Derusting a fuel tank ? Easy way

[angellonewolf]

Looking for an easy way to derust this tank not going to loads of trouble as it only a generator tank
I looks to me to be most surface rust

My thoughts nuts and bolts and a lot of shaking

2nd citric acid in water over night would I'd expect get it sparking vlean (I've done this befire and then had a hole in the tank)

Only problems I can see with any options is the fuel inlet has quite a ridge inside so it's not going to be easy to just turn it upside down

There is a fuel tap attached I'm assuming from another thread this is lightly to have a mesh in it so just draining it that way does not look easy
Are they easy to remove and will it just screw back in and be straight with out replacing the rubber washer (that I'm assuming that is there on it)

 

[julianf]

Cheap coke?

(there are cheaper but less convenient ways to buy phosphoric acid)

 

[hermetic]

Put white vinegar to half fill the tank, add three or four good handfulls of old hardware, sharp cornered nuts are best, put the top on tight and gaffer tape it. Wrap the tank in an old blanket and put it inside a cement mixer and leave it churning a couple of hours, rinse and repeat if neccasary.
Phil

 

[awemawson]

Classic way is to put some gravel in, strap it to a tractor wheel and drive arround for a while.

 

[angellonewolf]

Cheap coke?

(there are cheaper but less convenient ways to buy phosphoric acid)

Is that not for dirty toilets ? I know it works on old penny's

Put white vinegar to half fill the tank, add three or four good handfulls of old hardware, sharp cornered nuts are best, put the top on tight and gaffer tape it. Wrap the tank in an old blanket and put it inside a cement mixer and leave it churning a couple of hours, rinse and repeat if neccasary.
Phil

That is an option but the cement mixer is at work so not a job that can be done easy just when I get It back home again

Classic way is to put some gravel in, strap it to a tractor wheel and drive arround for a while.

Now I know the lot of us on here are horders but how meny of us you think own a tractor that has not got a small holding or farm

 

[bert]

Have it chemically dipped

 

[julianf]

Is that not for dirty toilets ? I know it works on old penny's

Its just a cheap and easy way for people to buy acid.

Likewise, if you want to clean up copper pipes (or indeed pennies), toilet cleaner works great too.

 

[Robotstar5]

Classic way is to put some gravel in, strap it to a tractor wheel and drive around for a while.

I'm hoping to clean out the tank on my tractor over winter, I can't justify buying another tractor just to clean the first one's tank

 

[awemawson]

Is that not for dirty toilets ? I know it works on old penny's


That is an option but the cement mixer is at work so not a job that can be done easy just when I get It back home again

Now I know the lot of us on here are horders but how meny of us you think own a tractor that has not got a small holding or farm

Poor chap - you're deprived

 

[awemawson]

I'm hoping to clean out the tank on my tractor over winter, I can't justify buying another tractor just to clean the first one's tank

Rig a jury tank up and drive on that for a while . . think outside the box man !

 

[graffian]

I put a rusty washer in coke and looked at it every so often, it didn't seem to bother the rust at all.
Nuts,bolts, screws or gravel all sound really wrong.
~15% phosphoric acid left overnight will leave you a nice clean tank; I have used it.
I haven't tried it: molasses and water will do the job, it would need a good wash afterwards.

 

[Robotstar5]

Rig a jury tank up and drive on that for a while . . think outside the box man !

I was thinking about that as I was typing, working out what I had in stock as it burns about a gallon an hour.

 

[angellonewolf]

Have it chemically dipped

To much cost in that fir what the items worth

Its just a cheap and easy way for people to buy acid.

Likewise, if you want to clean up copper pipes (or indeed pennies), toilet cleaner works great too.

I'vegot citric acid for derusting but worried about flash rusting as drying out not going to be quick

 

[slim_boy_fat]

as drying out not going to be quick

Stick a hairdryer or heat gun in the filler hole and leave it on for a while?

 

[Robotstar5]

Stick a hairdryer or heat gun in the filler hole and leave it on for a while?

I normally use my plumbers torch for big tanks or 20 mins in the oven for smaller tanks.

 

[angellonewolf]

I might go for critic acid and a heat gun see what happens

But at work we might have phosphoric acid at work that the same stuff for cleaning ovens ?

 

[Migmac]

Evaporust works really well, friend did a tank with it recently. It cleaned it up very nicely

 

[Farside]

My thoughts nuts and bolts and a lot of shaking

Same, but with bog chain. Fishing out nuts and bolts is a pain in the arris.

 

[MattF]

But at work we might have phosphoric acid at work that the same stuff for cleaning ovens ?

Nope.

 

[graffian]

Stick a hairdryer or heat gun in the filler hole and leave it on for a while?

I have an electric airbed pump to dry tanks.