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Thread: Flushing/Reconditioning an Old Gas Tank

  1. #1

    Flushing/Reconditioning an Old Gas Tank

    I recently purchased an older gas tank (76 CIS) on eBay for a nominal amount. It looks to be in great condition on the outside and to not have lived a hard life. However, the seller told me that gas had sat in it for a few years and varnished inside.

    Whats the best way to clean this out and recondition to as new--chemicals/process etc?

    Also what is the correct paint to use to refresh the outside?

    Or am I wasting my time and should I just buy a new reproduction tank from Performance products?

    Thanks for the advice.
    Cheers,

    Steve

    Early 911S Registry #791
    R Gruppe #404

    69 911T Ivory White 2.9 "RGruppe'd" (SOLD)
    72 911T Silver RS Replica SOLD
    73 911S Silver 2.7 "Flares and Chairs" SOLD

  2. #2
    I got one of the reproduction tanks from Stoddard a few years ago when they first came out. Tank is okay, but the fit is only so-so. I found it too large in a couple of spots to really fit well in the opening, but I suppose this could easily vary from car to car.

    Right after I got it, I heard about these guys, and would have used them to restore the original tank if I'd known at the time. They have two shops in the Southland - in Bellflower and Stanton.

    http://www.gastankrenu.com/index.htm
    John Gray

    70 old air
    86 middle air
    95 new air

  3. #3
    Looks interesting on the site. Spoke them and they said its $200-$300 depending on the shape of tank w/ a 3-5 day turnaround.

    I may check it out unless someone has any better ideas.
    Cheers,

    Steve

    Early 911S Registry #791
    R Gruppe #404

    69 911T Ivory White 2.9 "RGruppe'd" (SOLD)
    72 911T Silver RS Replica SOLD
    73 911S Silver 2.7 "Flares and Chairs" SOLD

  4. #4
    I have used these guys and they do great work. I took my 100liter GT tank to them, I went to the one in Stanton. It is called Mattson's Radiator (714)-826-0357 but this was back in Oct 2002 and the price was $184.10 and that included powdercoating the outside of the tank. JIM
    Early 911S Registry #161

  5. #5
    I'm sold. I'll report.
    Cheers,

    Steve

    Early 911S Registry #791
    R Gruppe #404

    69 911T Ivory White 2.9 "RGruppe'd" (SOLD)
    72 911T Silver RS Replica SOLD
    73 911S Silver 2.7 "Flares and Chairs" SOLD

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by creator8
    I'm sold. I'll report.
    Hey Steve,

    So how did it go with these guys?

    I'm thinking about using them too.

    Tom

  7. #7

    Dyi

    The job is simple, you can do it yourself. Get yourself a gallon of Muratic acid from the hardware store, Washing soda from the grocery store and the Eastwood tank sealing kit. Seal the tank outputs with a cork. Duct tape up the filler tube and leave the sending unit opening open for now. Pour 1/2 a gallon fo the muratic acid in the tank along with a length of chain. Cover the sending unit hole with duct tape and carefully shake. Leave it in there for about an hour or so. Drain the acid and neutralize with the washing soda. Mix a gallon of the washing soda and water and pour inside and shake, rotate till everything is covered. I usually turn on one side and let it sit for 15 min and then turn again until I get all the surfaces coverd and neutralized. Flush with clean water. Then take a hair dryer (heat gun) and dry by inserting the nozzel into the fule inlet or sending hole. Once dry, use the Eastwood kit to seal the tank. Depending on how varnished it is, the Eastwood kit may be enough,, sice they send you a pint of thier Oxysol to wast the tank with. But the muratic acid will remove rust and any varnish extremely well. Good luck Allan
    1971 911S with Factory Recaro Sport Seats, 100% original, Bahia Red/Black

    1974 914 2.0 Yellow/Black

    2006 Cayman S Artic Silver/Terrecotta (Pending)


    When you think in you're in full control, you're just not driving fast enough

  8. #8
    Hey Allan,

    Thanks for the DIY . . . but isn't Muriatic acid really hazardous. I suppose the stuff you buy at the hardware store is diluted, but can you tell me what this "washing soda" is? I just want to make sure I don't kill the pets, neighborhood kids, landscape, myself, etc . . . in the process.

    Otherwise, it sounds like an easy DIY . . .

    Thanks,

    Tom

  9. #9
    Muratic acid in the store bought variety is very dilluted and mainy used by contractors to remove stains from concrete among other things. As with any acid, you don't want to splash it in your eyes, or let it stay on your skin for too long. But boy does it dissolve rust. It eats it away leaving only the good metal. It will not attack good metal unless left on it for weeks/months. Phosphoric acid is better, but hard to find in large quantities. It leaves a phosphoric coating after you wash it off that actually protects the metal from further rusting. Phosphoric acid is found in very very dilluted quantities Naval Jelly, Oxysol, and most rust dissolving products. But in this form, it works very slowly and not as well. As for killing live stock, I had accidentally spilled a couple of gallons of the neutralized acid on my lawn. It didn't phase it one bit. Still green and healthy.

    As with any acid, you have to neutralize it after you use it with a base. The best stuff I have used was "Washing Soda" found in the laundry detergent shelf at the grocery store. It's made by Arm and Hammer and is a strong baking soda powder laced with detergent. Not only will it neutralize the acid and residue, it also cleans.

    The Eastwood kit contains the oxysol and the sealer. The Oxysol is used after the Muractic acid and Washing soda wash, and leaves that greyish phosphoric coating that I mentioned earlier. Wash the tank after the Oxysol with the washing soda again, use a heat gun or hair drier jambed into the fuel sending unit hole and wait till it fully dries. Then pour the sealant in, shake, rotate, and in a couple of hours, it should be fully coated.

    My tank was a mess, with about a full cup of rust powder inside the tank. I figured a way of de-rusting with electrolysis using a battery charger, filling up the tank with water and washing soda, inserting a length of rebar insulated from the tank and suspensed in the water. Attach the negative to the tank and the positive to the rebar, and the rust flew off. Very cool. I also did everything I mentioned above and it came out great. You can see the steps I took on my website. You can find it by clicking the 1971 911S signature under all my posts. It seems that your tank was not as far gone as mine, but I really enjoy figuring this stuff out and like sharing my findings. Not for everyone, but it's nice to know. Good luck and if you need help, just e-mail me, Allan
    1971 911S with Factory Recaro Sport Seats, 100% original, Bahia Red/Black

    1974 914 2.0 Yellow/Black

    2006 Cayman S Artic Silver/Terrecotta (Pending)


    When you think in you're in full control, you're just not driving fast enough

  10. #10
    Like I said before . . . thanks again. I'm going to try it and post my results is a few weeks (weekends).

    Tom

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