Cleaning a gas tank

[Papa's Cub]

I'm trying to clean a gas tank on my most recent cub and discovered it is quiet rusty with huge flakes of rust. I pressure washed it and most of the flakes came out but it needs further attention. I plan on using vinegar and baking soda for the final cleaning before applying Red Kote but have a question. Is there a difference between white vinegar and red apple cider vinegar. What ratio of vinegar to water works best and how long should it take to dissolve the remaining rust. Thanks in advance, Tom.

[ScottyD'sdad]

Follow the instructions on the Red Kote container, for best results.

Ed

[MiCarl]

I really like the Caswell liner. They say it works best if you don't remove all the rust, just the loose stuff.

You just get the loose rust out, rinse with some lacquer thinner to remove all traces of fuel and apply.

[tst]

muriatic acid will eat the rust out, then rinse with baking soda to kill the acid

[Papa's Cub]

Yesterday I washed the inside of the tank with hot water and Dawn dish detergent. After attempting to scrub the inside with a towel nailed to a piece of wood I rocked the tank considerably and left it to soak for a few hours. Upon emptying the soap and thoroughly rinsing with water I bet at least a quart of rust flakes come out. I then added 2 gal of white and two gal of red vinegar and topped it off with water. My question, how long (hours/days) should It take for the mixture of vinegar take to clean tank. When the vinegar has finished dissolving the remaining rust and I dump the solution I plan to rinse it with water and baking soda to neutralize any acidic residue that may remain in the tank. Next, I plan to apply a quart of "RED KOTE" as per instructions. I hope this will stop the rust and eliminate future problems. Many thanks for the previous comments, Tom.

[Eugene]

Be sure to completely dry the gas tank before applying Red Kote.

Make sure the Red Kote is completely dry before putting the gas tank into use.

A shop vac, hose inserted into gas cap opening, on exhaust for several hours will help dry the tank.

[Papa's Cub]

Be sure to completely dry the gas tank before applying Red Kote.

Make sure the Red Kote is completely dry before putting the gas tank into use.

A shop vac, hose inserted into gas cap opening, on exhaust for several hours will help dry the tank.

Thanks for the tip on using shop vac exhaust to speed up the drying of the tank. I plan to add some acetone after draining the vinegar to help eliminate the water prior to adding the Red Kote. ( it's been soaking in the vinegar and water solution for 24 hrs and I can shine a light inside and tell the rust is dissolving cause I can see patches of clean metal and also the gas cap is now rust free, so I'll let it soak for another day and look again ) Thanks, Tom.

[Slim140]

Don’t use the vacuum cleaner if you put acetone or anything else flammable in it, the sparks from the vacuum cleaner motor will make a loud boom and could be deadly, it’s the fumes that ignite. Safety first.

[Papa's Cub]

OK ... Saturday I rinsed the tank after draining the vinegar solution and filled it again with dawn and hot water and let it set for probably 30 minutes before the final flushing with water. I used the exhaust port of the shop vac to blow it dry for about 30 minutes. Then I sloshed some acetone around in it and placed it in the sun to dry. It appeared to be dry so I poured in a quart of Red-Kote and began rolling and tumbling the tank trying to coat everything inside. Thinking the inside was completely coated I drained the remaining sealant which was probably 1/2 -2/3 cup. For the next hour I continued to roll and turn the tank in an effort to avoid puddling of the sealant. This morning to my disappointment when I looked into the tank I discovered an small area approximately 3 x 4 inches in the right front corner that was not coated. The rest of the tank looks great, at least what I can see. What should I do next? If I add additional sealant will it bond with the first cost? Will gas penetrate under the existing sealant if left as is? Any suggestions appreciated, Tom.