Cleaning a fuel tank (but not the same!)

This has been best to death. I've got something different though.

The fuel tank in my 35 Chevy 1 1/2 ton is moderately rusty. Enough that I'm using a nurse tank. It isn't being reproduced and used ones aren't around every (or any) corner. Here's my options:

It is super thin metal. Thinner than any gas can - think a less sturdy Folgers can. I have a feeling if I have a radiator shop touch it I won't get anything back, let alone its value and me turning it loose with a stranger. It is also very long so I don't know if having it rodded out is the best option. If it came back like Swiss cheese I suppose I could have a new bottom tinned/pinched and soldered on it, but I hesitate to make her generic.

It has a baffle in it so I can't get half of it clean if I throw and handful of old nuts in it. It isn't super bad, so this would clean it up if I could do it but from what I have seen of their baffle setup nothing would get to the other side.

I'm willing to try some Muratic acid if folks think that will work. I think I can be more gentle than a radiator shop but don't know the exact process. Again, it really is just light surface stuff. No flakes end up in the sediment bowl, just orange gas. Continually. I'm not going to line it so I would likely just throw some oil in every tank of gas. It would do her good anyway.

I'm not sure if I could get electrolysis to work but I could put it in a plastic stock tank. I assume I would need to get a sacrificial anode in the filler hole and hook that to the charger.


This tank is in the seat base which is right above the exhaust. I can't just put a flexible line on it with a gravity filter. I don't really want to anyway - I want to have something done to "fix" it the best I can keeping in mind it's 80 years old and few survived due to their construction, the war, etc.

What are my best options?

Shouldn't be too hard to make a new one from scratch out of sheet metal, or a piece of pipe.

I had a tank repaired with this process ,maybe 20 or more years ago.
Seems to work fine. Lifetime warrenty. Tank lived in salt environment due to WI winters


http://www.gastankrenu.com/

I think electrolisis is your best option. Fill it with baking soda and water then insert the anode down in the tank. You will probably have to clean the anode several times since it will be much smaller than the surface area you are trying to clean. Usually the anode should be of equal size to the piece you are trying to clean so the rusty piece gets full force of the process. Otherwise it's like trying to light 10 bulbs with one "AAA" battery all night.

Most likely anything you do toward cleaning it will result in leaks.

And lining it, it would be impossible to clean beyond the baffle.

The only true fix would be to use the original as a pattern and recreate it as closely as possible.

If you are not going to preserve it I would not fudge it up with acid.
There are places that will cut it into and do a good job of preserving it. One link I found,

http://www.gas-tank.com/

I suspect its not cheap I would weigh the difference again having a custom take made. The other option if you can post a pix of it maybe someone will know of another tank that fit back in its place.
I worked on one they put the tank behind the rear axle up high like a 70/80 ford pick used. The last 39 ford pick up I worked on they fitted a AMC Javelin fuel tank there it worked out nice.

I think muriatric acid or electrolysis are just as likely if not more to make it leak than the radiator shop giving it a good hot bath in there solutions. If it's that full of holes that are just plugged by rust I wouldn't want to be driving around with it under my seat! And if it is that full of holes then a good serious cleaning then soldering the holes would likely be the best way to save it.

I have my doubts about electrolysis working at least beyond the baffle. I have found that electrolysis is "line of sight" meaning it doesn't work around corners, etc. So you would have to get an electrode beyond the baffle for it to work on that end of the tank.
If it is surface rust how about a phosphoric acid rust converter?

On a small scale like motorcycle tanks I have cleaned them with the works toilet bowl cleaner from the dollar store. I fill them up with it and let them set. If not too bad it doesn't take long for it to dissolve the rust. You have to put some water displacement type of lube in there right after rinsing it out or it will flash rust again until dry. Once dry I flushed the oil out with thinner and then when that dried I coated them with red coat.
Used to be a product called navel jelly to clean rust off of stuff too.

I am at work not but I would highly reccomend a gentleman that advertises in green magazine. He redid a fuel tank on a 2510 john deere for me. When I went to pick it up he had tanks from about any type of tractor or truck you could imagine. Mine needed cleaned and had several holes. He has a cleaning process, solders and then seals the tank. 2 years later and no issues. I believe his name is terry panbaker drom some small central Illinois town. I will look for hid ad when I get home if you wish. If nothing else he may be able to give you some ideas about your tank if he can't do you anygood.

(quoted from post at 02:36:03 12/17/16) I am at work not but I would highly reccomend a gentleman that advertises in green magazine. He redid a fuel tank on a 2510 john deere for me. When I went to pick it up he had tanks from about any type of tractor or truck you could imagine. Mine needed cleaned and had several holes. He has a cleaning process, solders and then seals the tank. 2 years later and no issues. I believe his name is terry panbaker drom some small central Illinois town. I will look for hid ad when I get home if you wish. If nothing else he may be able to give you some ideas about your tank if he can't do you anygood.

Click to expand...

Is this it.

http://www.ironmemories.com/business/classic-gas-tank