Tank cleaning

[Dan17]

Hi do you clean a petrol tank?

I tried the vinegar and old buts method for a tank that had been empty for 25 years, it worked and I got the bike started but then I left a small amount of fuel (E5) in there for 2-3 months and now it's looking worse than before.

Does anyone have a method to clean it up well and then treat somehow for a bike that may only be used occasionally?

[MalcW]

Hi do you clean a petrol tank?

I tried the vinegar and old buts method for a tank that had been empty for 25 years, it worked and I got the bike started but then I left a small amount of fuel (E5) in there for 2-3 months and now it's looking worse than before.

Does anyone have a method to clean it up well and then treat somehow for a bike that may only be used occasionally?

I would be tempted to do what you've already done, but either drain the tank between uses, or fill it to the brim and seal the filler cap as best as possible. As you'll know, it's the absorbed moisture that's the problem.

Malc

[SPRIDDLER]

What is it, rust?

Many methods and instructions by using commercial (eg. Fertan) and home products (e.g. Cola, vinegar and baking soda) if you do a Google search. Have a browse here:

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=petro ... nt=gws-wiz

[spookefoote1956]

Soda crystals and battery charger then line with Slosh

[jackstringer]

E5 and E10 fuel is hydroscopic so it loves to take on water that collects in the tank.

Options are, to send the tank to https://www.biketankrepair.co.uk/
or use come fuel take rust treatment stuff. Cleaning the rust off with vinegar and nuts is ok, but you must seal up the metal. The old Petseal doesn't like the E10 fuel but they do newer varieties to seal tanks now.

I have some https://www.evapo-rust.com/ in the shed and it has been very handy for cleaning up the odd tool to two, just leave it in a tub for a few days (weeks) and then clean and use. I suspect it would be quite good at converting rust to metal in the tank before lining. Best bit its reusable so not wasted until it dead kind of stuff.

[Samuel]

Soda crystals and battery charger then line with Slosh

Tri-Sodium Phosphate - Na3PO4 as an electrolyte has the advantage of leaving a phosphoric coating on the metal as the iron oxide is removed

[Andy G]

Like red wine and teeth?

[Dan17]

Thanks for all the replies. I'm on my second vinegar soak after which I plan to coat with wd40.

I did also read about mixing a small amount of castor oil with the petrol when I fill up, anyone tried this?

[spookefoote1956]

A Teaspoon of Castor oil in a full tank will give you the cazzy R aroma. After all that's where Castrol got their name from.

[Taid]

Autumn 1948, Prescott Hill .. where I first became aware of, what I learned was, the smell of Castrol R ..

It never leaves you