gas tank question

can anyone recommend a way to reseal the gas tank? What I mean is it is rusty inside and causing problems. It is a 82 xj750. Thanks in advance for the help.

 

Try tank cleaner and liner, it cleans all the rust and dirt out of the tank then relines it.
Look it up on the web.

 

I do not recomend that you line it unless it's absolutely necessary. Try to clean the tank first using this or another method. I wrote this a while back....

TO ELIMINATE RUST INSIDE A GAS TANK DO THE FOLLOWING;



THINGS NEEDED;

BATTERY CHARGER (12 VOLTS)
1 -2 BOXES OF BAKING SODA
2 WIRE LEADS, PREFERABLY 12 GUAGE COPPER WIRE
1-2” STEEL BOLT.


INSTRUCTIONS:



The method that we will explain is electrolysis. This can be very effective in removing the vast majority of rust from a tank. First, mix the baking soda with WARM to HOT water in a bucket. The hotter the water, the better it works. Hot water contains energy; we will use that additional energy to accomplish our task. Next, remove the petcock and cap the outlet then fill the tank completely with the solution. Now wrap the bolt with at least 4 windings of the bare copper wire and hang the bolt inside the tank near the top being very careful not to let any part of it touch the sides, top or bottom of the tank. We’ve used a pencil to wrap our wire around and hold it in place. Here’s the important part, place the negitivep (-) terminal on the tank body making good contact to metal. Connect the positive (+) terminal to the wire connected to the bolt. Turn on the battery charger. You will notice in moments the solution beginning to bubble and within several minutes, you will begin to see the rust migrating to the surface of the suspended bolt. You may have to clean the bolt periodically but let it “work” for a while and you will see rust colored “foam” building up above the opening. Remove this foam by cutting it with a piece of cardboard of other throwaway piece of sturdy paper. DO NOT let the foam sit on the paint as it will damage the paint! You will notice that when you raise the amperage, you are able to increase the activity. Be careful with this, you do not want to raise it so high that you damage your tank, 2 amps will make it work, 4 should be enough to give satisfactory results. If you are unable to see any activity, dilute more baking soda into the solution. Do not worry that the water is cooling once you begin, we only used the additional energy of the hot water to start the process, it will run fine as it cools



After 24-48 hours, is you’ve done it correctly, the inside of the tank will be rust free. Immediately spray with WD40 or begin the sealing process if that’s what you plan on (por 15 etc) to prevent it from re-rusting. We’ve had good success spraying the tank with WD40 then filling with fuel. We attached filters to each fuel outlet from the petcock and we able to use our show bike without

problems.



This is a very simple process and it’s very easy to do. Pay attention and use common sense and you will be fine. If you have no common sense, get a smart friend to do it for you!!



DANGERS- THIS PROCESS DEVELOPS HYDROGEN WHICH IS AN EXPLOSIVE GAS. DO NOT CONTAIN IT OR SMOKE NEAR THIS PROCESS. NO OPEN FLAMES OR OTHER FORMS OF IGNITION.


Careful not to leave the baking soda/water solution on the paint very long as it will ruin it!!

jeff

 

If it's not super badly rusted, I like Phosphoric acid. Cleans it right out, doesn't "flash rust" stays clean and is relatively effortless.

Electrolysis is "the artillery."

Once it's clean, keep it full of gas (except as you're riding it of course) and install an inline fuel filter. You should run one no matter what you do, the "in tank" filters are only stage 1.

 

While electrolysis works good, there's a drawback.. Electrolysis will eat the healthy tank's metal as well as rust... Weak spots may potentially become even weaker, so don't over-do it.

for a more permanent solution, check out the POR-15 tank liner kit (por15.com). This stuff is damn near bullet proof. I've not found a chemical that will weaken it yet... Best part - it bonds to rust better than clean metal. It's about 4 hours of work, followed by a couple of days of wait, but well wort it, IMHO. (FYI, you don't have to get the full kit. You can just get the liner, some mild prosphoric acid solution and some good degreaser)

There are other liner kits that are getting great reviews, like Redkote and a couple of others.. POR-15 just happens to be the one I used several times with a 100% success rate.

Fitz mentioned phosphoric acid.. Major thumbs up on that stuff. It dissolves loose, flaky rust, converts the remaining rust to "black rust" which stops the corrosion process, and leaves a phosphate coating that helps the liner bond to the metal (if you decide to apply a liner).

 

Evaporust is available at Home Depot, Harbor Freight and a few other places. Eats rust, doesn't harm good metal, plastic or rubber. Leaves behind a phosphate coating that is supposedly good against further corrosion up to two weeks. $20 a gallon and you can recycle it down the toilet. I have a 12 gallon tub of the stuff I drop my parts into. Sure I have to wait a day or two but it sure beats standing in front of the blaster for hours.

 

Clarification on the Electrolysis method.

It does not affect healthy steel. This method is widely used in antique restorations because it only converts iron oxide (rust).

If there is a drawback, in some cases there exists the possibility of hydrogen embrittlement which could cause a problem in high stress environments.

But "good" metal is not sacrificed. The process uses sacrificial anodes in the form of the steel rods used in the process.

George

 

This is true. Electrolysis is the most "tank safe" kind of treatment for rust.

Acid on the other hand does the opposite.

A drawback of electrolysis is that it can turn the metal black and needs to be cleaned. (So I have heard, I didn't experience it when I tried it) And electrolysis can be really slow.

 

Electrolysis Electrolysis Electrolysis

arn&hammer washing soda-toilt flapper-steel rod-manual charger.one night- you can always line the tank if u wish

http://www.xs650.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30

 

Electrolysis....
im about half way with my 1st go at this, do it doring the day so you can check on it every couple hours to clean the rod. it is doing what they say pulling a ton of rust to the rod..
finding the washing soda was the hardest part, till i called arm and hammer to tell me what store in my neck of the woods sells it 5 bucks a box, 2 bucks for flapper
work like a champ

 

riding with a clean tank today took 2 days less than 20 bucks

 

In the 2nd picture it looks like yo left the petcock in. Did you, or is it just a trick of the camera?

 

i used a block off plate between the tank and petcock