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Has anyone ever tried Evapo-Rust to remove light tank rust, this stuff seems to be the path of least resisitance for the lighter rust removal jobs.
I need to build a redneck slosher and I thing I'll name it the XB1000 haha. but until then... what are your rust remedies for the not so rusty and I hate sealer jobs???
I have not used Evapo-Rust, but I have used Metal Rescue and I believe they are very similar. I think most Home Depot stores may now have Metal Rescue.
For light rust and "I hate liners" it's the only option, IMHO. Using any kind of acid, including vinegar, is going to etch the entire thing and with no liner, it will rust worse next time. Electrolysis won't fare too much better. You're on the right path with the Evapo-Rust. Just do it!
Evap-o-rust is a great product. Definitely a better solution than sealing if you have no leaks. If your tank is not too awful like you say, I'd bet a gallon and some screws or gravel (which is what I have always used) would be all you need. Be aware that Evap-o-rust will remove cad plating from screws, and I bet it eats the black coating off of drywall screws too, which will consume some of its chemical action. Let it set in one position for an hour, shake the hell out of it, let sit in the same position for another hour and shake again. Evap-o-rust will work its way through some pretty heavy rust eventually, but is hugely helped with some mechanical abrasion. Rotate 90 degrees and repeat. Keep turning until you get good coverage and overlap and you should end up with a really clean tank. Empty it out and pour in a half cup of WD-40 and slosh it around until rinsed and coated and pour out. Ready for gas or storage. You can have it ready to use with confidence in a day instead of a week. Cleaning with acid works instantly and startlingly well, but has an array of other problems.
Awesome response and fast! Thanks guys, I'm gonna give it a go, I'll post up the before after of two tanks with varying rust issues to see how far this stuff will go.
I have had good results using distilled white vinegar and salt. I have used it on newer tanks and on 45 year old tanks. If there is a lot of rust I usually will drop a chain in and agitate every couple hours. After rinsing, I flush with a water/baking soda mixture to neutralize the vinegar. I have found that aluminum or pot metal (many petcocks) should not be exposed to the vinegar. I have been using this recipe for a couple decades and have never had a problem.
I use phosphoric acid, a rinse, then a coat of 2 stroke oil mixed in some fuel. Kerosene works too. I always push the phosphoric acid because it's cheap and it converts the rust to iron phosphate and leaves a rust resistant surface. Proof for me is that Roadrunner hood which has been bare metal and rust free in Georgia for over a year with a treatment of Kleen-Strip Phosphoric Prep and Etch. The Chevy undercarriage has been getting the treatment too. I put it in a spray bottle and go to town.
I use phosphoric acid, a rinse, then a coat of 2 stroke oil mixed in some fuel. Kerosene works too. I always push the phosphoric acid because it's cheap and it converts the rust to iron phosphate and leaves a rust resistant surface. Proof for me is that Roadrunner hood which has been bare metal and rust free in Georgia for over a year with a treatment of Kleen-Strip Phosphoric Prep and Etch. The Chevy undercarriage has been getting the treatment too. I put it in a spray bottle and go to town.
Haven't received the juice yet, I'm an online buyer to a fault these days But now I'm really liking this plan, acid of any kind was of the table, but phosphoric seems to be safe as long as you follow the rinse and some form of petro treatment after... with citrus and or muriatic acids you end up worse off in many cases. So where do you get the phosphoric?
Online is great, especially since most parts don't seem to be available locally, but I always look for excuse to cruise in the old truck. Hell, I even offer to get groceries if it means I can take the truck.
I have used Metal Rescue several times great stuff.
I have also tried the Evapo-Rust remover and I don't think it worked a swell plus it has a kind of soapy residue I did not like.
Metal Rescue looks like water but only attacks rust will not harm paint or anything else but the rust will vanish.
My brain is like a small Wimbledon right now... Thanks Guys :-[
Here's what we'll do... I will get some of each, heck I have plenty of tanks with some rust so I'll do a 3 solution study and post up the process here.
1) Evapo-Rust
2) Phosphoric acid and 2-smoke douche
3) Metal Rescue
All should get a douche of some sort of preventative oil treatment I suppose... hot soapy water then denatured alcohol followed by 50/50 fuel - PB-Blaster sounds good! I'll use 1/2" SAE (cheap) nuts... a good size handful should do it for the rattlers.
My brain is like a small Wimbledon right now... Thanks Guys :-[
Here's what we'll do... I will get some of each, heck I have plenty of tanks with some rust so I'll do a 3 solution study and post up the process here.
1) Evapo-Rust
2) Phosphoric acid and 2-smoke douche
3) Metal Rescue
All should get a douche of some sort of preventative oil treatment I suppose... hot soapy water then denatured alcohol followed by 50/50 fuel - PB-Blaster sounds good! I'll use 1/2" SAE (cheap) nuts... a good size handful should do it for the rattlers.
My CB has a Harley Sprint tank so I can say with some certainty that any tank will fit with some tunnel mods, No CB100 tanks in the pile, but keep a look out on eBay... just search Honda tank, people dont post shit correctly and your tank could be in a place nobody is looking so you could get it way cheap. I just bought a super clean set of 78 super sport carbs for $91 because they were listed to specific.
Metal Rescue or Evap-o-Rust is still best. Acid is the cheapest method. Phosphoric is my choice. I'm sure it's not great for the steel. Electrolysis causes hydrogen embrittlement, so that could be an issue as well, but only a serious concern for structural pieces.
You don't have to worry about embrittlement with phosphoric acid, it etches too slowly. You have to introduce high heat and pressure for that to be an issue, typically. Technically, anytime you introduce hydrogen at the atomic level there's the possibility but with phosphoric etch the concentration is low enough that it would take days or weeks to really significantly etch the metal enough to make embrittlement an issue.
You don't have to worry about embrittlement with phosphoric acid, it etches too slowly. You have to introduce high heat and pressure for that to be an issue, typically. Technically, anytime you introduce hydrogen at the atomic level there's the possibility but with phosphoric etch the concentration is low enough that it would take days or weeks to really significantly etch the metal enough to make embrittlement an issue.
Lowe's doesn't sell it, at least not the Lowe's on Bobby Jones. I get it at Home Depot. It's in the paint section with the cleaners and solvents. Klean-Strip is the brand. Blue label and green liquid.
Another cool thing about phosphoric acid is it is used to acidify soils. It's the strongest of the phosphates. So save your used acid and put it where your soil is most alkali. I typically save it in a container and use it over and over until it loses it's effect, then water it down and use it in the garden during dry spells, as more rain acidifies soil.
Lowe's doesn't sell it, at least not the Lowe's on Bobby Jones. I get it at Home Depot. It's in the paint section with the cleaners and solvents. Klean-Strip is the brand. Blue label and green liquid.
Another cool thing about phosphoric acid is it is used to acidify soils. It's the strongest of the phosphates. So save your used acid and put it where your soil is most alkali. I typically save it in a container and use it over and over until it loses it's effect, then water it down and use it in the garden during dry spells, as more rain acidifies soil.
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