Gas tank rust.

[jmerlino]

I just rebuilt my petcocks and there was a lot of rust both in my petcocks and in my old in-line filters. Is there a "right" way to remove rust from the inside of the tank, or should I just rinse it out to get the loose stuff out of there?

[mullerjd1]

The Kreem kit works great for removing rust and coating the inside. Any Parts Unlimited dealer can get it for you.

[The_Veg]

Never done a tank, but based on many discussions of the subject over on Boxerworks you'll do best with POR15. Kreem seems to be a bit sensitive to being done wrong. But in either case, doing good thorough prep-work is the key.

[manicmechanic]

For the tanks I've done for both customers and myself, I'll empty and rinse the tank with some dish soap, then rinse with clean water, just to get the fumes out. Let dry, then use some old light-weight dog chain or a handful of small nuts, bolts, and screws, toss into the tank and shake well. This is to loosen any rust chips or old sealer. After this I'll go with the Kreem system. Just remember to get all the pieces-parts out of the tank.

[BuffaloBob]

I've done tanks with both the Kreem product and POR-15 and I agree that the POR product is easier to work with. One of the Kreem tanks later on started leaking through a badly welded area (too many pinholes). POR is a bit thinner and seems like it might flow to those areas.

[pmdave]

Be sure to remove the fuel valves before attempting to clean or treat the tank. Wood plugs are helpful in temporarily closing off the openings.

If the tank is really bad, consider sending to one of the tank restoration companies, or just buy another used tank and get it repainted to match your bike.

pmdave