Do Gas Tank Coatings Break Down With Age?

[YukonJack]

The gas tank in my 47 Plymouth was coated with Renu in 1999 by the previous owner.  My 47 started smoking from the exhaust a while ago. I changed the inline fuel filter and noticed the gas was amber in color and very sticky, that didn't seem normal.  Is it possible the Renu coating is dissolving? I'm thinking the gas might be the reason it started smoking.

[TodFitch]

I don't know if it is age or changing formulations of gasoline, but it seems to me that gas tank coatings have a pretty good chance of failing over the long run.

[plymouthcranbrook]

Well to. This point 20 years into the mission I have had no issues with the 

POR 15 coating I put on my 52 Plymouth 

[JerseyHarold]

My '52 Plymouth gas tank was done by Gas Tank Renu in the mid-1990's and when I drained it a few years ago after storage the liquid was dark brown.  It wasn't sticky and poured easily.

[Dan Hiebert]

I've read horror stories that they do, but via separation from the tank, versus dissolving.  I think that has more to do with proper preparation of the tank, though.  I had the tank in our Terraplane sealed with that red stuff about 15 years ago, no issues thus far.  

[Eneto-55]

I wonder what mine looks like by now.  I put high concentration phosphoric acid in mine to clean it, and then I THINK that I put some oil in there and swished that around.  But that was all over 40 years ago, and there hasn't been anything put in it since.  At the time I didn't know about the sintered bronze filter in there, and I don't know what the acid might have done to it.  I know that I will need to drop the tank again, and do an inspection, unless I can see just as much through the fuel gauge sending unit hole.  (Maybe could get a look-around with one of those small cameras - modern technology DOES have some advantages that I couldn't have even dreamt about back in 80 - 81.)

[Sam Buchanan]

2 hours ago, Eneto-55 said:

I wonder what mine looks like by now.  I put high concentration phosphoric acid in mine to clean it, and then I THINK that I put some oil in there and swished that around.  But that was all over 40 years ago, and there hasn't been anything put in it since.  At the time I didn't know about the sintered bronze filter in there, and I don't know what the acid might have done to it.  I know that I will need to drop the tank again, and do an inspection, unless I can see just as much through the fuel gauge sending unit hole.  (Maybe could get a look-around with one of those small cameras - modern technology DOES have some advantages that I couldn't have even dreamt about back in 80 - 81.)

 

Borescope cameras are so inexpensive they can be part of anyone's tool kit. Below is the latest one I purchased to inspect the interior of aircraft airframes. This particular camera connects to your phone via wi-fi so you can view and capture video and still photos.

 

I used a similar one to look inside the P15 tank and saw that what appeared to be alien lifeforms had taken up residence in the tank and it was too far gone to waste any time on it. The fuel sender was corroded into a solid mass.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C9C6P5D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[TodFitch]

47 minutes ago, Sam Buchanan said:

 

Borescope cameras are so inexpensive they can be part of anyone's tool kit. Below is the latest one I purchased to inspect the interior of aircraft airframes. This particular camera connects to your phone via wi-fi so you can view and capture video and still photos.

 

I used a similar one to look inside the P15 tank and saw that what appeared to be alien lifeforms had taken up residence in the tank and it was too far gone to waste any time on it. The fuel sender was corroded into a solid mass.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C9C6P5D/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I had no idea borescope cameras were so cheap nowadays. Thanks for the link.

[Dartgame]

I doubt the renu coating is doing anything untoward. Their coating is based on similar plastic used in modern plastic gas tanks, which of course don't breakdown.

[Sniper]

6 hours ago, Sam Buchanan said:

Below is the latest one I purchased

 

That is the exact one I bought to inspect the BMW's intake valves, great minds and all that, lol.