisture), then dry tank interior with shop vac or grass blower, spray tank interior with WD40 (avoids flash rust), fill with fresh gas (and keep topped up). Did not re-coat interior of tank with anything (no leaks or pinholes involved). Tank interior still looking good after several years. Others recommend the much slower acting phosphoric acid bath which is milder than muratic and avoids contending with the flash-rust after using muratic acid.

If there's a next time, would like to experiment with both the electrolysis method and the BB's in dryer method. Some folks recommend using magnetic stuff to roll around inside the tank, such as chain, nuts and bolts, etc. (not stainless steel), because easier to remove stubborn tenants with a extendable pencil magnet. But perhaps even non-magnetic BB's would also work just fine, and maybe fall right out when finished. And BB's seem small and gentle enough to do a good scrubbing job without excessive scrapping, even if requiring a longer tumbling time.

Good luck with the Kreem removal and any tank interior restoration needed with whatever method you decide.

Thanks:)