crazycars Posted August 21, 2020 Share Posted August 21, 2020 Experimented with a rusty, gunked up Studebaker gas tank. Added a full gallon of white vinegar to empty tank, let it sit for four days swishing it around every so often. Drained it and washed it out well with the garden hose. Result: super clean tank down to clean metal in most places. Total cost: about $1.59. I'll let it dry in the sun for a few days and then I will add gas tank sealer. I honestly didn't think it would work but it did. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Man Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 What did the tank look like when you started? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubert_25-25 Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 You have to be careful with not covering steel entirely with vinegar. The interface at the top of the liquid level is very corrosive. I filled a 5 gallon bucket with 3 gallons of vinegar. I installed my engine side cover plate in the vinegar with the level just over half way up the plate. The intention was to let just over half of one side soak and derust, and then flip it over and do the other side. It removed all the rust, but it also ate a line into the metal at the interface of the air and the vinegar. You can see the line thru the Letter B and a shallower line thru the K. My suggestion is to stay liquid full in the gas tank. Hugh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flivverking Posted August 28, 2020 Share Posted August 28, 2020 I used the time proved serious home method for cleaning heavy rusted and heavy varnished up fuel tanks with good old fashion 100% lye ..it melts the solidified goo and embeded varnish and eats the rust and doesn't attack sound stell/iron metal to any degree .2 pounds of it in chrystal form added to water in plastic buckets(12 gallons) ,then fill the tank . you may or maynot rotate a few times incase of air pockets and helping hands. 24 hours later the tank is clean. Use normal care and protections.Rinse with whatever as required depending sealing or not. Pre hot soapy wash outs pryer to any acid cleaning is usually done for loose surface crap removal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shaw Posted August 30, 2020 Share Posted August 30, 2020 On 8/28/2020 at 3:54 PM, Ben P. said: https://forums.aaca.org/topic/339861-1927-graham-brothers-34-ton-delivery-barn-find/ Scroll down to Feb 17th.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarryLime Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 Flivverking...........You can buy lye over the counter now ? Last time I tried to buy a 8 oz bottle I was told NO . It seems the meth lab chemists were using lye as part of their recipe . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flivverking Posted September 20, 2020 Share Posted September 20, 2020 HarryLime For a long while Crystal lye was tough to fine like a lot of stuff chemical wise because big daddy is protecting us idiots and making life more difficult in the end.. Like offering us "green "products that barely work ,cost more and one usually ends up using 2 or 3 times amount needed over the proper base product they replaced before you give up . But we are safer they say. I fined the lye easily at Walmart and Home Depot.About 4.99 for one pound container. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jan arnett (2) Posted September 24, 2020 Share Posted September 24, 2020 I get mine at tractor supply. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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