Cleaning rusty fuel tanks - vinegar question

tlock0331 · Jul 9, 2019

I have seen several different ideas and mixtures of using vinegar, white or otherwise, that folks use to clean rust from gas tanks.

Anybody here have an actual mixture and directions they used to do this? Its just rust i am trying to remove.

dr sportster · Jul 9, 2019

Go on You Tube -- there are many videos about that.

fastfarmall · Jul 9, 2019

If it's just rust, use toilet bowl cleaner,The Works, it is a acid. The blue colored stuff!

Mike M · Jul 9, 2019

Yep, the works cheap and it does work. You just have to coat it with a water displacing lube before blow drying it out to prevent flash rusting.

Geo-TH,In · Jul 9, 2019

Mike
I found a cast iron skillet that was very rusty. I tried HCL, muratic aid, nothing.
I tried bleach and rust bubbles off like it was like a lava lamp.

You are right getting the rust off will instantly rust again once you rinse it off.

Need to coat the tank with something.

tlock0331 · Jul 9, 2019

so straight bleach or "the works" huh?

so are you dumping some in and just rolling the tank around awhile? or tying it to a tractor wheel and putting it in 1st gear and letting it run like that for an hour? lol

PaGlenn · Jul 9, 2019

You should rinse the metal in baking soda in water to neutralize the acid from the vinegar. If not it will start rusting immed.

grandpa Love · Jul 9, 2019

On a 9n gas tank I used one gallon
of white vinegar. Added 50
marbles. Strapped it to the
farmall cub wheel and cut 2 acres
of grass. Washed it out with Dawn
and water. Blew it out and it
looks great!

grayrider · Jul 9, 2019

White vinegar is what I use, once though I filled up a tank
with cheap Cola?s, it worked well too

fastfarmall · Jul 9, 2019

I forgot to add that Mike, it will rust within 5 minutes.

Dan in Ohio · Jul 10, 2019

There are several rust removal products available at your local favorite store, the secret is adding an abrasive to the tank that is easy to remove then
agitate the mixture as Grandpa love says. I chose to use a complete tank lining kit from TP tools (motor cycle tank kit)in a three step process. You can
use what you want but I would stay away from strong acids and caustic sodas. Using BB's as an abrasive worked well for me, 1000-5000 count from
TSC, would have used marbles if I had them.

PJH · Jul 10, 2019

I used about a half pound of 7/16" nuts.

tlock0331 · Jul 10, 2019

Love the pictures! haha

I picked up a 350:1 gearbox reducer, just havent had time to build the rotating assembly for internal blasting of tanks, it needs to be big enough to do tanks off of a 7520 Deere, down to the H etc.

I was thinking something like pea gravel. But until i get it build i need to clean the tank on a gas 720, so maybe ill strap to the 60 when i go do some mowing this weekend and go from there.

Just wanted to try out some ideas that some of you fellers have had, see if anything worked better or worse or some of the gotcha's from it

NAllen · Jul 14, 2019

If you use steel nuts or ball bearings, you can always use a magnet to fish out the last couple of pieces.

Cleaning rusty fuel tanks - vinegar question

tlock0331

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dr sportster

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fastfarmall

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Mike M

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Geo-TH,In

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tlock0331

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PaGlenn

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grandpa Love

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grayrider

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fastfarmall

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Dan in Ohio

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PJH

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tlock0331

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NAllen

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