How can a gasoline tank RENU liner be removed?

I have a Pierce Arrow with a gasoline tank that was treated by RENU before I bought the car and the liner has now failed. It is cracked and brittle and pieces of it clog the gas line when the car is running. The liner cannot be dissolved because it is baked on. I called RENU and asked how to remove it and they told me heat but would not disclose the needed temperature. I would need to ship the tank back to one of the company offices and the closest one is several hundred miles away. Has anyone had success in doing such a removal? I'm reluctant to send it to RENU given the fate of their first liner and the treatment that I received by their customer service rep.

Tom

What about using something like POR15 gas tank liner to cover and seal the old RENU lining.

I have used the POR15 to seal a rusty tank which is not much difference to what you've got and it worked very well.
You can do it yourself and after it dries it is a very, very hard coating.

I would just make a new tank. I have a bunch of used tanks, 29-38 if it helps and you want to start from there. Ed

Tom, the folks at ReNu attach a stamp to the outside of the tank to prove it is their work. If the stamp is still there then you have a forever warrantee. I would send it to them and let them fix it. You can send the tank via UPS easy. I would just take it to a parcel store, let them bundle it up and send it off. I bet it would not cost you any more than $80 or so. It is not the weight, but the size that drives the cost.

Just be SURE and have it dry...so no fumes are present.

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Originally Posted by unimogjohn

Tom, the folks at ReNu attach a stamp to the outside of the tank to prove it is their work. If the stamp is still there then you have a forever warrantee. I would send it to them and let them fix it. You can send the tank via UPS easy. I would just take it to a parcel store, let them bundle it up and send it off. I bet it would not cost you any more than $80 or so. It is not the weight, but the size that drives the cost.

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The tank does have a RENU stamp but the lifetime warranty is good only for the original purchaser according to customer service at RENU. The tank had been done prior to my purchase of the car so the lifetime warranty not longer applies.

I would ask them to send you the exact wording. Here is their info from the national web site. It says, Forever, no mention of ownership. When I had my tank done by them I was told that the warranty was attached to the car, not the purchaser. Gas Tank RENU - USA

Here is the private reply that I received following this post

"Tom,
I was your Renu Service Rep.
I must say, up front, you attacked me with the basic, "How much is a cart of groceries" type of question.
First off. Your tank is not under warranty. You are not the original owner of the product, as we discussed.
Secondly. You were asking me for proprietary information as to how to remove our product, and at what temperatures, etc, etc. I can not give you that. What happens if you get hurt using information that I give you?
Thirdly. I offered to give you a location close to you, but there was none.
Lastly. We CAN repair your tank. BUT YOU MUST SEND IT TO US. Which you were not very willing to do.
I can NOT give you an exact quote over the phone for an item that I have not seen.
If, and when, you send the tank to us, we will give you a quote before we process your tank. I DO UNDERSTAND that it will cost you money to send it to us FOR AN ESTIMATE. . .
but hey. . .
what else can I do? I CAN NOT SEE YOUR tanK THRU THE PHONE."

I am sorry if my telephone inquiry seemed to be an attack, it was certainly not meant to be. Just trying to find the best route to go with repairing this tank and not spending a fortune. Now I have a better understanding of RENU policies. Tom

One would think that RENU would like to know why their product failed.

Tom, I don't know where you are located in Kansas, but the Renu website shows a location in Knoxville, Iowa, about 50 miles north of the Kansas border. I would start over, and give that location a call and investigate the warranty, as it implies to me that it is a lifetime warranty on the tank. The situation may be like state license plate bureaus- it depends upon your luck of the draw as to the cooperation of the person waiting on you. Be nice and don't relate the previous conversations :rolleyes:

Disregard the distance estimate above ---had wrong state- was looking at Mo.. Still may be worth a call and the trip.

You are not responsible for a lifetime guarantee, because I am not the original owner.

America at its finest, 2012.

Bill Harmatuk

I had a gas tank done by Renu and the first line of the warranty reads; "This warranty is extended to the owner designated below ('owner") and is not transferable to subsequent owners of the vehicle described above." Perhaps it would be nice if Renu offered a reduced rate for repair, but it is pretty clear. Carl

Success! I took the gas tank to Orr Radiator in Kansas City, KS as they do a lot of gas tank liners in the Kansas City Metro area. I have had them do a tank on a 1922 Studebaker and a 1924 model T ford previously. They pressure washed the inside of the tank with hot water and steam and the liner lifted off when the water entered the area around the cracks. They'll need to cut open the side of the tank to remove the RENU liner and then it can be relined.

If the Renu liner came off with hot water and steam, then I'm not impressed with it. I'd hate for some to have to cut into a perfectly good tank just to remove it. I think I would try a chemical method before cutting into it. Cutting is a last resort. In either case, good you got it this far. FYI, I have used POR gas tank sealer with no problems, yet.

Just curious,,,Is this for a dual valve 6 ,, or a junior 6,,The big tank had rivitted ? ends and a copper shell??
Was It leaking or just a rust problem,,,If just loose rust,,I'd more inclined to tank it in a radiator tank,,get clean
and solder a patch,,,A good swett joint will be as strong as the tank material,and can be removed if need be,,
I'll look see if I have a series 33 tank in the dark shadows,,,,By chance do you have a spare Loco 48 tank,,
Cheers,,,Ben in Maine