Anyone had any luck lining a fuel tank?

[SteveW]

I’ve only ever heard bad things about lining a rusty tank but I have one that is pretty bad inside.

Someone has already had a go at my tank, it’s gone like crisps inside. I’ve got every last bit of it out but it needs something to protect it.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I tried it on my XJ900 - it worked for a couple of weeks then leaked like a sieve again.
For me it not only was a waste of money but then I had bits in my carbs.

I would never use it again.

[SteveW]

My tank doesn’t have any leaks, it’s just very rusty inside.

Also it’s not for my Hondas, it’s my RD350LC (sorry I know this is a Honda site).

The tanks are so rare so I really have to try something or get one of the Indian copies that aren’t a very good fit apparently.

[Laverdaroo]

Plug the bottom, go to B&Q and get a gallon of Brick Acid bought. Bung it in and leave for an hour or so or until it stops fizzing, you can bob some small bolts in there as well if tyou want to scour it a bit and agitate it a bit to 'jer, jer, jiggle' the rust off. Be careful to not rattle the granny out of it or you might dent it from the inside out which can happen.
Folk put chains, big bolts, ball bearings etc in sometimes but they're too heavy and the risk of denting is greater..
It'll fizz a bit but not much. I generally use half hot water and half brick acid but realistically the more brick acid you use the better it is. When youre happy, drain back into the tub it came from and reuse it at a later date when all the shite's settled to the bottom.

You can rinse it with distilled water and then straight away after youve got as much water out as possible, put a couple of litres of diesel in there and swill it about to cover all the inside to seal the metal and it wont rust. I dont tend to dry it as it will flash rust but the diesel works a treat to seal it up and then leave it full of fuel, it shouldnt go again after that.

Citric acid works well also but takes a lot longer.......

If it leaks, you could use a liner, I had a great result on the 400/4 as it was really bad but afetr a few treatments and a liner poured in Ive had no grief at all.

Its one of many methods that people use and others may have had better results doing reverse electrolosis or the like but its messy and in the end the brick acid is about a tenner for a gallon so works out dead cheap and is relativly pain free.

Do it outside as the Hydrogen gas that it gives off will ironically rust things in the woorkshop so make sure you have a draft through to shift it.

[SteveW]

Thanks for the info, I’ll try the brick cleaner and diesel first.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

I used glass flower arrangers beads in my 400 tank as a sort gravel to get the worst out by shaking it all around.
Then I used 'Evaporust' for the final clean - expensive stuff to use but it came in handy for other parts on my 400 that had surface rust on them.
I left mine for a few days pretty much full of Evaporust and it ended up spotless.

Being risk averse I did not want to go down the Acid route though it is cheaper. Evaporust is quite clever as it works by breaking the bond between the steel & iron oxide so no loss of good metal but it is a slow process.

Hardest part was getting the glass beads all out before the Evaporust stage.

Only issue I have ever had with Evaporust is if you use it on things like a Gudgeon pin type metal as it attacks the finish turning it black.

[Sesman]

Fish tank grave is good.Nice sharp edges.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Fish tank grave is good.Nice sharp edges.

Especially the nice smaller grade gravel if you have any left from the 1970's - the flower arrangers glass beads are very sharp not round but sort of diamond shaped. It was free & in stock as the Missus used to make floral arrangements for a local hotel.

[Sesman]

Thanks for the info, I’ll try the brick cleaner and diesel first.

Don’t forget the rinse with deionised water or you will get flash rust.

[Oddjob]

Alan Millyard recommends using Molasses. mixed 9 to 1.

[Moorey]

I did the CB400 superfour over 12months ago with the POR15 kit to stop a leak under the paint from a previous repair someone had done and it has been very successful saving having to have a full repaint.

[ST1100]

Had a CX500 tank in pretty bad shape, cleaned (gravel & shake, then high pressure/steam wash, fully dried out with heat-gun on low, rinsed with brake cleaner, vented that for a week) and used the Por 15 stuff on it like three years ago, still holds up nicely...

[Matt_Harrington]

I'm with Ted, Evaporust worked really well for me. The problem with the brick acid is that is does work but the fumes will corrode any steel nearby (It's Hydrochlotric acid, don't ya know!)
If, however, the tank is really rusty, then that maybe the best to start off with and as Roo says, outside! As for Petseal and the like, I think the products are now ethanol safe but not sure.

[Laverdaroo]

They say they are as that’s the main question fired at them in their website, the tanks I’ve used it on are all still spot on. It’s the cost of the evaporator that did it for me as I couldn’t spend that much.
The last kit I used had tank eching gubbins in it, a metal prep and summut else I can’t remember, and the tin of liner. Quite good I thought…


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[SteveW]

I was toying with the idea of using white vinegar, some good results on YouTube.