fuel tank internal cleaning

[vtpaul]

What is the preferred method for internally cleaning the old peeling paint out of my 73 /5?

TIA

[manicmechanic]

A good detergent solution in water to flush out the gas, then let dry. Take an old piece of chain and put it into the tank, shake vigorously. Remove the chain and repeat the flush. Then recoat the inside of the tank with whichever flavor suits you. Perhaps even a pro who does epoxy coating of tanks.

[28796]

Check out the POR 15 Heavy Duty motorcycle gas tank kit. It will give you stripper, cleaner, etch & a coating that will stand up to the new ethanol gas. This will remove the coating & any rust as well as old gas deposits.

[FrankT]

The POR 15 mentioned above is good stuff. Another one is called Kreem. If you do it yourself, be very careful not to get it on the paint since it would probably damage it. What I've done in the past is to use a funnel with a piece of hose so that I was not pouring from the container directly over the tank. Also, check with your local radiator shops. They may have re-lining service available if you want to go that route.

[28796]

Never, ever recoat your tank with Kreem! When I was running my paint/restoration business I would regularly have to redo tanks that had been recoated with Kreem. I've seen every type of coating material on the market & the only one currently available that I would recommend is the POR15.

[vtpaul]

Thanks for your advice, I'll get right on it.....soon.

[Bigrider]

Never, ever recoat your tank with Kreem! When I was running my paint/restoration business I would regularly have to redo tanks that had been recoated with Kreem.

OK, what's the problem with Kreem? I've used it on two tanks and after 10 years, still no problems.

Dave H
San Antonio, TX

[28796]

The problem I saw was multiple failures where the entire coating would collapse like a deflated balloon. Could have been poor prep but I don't trust any of the soft coatings currently available.

[north50]

I had tanks that were lined with Kreem fail on me - the lining started to disintegrate and plugged up the fuel system. I had to replace the tank eventually. I used POR 15 on the replacement tank and was really impressed with the job it did. Multi stage process which was a bit time consuming but well worth the effort.

[Bigrider]

The problem I saw was multiple failures where the entire coating would collapse like a deflated balloon. Could have been poor prep but I don't trust any of the soft coatings currently available.

Well, I think proper prep is the real answer. If it isn't clean, the stuff won't stick. Doesn't mean the product isn't any good.

Dave H
San Antonio, TX

[28796]

Well, I think proper prep is the real answer. If it isn't clean, the stuff won't stick. Doesn't mean the product isn't any good.

Dave H
San Antonio, TX

That may be true but I've seen too many failures with that one product to have any faith in it. The coating that comes with the POR15 kit gets HARD & I doubt you'd find much that would affect it. The new ethanol gas is causing lots of problems particularly with the boating indistry. It will dissolve the resin in a fiberglass tank & eat into some gas lines. I would imagine it may also attack the carbon fiber tanks seen on some high end sport bikes.

[bmdubyou]

I just overheard my bike mechanic answer a similar question of removing rust from a tank..his reply was to use "the Works" toilet cleaner...(he also mentioned muratic acid I believe) Cheap and works well, according to him!

[Na Cl K9]

Yet another product: Gasoila has sealants that are impervious to just about
everything from undiluted acids to 10%Ethanol fuels. A Harley rider suggested
these products. I have not used them myself.

I have used Kreem with excellent results on three tanks. You have to
FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS TO THE LETTER. The first tank I did is still
functional with no evidence that the coating is coming loose anywhere
after14 years. No rust-through either which must mean I got ALL the rust the
first time and coated the entire inside with no bare metal spots.

I used STEEL shot (for loading shotgun shells) to remove surface rust. I
shook the tank with about two pounds of the shot till there were NO red
flakes. Then used the etch as recommended. Dry and clean, the Kreem
stuck. It is really important to be absolutely sure there are no spots
remaining uncoated in the tank since unprotected metal will begin to rust
right away...and this can eventually lead to the coating coming loose too.

I purchased a bike with a tank that was poorly prepped and the Kreem came
loose inside. It was a real mess.