How do you clean out a rusty petrol tank on a motorcycle?

Question

i.e are there any products (apart from petseal which iv heard crumbles and falls appart over time) or any recomended ways to go about it?

i.e are there any products (apart from petseal which iv heard crumbles and falls appart over time) or any recomended ways to go about it?

Iv got a 1983 Honda CM125.

Thank everyone i think this question is resolved! I shal give the small abrasive objects idear a go.

Answer 1

STOP gas tank rust with this popular Cycle Tank Sealer Kit from KBS Coatings...contains a cleaner, rust neutralizer & a fuel impervious tank sealer so rust won't return. Kit comes in 2 sizes: 5 gal & 12 gal.

Answer 2

I had an old school Italajet when I was a kid. The bike had a rusty tank so I filled it with ball bearings (crap load of ball bearings) and shook the piss out of it. Then rinsed it with water and repeated a few times. Once the majority of rust was removed and the tank was completely dry I filled it with a tank coat and sloshed it around for a bit, then drained it into a bucket. Once the tank coat drys do it again and again. note: Remove the valve at the bottom of the tank before doing anything. Once done don't forget to use some tephlon tape on the threads for the valve. Good luck!

Answer 3

--The nuts & bolts, rocks & pebblels and ball bearing & marble methods are a start, but will not remove all of the rust.
--"Kreem Fuel Tank Liner" works well and is durable enough to last at least a few years. It's a 3 part process. The first is a highly corrosive acid that etches the inside of the tank to free large rust deposits. The second is a base to neutralise the acid and the final step coats the inside of the tank with a very strong epoxy.
http://www.powersportsrider.com/CGI-BIN/HOME
Go to - Street - Index - Kreem
--I don't have first hand knowledge of the next two, so I can't comment on them.
--I've heard people recommend bringing the tank to a radiator repair shop to have it boiled out. Call a radiator shop for their thoughts (sounds fesible).
--http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/tech/rust_removal/
--Whatever method you choose, INSTALL AN INLINE FUEL FILTER - to strain any minute particals.

Answer 4

All good answers above. Small nuts or washers also work well for rust removal. Make sure you REMOVE the fuel petcock first before shaking anything in the tank. The pickup tube can be bent or broken off from the ball bearings, rocks, gravel, ttc as they bounce around knocking the rust loose. Do a google search for a sealer called Kreem, it works great for sealing tanks.

Answer 5

in case you propose rust and polish by applying "rubbish", then i could propose kreem tank air purifier/liner. i've got restored 2 genuinely filthy and totally internally rusted gas tanks with kreem and that they are in operational circumstance as of this 2d. As for the petcocke, considering that there are gaskets and seals that could have long previous undesirable, i could evaluate paying for a clean or greater moderen used petcock or a rebuild kit. That being suggested, this could value a reasonably penny, yet in my eyes it quite is worth it to get a bike working returned.

Answer 6

www.eastwood.com has what you need to repair your tank.
Gas Tank Sealer Kit For Cycles
A clean supply of fuel is critical to the performance of your vehicle - hard starting, stumbling under load, and sluggish response may be symptoms that your car's fuel system is dirty. The best way to ensure that the fuel is clean is to be certain that the fuel tank is free of rust. This Gas Tank Sealer ... $33.99
Item No. 10166 Z

Answer 7

I had a rusty tank on a Yamaha Diversion, but it eventually went porous at the bottom and wouldn't hold petrol anymore. Try to get a good conditioned tank from somewhere else if you can.

Answer 8

I've used this method several times before.

Start with aquarium gravel (after removing the petcocks) and shake like mad. If your not sure if you've shaken it enough than keep shaking.
Then move to kitty litter...... same process
then move to fine sand........... again same process
Coat with a product called Kreem and you should be in good shape! Hope this helps.

Answer 9

Old way,get some small river rock,and mix some fuel oil ,with gas, rinse it many times until you can use a small inspection mirror and look inside and it seems clean. The new way is to take it to a good bike shop and have them claen it for you.

Answer 10

first you must clean the rust out, use ball bearings and shake them around in there with the tank dry. then use a coating like cream tank coating and let it set in the tank. this will seal up the tank. may be easier to find a replacement tank.