derusting a tank and swap out. 14 month recap

[Don R]

Has anyone used diluted muratic acid on a rusty gl1000 gas tank? My concern is the screens inside and if the acid will eat them. I've done several cb750 tanks but the difference is obvious.

[RB]

I have done several no problem

[Don R]

Thanks, I got the shaft buying one off of facebook's gl1000 page. It was supposed to have only light surface rust. That may be true on the outside but the inside is a mess. The seller is great at excuses and not returning calls. I'll begin cleaning it now.

[Pony Ruiz]

I haven't tried it but i hear vinegar works.

I used "Evaporust". Worked great. Rinsed with muriatic acid. I put red kote in there after that. I wouldn't do that again.

I think I'd just do the muriatic rinse and swish some kerosene in there to prevent flash rust - which happens very fast.

[Don R]

I've done a few small parts with vinegar it worked OK. I have a 5 gallon bucket of muratic acid that's done a half dozen cb 750 gas tanks and a couple others. Usually I rinse with soda water, then fresh water, then alcohol to dry it, then 2 stroke gas. The one I did yesterday has a little grit inside, I should have flushed with more water, I'll flush it with gas some more. The advantage to the gl1000 tank is the bottom drain plug. It should flush out nicely.

[Don R]

I have golf tees in the holes where the petcock goes, I hope they're still there in the morning. The whole thing is in a plastic tub in case of failure.

[Sugs]

What's the secret to preventing flash rust? I've tried a few different products for the derusting that all seem to work, but the rinsing part is where I struggle to stop the flash rust, it happens within seconds. Last time I did a tank I used no water at all to rinse. Just denatured alchohol then straight to old gas which seemed to work.

[scootsx2]

I haven't tried it but i hear vinegar works.

I used "Evaporust". Worked great. Rinsed with muriatic acid. I put red kote in there after that. I wouldn't do that again...

I have used RedKote on several tanks with very good results. Make sure the metal surface is clean with no residue of any kind before you apply RedKote. If you louse something up with RedKote (ie: clog the screens), acetone dissolves it nicely.

[chewy999]

I haven't tried it but i hear vinegar works.

I used "Evaporust". Worked great. Rinsed with muriatic acid. I put red kote in there after that. I wouldn't do that again.

I think I'd just do the muriatic rinse and swish some kerosene in there to prevent flash rust - which happens very fast.

After trying electrolysis, I filled the tank with white vinegar and the difference was amazing. After draining I sloshed some ATF around the inside to stop flash rust and fitted back on the bike asap before filling with fresh fuel. I did have a blockage in one of the fuel tubes, but used a cable in a drill, set on reverse to clear it.

[pjlogue]

What's the secret to preventing flash rust? I've tried a few different products for the derusting that all seem to work, but the rinsing part is where I struggle to stop the flash rust, it happens within seconds. Last time I did a tank I used no water at all to rinse. Just denatured alchohol then straight to old gas which seemed to work.

Try rinsing with distilled water. The flash rust is caused by conductive minerals in the water causing galvanic action. Distilled water won't stop flash rust entirely but it slows it down enough so you can get alcohol rinse in before the flash gets bad. Final rinse with Acetone and a quick dry is the best. You want to pull the water out of the seams and cracks.

Anything used to dilute the de-rusting solutions should be distilled water. Tap water that came through a water softener is the worst.

-P.

[warhead_71]

Dollartree has "The Works" toilet cleaner... made to remove rust stains, etc. It's cheap ($1 a quart), and works almost as good as Evaporust, better than vinegar, much faster than electrolysis. Seemed to be safe on the fuel sending unit as well.

[low-side]

Evaporust is expensive, but it is not acidic so it doesn't really flash rust (still need to rinse and oil as it does leave behind bare steel); I prefer this for chrome and other plated or painted steel or iron parts. Phosphoric acid (milkstone remover at your local ag store) is cheap and removes rust quickly and leaves behind a rust-resistant layer of iron phosphate; I prefer it for the insides of tanks or other bare steel or iron parts. Hydrochloric (muriatic) acid also clears rust well and is very inexpensive, but rinsing must be fast and complete or it will flash rust very quickly.

[rcmatt007]

be sure to use muriatic acid in a WELL-VENTILATED area. A respirator is a good idea as well. Always add acid slowly to water, not water to acid if you are diluting it.

[eades473]

I used the electrolysis method, there's a how to here in the shop talk section I believe. As for flash rust, wont that happen regardless of what you do when the fuel level drops and the bike sits for awhile?

[robin1731]

snip......…….Evaporust is expensive, .

But, evaporust can be reused several times. So the cost isn't that bad in the long run.

.