Re: Gas Tank Rust

Posted by Joe on March 30, 1998 at 14:49:24

In Reply to: Gas Tank Rust
posted by Bryan Nieman on March 27, 1998 at 11:09:33

: What can be purchased locally to remove and prevent rust flakes in a Model A gas tank, the tank is removed.
Bryan
My initial thought is the standard method mentioned by others of filling the tank with small nuts and washers and rolling it around the yard a couple of times.See pix on page 34 of the Jan-Feb issue of the Restorer Magazine.
For cleaning beyond that, the acid method proposed by some seems a bit extreme if not possibly downright unsafe.Instead I propose you see a method for Electrolytic Rust Removal which is at http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~alf/en/
This procedure is aimed at the "old tool crowd" and is excellent for small steel objects that can be immersed in a tub.
Admittedly the method uses washing soda or lye solution as an electrolyte which is not exactly like a springtime shower. But the author comments on the relative safety and merits of the method in his write up.Also the author indicates that the base material (tank) will not be affected and you cannot "overclean" according to this method.This in itself is a big recommendation.
In this case I can imagine filling the gas tank with solution and using a single piece of iron pipe suspended in the gas fill opening as the positive electrode.The gas tank itself becomes the negative electrode.
The assurance is given by the author that the object being cleaned *has* to be free of rust once the process is completed.The author also advises that immediate steps be taken to preserve the rust free surface once the process is complete.This sounds painfully familiar - almost like sandblasting without the sand.
I have no idea if this method will work in this instance and I have only tried it in the plastic basin method, but it seems to have possibilities.
Best regards,
Joe

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