Gas Tank Repair/Sealant

[Doggitz]

I was able to locate a gas tank for my SII (thanks to Sunbeam Specialties in Campbell, Ca). It is a little rough, but appears uesearble with no large holes or burrowing rust spots. I have been searching the web for gas tank repair/sealers and have found a few possibilities including RedKote and ReNu, among others. There is a shop near me that offers complete restoration with ReNu, including sand blasting, painting, etc. Does anyone have experience with any of these products. Other forums have discussions, but can't seem to get a "majority" opinion.

All thoughts welcomed.

Thanks

Fred

 

[Asm109]

Make sure it can handle alcohol...................

 

[mccormac98]

Hi Fred, I think I'm next in line behind you on this job! I saw a good looking radiator shop in Santa Clara - Radiatorland. I'm further north in Oakland and am looking at a Radiator shop in Berkeley. I had thought about doing the job myself but I'm worried that I wouldn't be thorough enough.

Cheers,
Bill

 

[sunalp]

I use RedKote on all the tanks done here. It's about the best you can get, not cheap though.

 

[Bill Blue]

I've used the POR product with no issues. Very good at sealing small holes and patching large ones. Two of my tanks lasted nearly 20 years before the car was taken off the road. The liner was fine. A problem with any DIY product these days is a lack of a good stripper to remove the old liner. I think the problem extends into the professional world unless their product specifically states it can be used over old sealer. If it doesn't, inquire how they clean the tank. Strippers in the consumer market will not touch the Alpine tank liner. The old stripper has been hit with a Federal Reg that disallows sales of less than a 55 gallon drum. The idea being that the big users know how and can afford to gear up to use it correctly.
Bill

 

[DanR]

POR15 Is my choice. If it can take the sea treatment it has to be OK. The tanks in my Blue Boy V6 were done back in 2008 and still fine.

 

[Warren]

Maybe we can still buy MEK in Las Vegas for a stripper, paint not a dancer named Mek

 

[Doggitz]

Thanks everyone. RedKote and POR seem to be leading the pack. I have not seen any recent favorable responses for ReNu, so I am shying away from it. I will keep you all posted on what I do and what the results are.

Fred

 

[hartmandm]

Find out how the company will do the sand blasting. Some will cut the tank open to blast and then close it back up. Some will drill a bunch of holes to blast and then close up the holes. Know what you are getting into there.

I went the chemical stripping path and used POR-15 for the sealer. I'd probably start with brake fluid as a stripper the next time I tackle the project.

Mike

 

[Doggitz]

Mike

Thanks for your thoughts. The ReNu people near me drill holes and the TIG weld them closed. If the holes are closed properly, is that a problem?

Fred

 

[Doggitz]

Hi Fred, I think I'm next in line behind you on this job! I saw a good looking radiator shop in Santa Clara - Radiatorland. I'm further north in Oakland and am looking at a Radiator shop in Berkeley. I had thought about doing the job myself but I'm worried that I wouldn't be thorough enough.

Cheers,
Bill

Bill

I looked around the web on a few other forums. On the Rambler forum (and we thought Sunbeams were rare), I found reference to a radiator shop in Santa Maria (just about half way between us). I called this morning and very much liked what I was told. The shop is a small business, run by a long time proprietor and his sister. She was very knowledgeable about the process he uses and explained it to me in detail. They use a chemical strip that takes up to a week to complete. Then, they use a sealer called "Tanks-A-Lot" which they have had good results with. She told me that they specialize in doing tanks that qualify as "Unobtainium". I am thinking about driving up there this Friday to chat with them and drop the tank off. Hopefully they are just what I am looking for.

I will keep you all posted

-F

 

[hartmandm]

Mike

Thanks for your thoughts. The ReNu people near me drill holes and the TIG weld them closed. If the holes are closed properly, is that a problem?

Fred

I remember when I was researching what I would do with my tanks ... I didn't like the thought of taking a pair of tanks that are completely solid and don't have any leaks and then drilling a bunch of holes in them to clean them. It just didn't make a lot of sense to me. I'm sure they usually turn out fine, but maybe I'd be one of the unlucky ones.

Sounds like you have a good lead on a shop.

 

[jumpinjan]

The inside surface of the tanks need to be cleaned to bare metal. In Cincinnati, there's a metal cleaning business (originally it was a "Ready-Strip" business). We send our tanks there to have them "dipped", as they say. They also sell the "Red-Kote" sealer. So, for the past 25 years I have used the Red-Kote brand.

Damon Industries Red-Kote Gas Tank Liner

Damon Industries manufactures Red-Kote Gas Tank Liner and Over-Kote for protecting the outside of gas tanks.

damonq.com

Jan

 

[Pete S.]

I was able to locate a gas tank for my SII (thanks to Sunbeam Specialties in Campbell, Ca). It is a little rough, but appears uesearble with no large holes or burrowing rust spots. I have been searching the web for gas tank repair/sealers and have found a few possibilities including RedKote and ReNu, among others. There is a shop near me that offers complete restoration with ReNu, including sand blasting, painting, etc. Does anyone have experience with any of these products. Other forums have discussions, but can't seem to get a "majority" opinion.

All thoughts welcomed.

Thanks

Fred

Petit "Rustlok"

 

[DanR]

Carolina Chem Strip is a great outfit to take metal parts/pieces to have rust/paint/other foreign matter removed. They do my door/lids/hoods/hinges and about anything rusty needing to be cleaned like new metal. Even did some tanks for me a few years ago.

They are based in the Carolinas and I believe they are also in Arkansas.

 

[belmateo]

I soaked my tanks in Citric acid (readily available) basically you fill it with water and citric acid, cap it and turned it a couple of times. Drain it out and blow it dry then you can use something like POR15™ to seal and coat it.
Works great!

 

[Warren]

There's more information on forums then you can shake a gas tank at
If I had a dollar for every posting going back to the small CT 90 yahoo group email list ....
The topic is hurt by what is now compliant with state and local laws. I got a can of 10 year old POR 15 . IDK if the new formula is better or worse but after several treatments with electrolysis methods then a quick wash with a phosphoric acid solution I went for it. I do have a Tiger that got Red Kote in 1999 and it's holding up.

On the recent POR 15 it was single stage and solvent based and not a compliant 2 part epoxy type. I used the crap Kreme on one motorcycle tank and wasn't happy.

Is this Fred?

 

[belmateo]

Fred,
What did you end up doing with your tank?

 

[Doggitz]

I found a fellow in Santa Mariam, Calif who was highly recommended on the Rambler forum (I found that by accident)

The place is called Industrial Radiator Repair. I called and he seemed very knowledgeable. I drove the tank up to him (that's about a 200 mile drive)., His facility was fuill of old radiators, mostly from antique farm equipment. I spoke with him, he examined the tank, and told me that it would cost $500 to strip and seal. I called back after the estimated two weeks, and he told me that the rust inside the tank was thicker than he thought, so we would need to put it back in the acid bath to clean it out.

It's now about a week since I heard from him, so I need to call back.

Fingers crossed.

-Fred

 

[Shannon Boal]

I am not near Carolina Chem Strip, all my radiator shops are gone, and I don't want to cut or drill tanks. But, what I have done for many years to clean the inside of a steel tank, is combining mechanical cleaning with chemical cleaning. I put two handfuls of used lead wheel balancing weights into the tank and shake the fool out of it, rotate, manipulate and flush. I start with purple stuff, then vinegar, muriatic acid, Ospho and dry with a hair dryer. Then POR 15. This takes me three to five days.......the old sealer keeps coming out for four or five flushes. I don't know if it is a flawless job or not, but I have a camera for my cell phone that I can stick in there next time to look.