How To Remove Rust From Motorcycle Gas Tank

Rust is never a good thing.  If it's on the exterior of your gas tank, you can pass it off every bit patina for a little while before taking care of it.  But rust on the within poses the immediate hazard of engine harm if the bike is ran in that status.  Debris can chip off and clog fuel filters, which can cause a lean condition if the fuel is restricted enough.  That's bad news!

Fortunately, you lot have a few options if you lot take a rusty gas tank.  First, you can just supplant the tank with an O.East.Chiliad. or aftermarket motorcycle gas tank.  Second, you lot tin send your tank off to a shop to exist professionally restored.  So there is the third option, which is for the roll-up-your-sleeves type.  With the correct supplies and some elbow grease, you tin remove the rust and reseal your own gas tank.

By going with the third selection, non only volition you have the satisfaction of a job well done, merely y'all are likely to save quite a few bucks likewise.  Follow the procedure beneath and the within of your tank will be shiny and smooth once more.

Steps

Assess the Damage

It's of import to accept annotation of how bad the rust and impairment actually is before you just jump correct into the project.  If the rust is so bad that y'all can poke a hole through information technology, you should probably just look for a new tank.  Aftermarket tanks or tanks off chip bikes will salve y'all time and headaches if you are not prepared for major metal work.

If, even so, the rust is only on the surface, you can tackle the job on your ain with a few supplies.  Small pinholes tin be blocked if you are using a gas tank liner product.  If y'all are handy with metallic work, you can patch holes, but that requires another post on that subject.

Gather Supplies & Chemicals

At present that you've accounted that your tank is worthy of your wrenching skills, it'south time to go everything yous need to consummate the task.

• Plugs, bungs, wine corks, record and whatever else yous can detect to safely plug all holes in tank
• Cleaner/degreaser
• Paint/seal stripper
• Rust Remover, acid, or vinegar
• Agitators (random basics and bolts, bb's, or other difficult objects that won't dissolve in rust remover)
• Tank Sealer
• Protective gloves and prophylactic glasses

To salvage fourth dimension and money procuring the correct chemicals you demand, look for kits that are made specifically for restoring gas tanks.  Brands like KBS Coatings and Kreem accept been around for a while and make chemical products for each stride of the process.

Prep Tank

The get-go step, if y'all haven't done and then already, is to remove the tank from the motorcycle.  With the tank off, remove all floats, sending units and filters that may exist in the tank.

Side by side, you will want to plug all the holes minus the filler hole with your stoppers and bungs.  It'south not a bad thought to test how well the tank is sealed by adding a non-toxic liquid and shaking it.  If in that location are no leaks, y'all can then motion outside with your tank to add in the chemicals.

Make clean the Tank

Before y'all go to actually removing the rust, you beginning need to clean the tank.  Dirt, varnish, oil and other droppings tin can collect in your tank over time.  To get the most out of your rust remover, these demand to exist removed first.  A practiced degreaser works well for this pace.  If using a cleaning agent fabricated for tanks, follow the directions.  Let the degreaser/cleaner soak. Every in one case in a while, give the tank a shake to aid arouse.  If the tank is extremely gunked upwardly, you may want to permit the tank soak for a full twenty-four hour period.  When you drain and rinse the tank, ensure that all the gunk is removed.  If some remains, repeat the procedure with the degreaser.

If the tank previously had a liner, that volition need to exist removed likewise.  A adept paint stripper that contains methylene chloride works the best.  Add together a bit of stripper to the tank and seal it upward.  Slowly turn the tank, ensuring that the chemical finds its fashion to every part of the tank.  Afterwards doing and so, safely drain the stripper from the tank.  Be very careful to not let the stripper bear upon the exterior of the tank or it may harm the pigment job.

In that location is a good chance that non all of the quondam liner will be removed this first become round.  Look in the tank to encounter if in that location are any loosened pieces.  You can try using something to scrape the pieces loose or use a long pliers or tweezers to pull the pieces out.  Repeat the stripping process until all of the quondam liner is removed.

Add Chemical Rust Removers

With all the grease, varnish and old liner removed, it'south now time to really assail the rust.  You will want exist outside or at least in a well ventilated surface area for this step.

The safest remover that you can employ here is vinegar.  It volition work slower than the other chemical options, but is prophylactic to utilize, easy to discard and is the gentlest on the tank.  Just add the vinegar to the tank and let it soak.  Turn and milkshake the tank every half hour to an 60 minutes if you want to assistance information technology along.  Depending on the level of rust, this step could last anywhere from over night to a couple of days.  Persistent rust may require you to add your agitators.

If using an acrid, have your protective gear on likewise.  Follow the directions of the rust removing product for the best results.  This will generally be to cascade the entire contents into the gas tank and then seal it.  Be certain to not go whatsoever on the exterior of the tank.  With it sealed, proceed rotating the tank every 5-ten minutes to ensure all areas are in contact with the remover.  Do this for at to the lowest degree a half an hour to an hr.  Later that time, drain the remover into a safe container.

After this first circular of using the remover, cheque to see how well it has worked.  If the rust is gone, you are either washed or you lot could add the sealing liner if y'all choose.  Because of the force of the remover, you may notice that it has eaten through thin spots of the tank.  Small-scale pinholes tin be sealed with a liner.  Larger holes volition need to filled with a metallic putty or be professionally stock-still.  If the rust persists, y'all can repeat the process or move on to the next step with agitators.

Shake Tank with Agitators

Agitators are sometimes needed to assist get persistent rust loosened.  Add in whatever you have chosen as your agitators to the tank with the rust remover or vinegar.  Vigorously shake and rotate the tank to become the agitators into all parts of the tank.  Follow the same timeline equally the stride above.  If using vinegar, this process could take days to get the desired outcome.  Do non go too long with a stronger acrid, though, equally it tin can eat the metal of the tank and the agitators if exposed for likewise long.  When done, safely drain the remover and agitators, existence sure to get everything removed from the tank.

Flush Tank

Immediately later removing the rust remover and agitators, flush the tank with water.  Remove all your stoppers and make full the tank with h2o.  Shake the tank to get water on all interior surfaces.  Bleed and repeat this process several times to ensure that all of the acid is removed.

Subsequently rinsing the tank, utilise forced air to dry out the tank.  A pilus dryer, leaf blower, air compressor or store vac will work well to dry the tank.  If non stale fast enough, wink rust tin form.  A little wink rust is ok, but information technology is still a good thought to dry the tank as fast every bit possible.  Your fuel filter will be able to pick up most of the rust that flakes off.  Sealing the tank can also cover upwards a little bit of wink rust.

If yous are using Kreem's tank liner, they suggest moving on to the liner immediately later on flushing the tank to avoid flash rust.

Not using a tank liner?  Use a petty motor oil or kerosene to coat the inside of the tank.  This will prevent flash rust from forming.  And with that, your tank is done and ready to be reinstalled.

Seal the Tank

Not every gas tank needs to be sealed, but information technology can add an extra level of protection against hereafter rust and can plug pin holes.  It's important to follow the specific instructions for the sealer that y'all accept chosen.  The basic steps, though, are filling the tank with the sealer and swirling to create a single, even layer around the whole within.  Drain the excess.  Avoid pooling by continuing to drain excess and rotating the tank every 5 minutes or then.

Wipe the sealer away from any threads and fuel lines before information technology has a chance to cure.  It is extremely hard to remove the sealer once it has cured.  Allow the tank to cure for a few days or according to the directions it comes with.

You should at present be left with a make clean tank that is ready to be filled with gas and drained with the twist of the throttle.  It's non a bad idea to replace your gas cap gasket as it may have been damaged by the rust remover. Get out your questions or tell the states most your feel in the comments below.

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Ryan is i of the lucky ones who gets to combine their passion with piece of work. He has enjoyed powersports his whole life and at present gets to write nearly it. Ryan has been around the industry since High School and continues to savor learning and sharing about powersports with others in his function at DK.

Source: https://blog.denniskirk.com/2020/06/12/how-to-remove-rust-from-inside-a-motorcycle-gas-tank/

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