Tank Rust

S

slategrey66

Active Member
So Ive done some of the DIY tips with cleaning the rust from the tank, "The Works" and "Metal Rescue" it did a pretty good job removing most of the rust. The rust came off in giant chunks.

My question is I've pressure washed the shit out of the inside and using both of those methods and there is still some minor rust in the tank I can't get out. Is it okay to fill with gas now and run? I paid a decent amount for this tank and I don't want to lose my investment and spend a lot more money for another tank.
 
you'd still want to line the tank with one of the sealants (kreme kote, por15 etc), if theres any rust still in there it'll come loose and end up in the carbs if you don't
I think DCC sell a version or most auto shops should be able to help

you might also want to check how much metal is still left if its coming off in chunks, it might be that its actually wafer thin and is going to leak/fall apart anyway. are you going to paint it? if not hit it with a fibre flap wheel or brush on the drill and see if any holes appear, its not unknown for paint/bog (bondo) to be holding a tank together
 
The tank shell itself is fine, it's the rust inside the tank. I got a bunch of large flakes after letting the inside soak. Then I pressured washed the inside. I'd say I got 90% of the major rust out of the inside of the tank. If I'm sealing the inside, how do you get the petcock hole from getting clogged with the sealer?
 
DON'T USE KREME!!!!! It's thick goopy shit and doesn't stick.

POR15 is great stuff, but it will never come off whatever you get it on - so be careful if your paint is good. I treated a nearly NOS orange metal flake Honda CB550F tank years ago, and it was pretty nerve-racking to say the least (worked out fine).

Use a good fuel filter. If you've got almost all the rust out I wouldn't over think it.
 
If you have most of it out, just use a nice fuel filter and run it as mentioned above. Much easier than relying on a tank liner. You Might be fine. I've run tanks with some mild rust lots of times

On the other hand, you can't always see all the way inside to bottom of tank to fully appreciate the amount of rust. My last tank ended up with pin holes in bottom after I got all the rust out with rust remover. In those scenarios, I use caswell sealer and it works great.
 
I'm with sbaugz. If it's a very small/minor amount of rust I'd be apt to let it go. I see so many stories of tank liner coming off and clogging fuel systems not to mention creating a pain in the butt for the owner who now has to remove it all. Plus it's an extra expense/process you might not need to deal with.

I've had several tanks with a little surface rust in a few places and never had any issues. If you've used an agent to convert the rust as well as agitated some media in there/pressure washed to knock the flakes off you'll prob be fine with just the petcock filter and an inline fuel filter.

While some of us strive for perfection, sometimes the law of diminishing returns does apply. And for the record, I've only had one tank that I've treated/used that had "minor rust" ever have any crud show up in my fuel filter.


Here's where I list all my bikes:
'71 Kaw 250 Bison
'81 KZ750 cafe
'94 XR250L
2014 Yamaha Bolt

In progress: '68 CL350
 
+1 I’d let it be.. as long as you have your filters in place you have very little to worry about.
 
Power wash it and then immediately dry it out with blower. Then as soon as it dries I fill it with gasoline and use some gas filters. I once used a coating and it was more of a headache if anything.
 
I've added a box of drywall screws to the inside of my tank and shaken it around to get large pieces of rust loose. (Get screws that are magnetic so you can get them out afterwards ;) )
 
If you're really concerned about the rust returning you can get an agent to convert it. Phosphoric acid does well and also converts the clean steel so it won't rust again. Commonly found in products such as milkstone remover. I cut it one gallon MSR to three gallons water. Leave sit for three-four days in a room temperature area.


Here's where I list all my bikes:
'71 Kaw 250 Bison
'81 KZ750 cafe
'94 XR250L
2014 Yamaha Bolt

In progress: '68 CL350
 
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