Fuel tank questions

[keithb7]

While addressing revival issues with my ‘38 Plymouth P6, I’ve noticed fuel issues. Orange-y colored fuel. Sediment. Also electric lift pump sucking issues. I’ll address all. So today I drained the tank of questionable fuel from the previous owner. I have no idea how old it is.  As mentioned, the fuel appears orange-ish in color. I dropped the tank. Seen here. Pretty good sized tank I thought! 

 

The thank appears to have been serviced or replaced at some point. I have questions about the ruby-red coating inside. Is this some type of normal coating/sealant for old tanks?  The coating appears to have some type of abrasive grains embedded in it. Almost like sand.  I tried to show it in the photos.  Just curious. 

 

What do you recommend I do to flush this tank? Take it to a rad/fuelntqnk shop? It looks pretty good. Maybe I can do a decent job at home flushing it? Thx. 

 

 

 

Edited September 2, 2019 by keithb7

[keithb7]

[keithb7]

This one is looking down then filler tube. 

 

 

[Bobb Horn]

My 49 fuel tank was very rusty bad.   I strapped it to a cement mixer, with a soapy type cleaner, a few lug bolts and let it run for a couple of hours.   It came out good after a couple of sessions...   I poured some K1 in to put a coating inside.

[keithb7]

So I dropped my fuel tank off at the local specialist shop. Asked to give it a good going over.  They called me, “You need to come in”. 

 

Whatever the previous owner had done, isn’t working out well. Large chunks of sealant are coming off the insides of the tank. They did not have a process set up to deal with it. I have to send mt tank to another place  a few hours away. 

 

They told me the product used should have remained rubber-y. Somewhat flexible. This red stuff is stiff and tears like cardboard paper.  Here’s a sample chunk that came out of my tank. No its not an autumn leaf. 

Edited September 6, 2019 by keithb7

[joecoozie]

There are places, I think Tank-renu is one, that actually cuts the tank in half at the seam and then sandblasts the inside. Then they reseal it and weld it back together

[Dodgeb4ya]

Tomorrow I am working on a 41 Packard with the same situation only black sandy ugly tank coating. No rad shops could remove it around the Seattle Tacoma area.

Off to Spokane to Tank Renu too.

Well see how good of job  they did.

A good clean tank is always the best answer for this type of problem..

[HotRodTractor]

I know this isn't a solution that everyone can use - but its good info for those that can.

 

I have strapped many fuel tanks to the rear tractor wheel - loaded up the tank with a couple of handfuls of old bolts and nuts - and sealed up all the openings. After raking a field of hay or something similar - I have a pretty clean interior on my fuel tank (most of the time - sometimes I have to rotate the tank some to get a different area). After its been cleaned - I have had good luck with US Gas Tank Sealer - its by the same people that make POR15. Follow the directions and make sure to do the zinc etch and you'll have a good long lasting tank.

[philjafo]

I have a handful of square nuts that I put in tanks that I strap to a lawnmower wheel, only done on small engine gas tanks, never had to do it to a car sized tank. I don’t see why it wouldn’t scale up with what others have already posted just wanted to add the square nuts part, they seem to work best for me.

[Dodgeb4ya]

The only problem I see with the cement mixer gas tank cleaning is a raw steel tank interior....no zinc coating left and possible rusting of the interior of the tank.

[JSabah]

I recently had my tank done by renu. I took it to the local Renu dealer and they wanted over $700. Called the Renu dealer in (I think Stockton) and the price was around $370. Called the Renu dealer Wa (I think Spokane) and was quoted around $325. So I shipped it there. He was very responsive, keep his word on price and time and was conscious of the holes he had to cut and patch (I had asked him to cut as few as possible in inconspicuous locations) in order to properly blast and clean. It was coated inside and out- I didn’t really want the outside done as I wanted it to look original but because my tank was like Swiss cheese and no replacements are available (‘49 Plymouth Woodie - it is different), I did it. He also fixed the bayonet ring.  Below are before (pin holes are circled in sharpie if you zoom in)  and after (so you can see the coating texture)

[Dodgeb4ya]

Today I just saw the 41 Packard tank we had done in Spokane....quick turn around...looks exactly the same as above...silver lined inside... black coating outside.

They cut eight 1-1/2" round holes in both the top and bottom of the tank to clean it. They were cut out in two straight rows or four  top and bottom of the tank.

The outer tank was coated in that thick black coating. The filler neck was painted super gloss black.

The inside coating is a metallic silver coating material.

The tank came back looking very nice.... the round holes that were cut and plugged can be seen but you really have to look to see them. The outer coating hides them pretty well.

A very nice job and fast turn around. The owner did not tell me the cost.

I will post pics next time before i install it.

[keithb7]

I am making the trip tomorrow, 2.5 hrs one way, to drop my '38 tank off at the recommended shop. It'll likely be a week or two before I get it back. I will post my results later... Fingers crossed.

Edited September 7, 2019 by keithb7