Re: This worked well
Posted by Ross On 2013/4/13 21:58:02
Gas tanks are a pain, and expensive to send out. Cheapness won out again and I decided to do my own for the Carrera Panamericana car. I have had less than sterling results cleaning nasty tanks with chemicals and chains and rocks, so tried a more direct approach.
After a good washing to get rid of any gas and fumes, I cut the tank all around a half inch above the seam with an extra thin cutting disc. I then sandblasted the tank in and out till it was VERY clean. Shooting sand up and down the fill piped did a great job on that too. Blasting was followed by a phosphoric acid etch. When that was fully dry I scuffied and blew out any extra acid residue and welded the tank back together. That was not as hard as one might imagine--the shape of the tank is such that the top half will easily slip over the bottom with a little finesse and tapping. I overlapped them about 1/8".
Of course this all would have rusted in a heartbeat without sealer, so I sloshed it with Hirsch's excellent tank sealer. A test piece showed that it stuck quite fast to the etched metal--could only scrape it off with difficulty. Since the tank was so clean nearly 2/3 of the sealer came back out when I drained it. After it dried I sloshed the tank again and still have 1/3 qt left over. The outside I painted with one of those rock hard moisture barrier paints that Hirsh, Eastwood and others sell.
All told it made a very nice job I have a lot of confidence in and took less time than when I cleaned tanks by other methods. Lost about 3/16 height--maybe a half gallon capacity.
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After a good washing to get rid of any gas and fumes, I cut the tank all around a half inch above the seam with an extra thin cutting disc. I then sandblasted the tank in and out till it was VERY clean. Shooting sand up and down the fill piped did a great job on that too. Blasting was followed by a phosphoric acid etch. When that was fully dry I scuffied and blew out any extra acid residue and welded the tank back together. That was not as hard as one might imagine--the shape of the tank is such that the top half will easily slip over the bottom with a little finesse and tapping. I overlapped them about 1/8".
Of course this all would have rusted in a heartbeat without sealer, so I sloshed it with Hirsch's excellent tank sealer. A test piece showed that it stuck quite fast to the etched metal--could only scrape it off with difficulty. Since the tank was so clean nearly 2/3 of the sealer came back out when I drained it. After it dried I sloshed the tank again and still have 1/3 qt left over. The outside I painted with one of those rock hard moisture barrier paints that Hirsh, Eastwood and others sell.
All told it made a very nice job I have a lot of confidence in and took less time than when I cleaned tanks by other methods. Lost about 3/16 height--maybe a half gallon capacity.
Attach file:
(96.45 KB)
(109.57 KB)
(74.34 KB)
(78.01 KB)
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