Motorcycle Tank Cleaning : Varnish and Rust Removal
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2020
- Motorcycle tank cleaning can be beast of a job. On some motorcycle gas tanks I would even go as far as to say they are impossible due to design. In this video we are going to tackle a relatively easy tank from a 1981 CB900F. This cleaning process is for anyone who isn't necessarily in the market for tank sealing immediately.
Sealing a tank is the best method for long term care but is this video we will be getting the tank to a point that is use-able.
WARNING
Please remember that we are dealing with gasoline. Which is flammable.
Towards the end of the video you will see I use a shop vac to suck out rust particles from the tank.
From the time the tank had gone through a “gas flush” to the point where It had dried completely was about two weeks of letting it evaporate. Please use caution when doing this type of procedure. Do at your own risk. Be smart about wait times.
Here are some quick links to some of the products I used.
Metal Rescue: amzn.to/2FDezIk
Evaporust: amzn.to/3mpORIh
Gas hand pump:amzn.to/2E3Yv1Q
Check out Shane's video on coating a tank properly!
• How to clean prep and...
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An old Harley guy told me to use a pound of pennies and a handful of dimes. I think that would work at the end of this process too loosen the last bit of dry material before vacuuming. But I would rinse one last time with mineral spirits which leaves a layer of oil (that eventually evaporates) to prohibit flash rust. Just a thought! Nice video!!! 👍
Use your long air hose nozzle to blow the rags around inside 100mph wiping down the insides….the air will also atomize any liquid inside the tank so the rags can absorb it all….have a wire with hook handy to catch the rags spinning by the hole ….been using this method for 35+ years
….. Wut? 😰
You have some great ideas . I have been restoring bikes for over 30 years and cant believe just how much things have moved forwards . Thanks keep up the great streams .
That bike behind you brings back memories. I once owned a 1983 Honda 500 Silverwing. Great bike.
Great work, Cody! Thank you for sharing your technique! I've tried a lot of different methods over the years and I've simpled-down my particular way to a vinegar soak (at least 24 hours), quick med/high pressure water rinse, (vacuum any debris, but most is already out ... I'm a demon about pressure washing the debris out) then swish about a gallon of diesel around inside the tank (contact everything inside) then drain the diesel and use. You must use a fuel filter with this method and keep an eye on the in-line filter for a bit, but that does it.
This was recommended to me by an old-timer who could also braze like an Olympic champion; he was heavy on HDs and Brit bikes, but he was cool as the other side of the pillow; and a bit of an encyclopedia on British iron.
Thank you again for sharing, you are one of the few (3) I subscribe to and it's because of your teaching ability and your depth of knowledge.
Drive On,
-KR
PS> I've also used Metal Rescue, POR15, and Evaporust ... all with very good results.
great vid .. like the chair in the background ... every workshop needs a thinking chair for those times that need a few mins or so to solve the problems instead of just rushing in
Really great video that you come to expect from the MotorcycleMD. Great info an a couple tricks new to me that complete the picture when it comes to tank restoration. Thanks a bunch
Thanks for watching man!
Very comprehensive the best I've seen . great tip with the vacuum cleaner and the 2stroke oil .thanks for your time and imput
Great video. I just finished my first restore projects, and had to do this to the tanks on an 86 shadow and 84 magna. Cleaning those tanks is definitely a lot of work. I ended up using muriatic acid, vinegar, bb’s, metal rescue - the whole arsenal, lol. Was great to see all the steps you went through including drying the tank out to find the extra debris - I’ll follow this method for the next project. Awesome video, thanks!
Some times the tanks need the kitchen sink! Great job man. Thanks for sharing.
I'm a subscribed fan and I don't mean this as a knock on Cody. Please be very, very cautious about combining any flammable liquid or vapor with an electric vacuum. It can result in a pretty decent flame thrower. I have been a fire fighter for almost thirty years and one of my more memorable calls was to a fully engulfed boat tied to a dock on a canal behind the owner's house. While trying to clean the bilge of muck, water, and gas residue, he and his son lit themselves on fire and and escaped with their lives and significant burns by jumping into the canal.
That is a brutal story and I don’t take it as a knock in any way. I really appreciate the reminder to heed caution with this topic. What I will say is that from the time I last rinsed the tank to the time I shot the ending. About two weeks had past. That’s how i was able to dry the tank out fully. (Even put it in the sun)
I think it would have been best for me to have stated that in the video. I try my best to remember everything to say.
Thanks again!
i have been useing 2stroke on these tanks for years' it slows the rust for sure! I aslo use a 1 gallon shop vac.lol
GOOD stuff Cody! Thanks man!
Thanks for sharing - I will try this on my scooter tank. Thanks again.
Thanks. Appreciate your advice. Greetings from Whitby Canadá
Amazing video mate it's the best video on you tube abt cleaning tank. Keep up the good work pal... You are doing wonderful job..
Very helpful tips and information
Thanks for your video. I actually used electrolysis but was looking for how to clean it out and maintain the rust free environment of the inside and/or how to treat the metal to prevent flash rust.
I've been endeavoring on the tank on my NT650 for a bit now. I started at the beginning of summer and got to a point where all the varnish and black stick trash is gone and I didn't have time to coat it so I have literally let it sit filled with Evaporust for the past 3 months or so, lol.
Thanks Cody, my newest 1976 gl1000. Custom built manifold with Weber 2bbl carb. I made it run, big fat napa fuel filter plugged solid in 70 miles. Yes broken rusty pieces missing worn out. Fix everything. Bike is only 20 years younger than I am. Less than 65,000 miles, on bike, it's almost new as old wings go. Thanks for your help, watch you every day.
I put some Marvel Mystery oil in mine every other tank full. Seem to help.. Just My 2 cents. Great job cleaning the tank out it takes a lot of time to get it right.. Thanks for your videos ...
Much appreciated. I'll give it a try.
Thank you Cody ,ive just spent $120.00 on my cbr1000f & i didn't fill it to the brim,everywhere was perfect, but the roof of my tank was & is still ,i used rust destructor & after that fertan FeDOX ,i did turn my tank upside down ,but,liquid does slowly leak from the petrol cap,i was very limited to how long I could leave my tank upside down (I was also pressing down on my tank ,whilst upside down)
Thanks for this great video Cody ,its a learning curve too,i am ready to have a second attempt ,Thanks again Cody .
Thanks for sharing!!
EvapoRust will take out all the rust and not etch the surface. The spots you see left over after the metal rescue is the rust is mingled into the old gummed up gas. Something like this:Berryman 0116 B-12 Chemtool Fuel Injector & Carburetor Cleaner, will chew that old gas up quickly.
I usually do a Flush, B-12, flush, Evaporust, and works great for me, and the integrity of the tank is not compromised.
Are you still flushing with a low acid
@@jacobnonyabidness1155 No need to. That's the whole point. Evaporust cleans it way better without etching the tank.
@@rustusandroid I apparently have room temp iq lol I still don't understand what you're flushing with
@@jacobnonyabidness1155 Oh, just the flush is water, preferably warm.
@@rustusandroid No! Preferably cold water and immediately flush with gas. You promote flash rust with hot water. The follow up rinse with gas prevents it further. 2 stroke gas is even better! Slosh the 2 stroke all around, then drain. let air dry in the sun.
I recently checked with Honda regarding fuel tanks being lined with a protectant from the factory and was surprised when I was told the tanks aren't lined with anything from the factory. I'm about to use evaporust to try to remove the damage ethanol gas caused in my 02 shadow
AWESOME!!!!!
From what I can gather, the evaporust removes the rust and prevents the metal from flash rusting.
Suggest a weak alkaline (bicarb soda ) solution to counter act residual acid and siphoning gunk off the bottom .
which ratio of 2 stroke oil and gasoline do you use?
I find that Marvelous Mystery Oil works best To coat the tank prior to fill up and then every so often mix a little bit and with my gas because it helps clean the engine internally and lubricate just like the two-stroke except better like on steroids.
Good job! There is no easy way. Been there done that many times.
What I might add is : ALWAYS use ETHANOL FREE fuel, especially when storing the bike.
One its confusing...when you're talking about metal rescue you spay wd40.
So the metal rescue it's actually wd40?
have u ever used M.E.K. by Klean strip, soking my tank now with that hope it works no rust just varnish.
Thanks for the tips
But dear it's a big problem for each and every Bike
I fail to understand why not all Motorcycle Manufacturing company make it anti rust coating paints to avoid these Common problems
Does all the old fuel residue have to be completely evaporated or washed with soap before adding the vinegar? I wonder if the fuel residue will become a barrier and prevent the vinegar solution from getting to the rust.
Rinse the tank with Acetone to remove varnish I agree , varnish can prevent the Vinegar from working .
What about just running acetone? Would that take the varnish into solution, without destroying the stock factory protective coating on the tank's metal?
Let us know your results after you've tried it.
I still just mix 1 cup oil with 1 gallon fuel in tank, shake well, repeatedly, new biggest filters you can mount. Change filters often.
this mix ratio is only to shake around inside the tank and then throw it out right? a MC cant drive on such a high ratio of oil and gasoline
Here is my story.
I own a BMW K75RT ,1991, 100.000Km on it.
I just cleaned the aluminium tank ,removing all the gas contaminants and little debris accumulated in the years.
Once it was dry i put a vacum hose and a compressed air hose in the tank working in parallel. So the air caused the debris flying around and the vacum collected them.
I noticed two litlle spots with some corrosion just behind where the fuel pump is installled
Maybe the air pressure was too high and this caused 2 little holes.
I had a professional welding the 2 holes frome outside the tank and it is ok now.
The guy told me that cossision spots are here and there and may be i will have extra holes in the future.
Because of this i would slow down/ stop the corrosion process and coat the interior of the alluminium tank.
I would like to know if someone out there have had such experience, what coat used, how long did it last....and other advice are welcome.
Tks in advance
Antonio (Rome-Italy)
Help I tried cleaning up before this video and I cleaned it up for the most part (the caramel goopy stuff) and I don’t know why I tried to clean off concrete floor by burning it off with a torch now I’m freaking out the fumes are harmful will I be okay :(
I agree, evapo-rust at harbor freight works perfectly.
the ONLY thing I buy at Harbor Freight, its not made in China
Very thorugh and informative. Helped me a lot.im restoring a 75 cb750 four ss.im using a bit more aciditive vinegar,with cleaning
In cleaning vinegar .just hope I can get as clean as you did.my project has been in a garage since 83.still gas in the tank that still smelled like gas believe it or not. To tires aired r ight up and are still holding after a week....seems absolutely unbelievable,but I shit you not.lol.thanks for the info sir.
@@stevebolton7172 how did you make out on the tank? I have a 96 fat boy that has been sitting for a couple years and having problems getting mine cleaned. Thanks in advance
So I'm starting to clean my tank. I have an 07' Suzuki 650 V-Strom. Yes it's been sitting and now the tank is rusted. I just threw in a pound of bolts,washers,nails and screws to start the process.
Do you work on sport bikes
my technique: use a media of choice, walnuts , sand , glass, baking soda whatever after a bath of muratic acid and a rinse, a cup of course media , compressed air and a bead blast inside the tank light osens and frees particles. then is a simple matter of vacuuming out the debris . never fails me, then coat the tank...
👍
I've tried this method of vinegar recently on two different tanks and no matter what I tried to use to keep the flash rust away, it still happened each time. I wish I could just buy new tanks but my bikes are a 80 Honda CM400 and a 79 Honda cb750k, and the 750k tank has a pin hole near the mounting spot near the back.
use j b weld for pin holes that stuff works
I have found that the vinegar (or diluted muriatic acid that I sometimes use) needs to be nuetralised straight after the acid treatment. You can use a weak solution of lye (Sodium Hydroxide, NA OH, Drain Cleaner etc. all nasty stuff) or a mixture of water and household bleach, any mix, not critical. Pour it in and slosh it around. Water wash then immediately give inside of tank a generous spray water dispersant eg WD40 or any of the budget brands, let it drain out.
Hey, I have a '05 Honda Rebel 250 with only 1100 miles but the tank was rusted. I want to use Phosphoric acid because I hear that it prevents flash rusting after using it. However I was curious if anyone knew if I could dilute the mixture with water when using it? and if I should use 75% or 85% acidity. was going to do that then use por 15 fuel tank liner unless anyone has any tips on this method or have had this not work. Thanks
You can dilute phosphoric acid of course, but the trouble you have is with the white residue that forms after it dries. You can't let it dry off. While the acid is wet it's critical to use acetone and a rag to clean off all the acid. Then the metal surface is protected and in this state will not flash rust. But inside a tank is another matter. I reckon electrolysis would be more suitable.
Oh, I know all about flash rusting.....Cleaned a tank beautifully, and left it over night...and the next morning, the whole inside was rusted again worse than when I started.....uggggg
What is your experience with electrolysis? I recently put two exhaust pipes through the electrolysis process and the results were pretty neat but I haven't used electrolysis for the inside of a tank... I would love to hear your thoughts on that...
I’ve never messed with electrolysis before. Sorry man
I cleaned up my rusty triumph tank with electrolysis, battery charger, negative connected to the tank (bare metal) positive onto a long old bolt. Cut off a drink bottle to suspend the bolt so it doesn’t touch any part of the tank. Filled it with water and 6 tablespoons of baking soda, left for a day. Cleaned it up great. I did put lots of screws, nuts and small bolts in first to agitate to loosen rust. Easy to remove with magnets, then the electrolysis
What if u use a really good quality in line fuel filter too
You can absolutely do so. Over time I would remove the filter and back pressure it to clean it out. You can do this over a white cloth to really see how much the filter picked up.
Like I said it’s a quality glass and metal filter that you can see the cartridge and also unscrew and change the cartridge
I tried the cheap plastic ones of a lot ofbrands but they always crack and leak with not much use
My tank has had rust spots on it like minimal minimal spots in various places mostly up towards the filler neck in two years of owning the bike it’s never gotten worse so I guess I’m good and I always try to keep a full tank and always run the fuel filter and it’s as you know a 79 cm 400 a Hondamatic it’s mike from ny we have talked before I wanna send you pictures before and after my slightly modified bike I only modified it a bit so it’s more comfortable for me,, and I have all the original parts to put it back to stock but honestly I don’t ever think I would sell it anyway I have two adult sons to leave it two and at least one of them I know would ride it
Ok let me ask one question . If i keep the bike full of fuel would the tank stay good?
bone dry with some spray lube or flogging oil spray would be best.
cory how to pick or open a gas cap from the gas tank losed key
cody how to open my gas cap lost key any ideas how to open
I am not Cory…. But… Bring the tank to a locksmith. They will pick it quickly and may be able to cut you a key…. Or go the dealer and ask for the key code for your bike and ask them to cut you a key….
You forgot to mention the neutralizing process, after the acid treatment! Big mistake! Use baking powder and water immediately afteer the last acid flush - and then start the drying out process.
But the solution You chose, is the only one that works. Try different acids on bare metal and see how they work for You, before deciding which one to use.
You can buy the vacuum attachment for cleaning out dryer lint, it costs about $20 and the hose is translucent so you can see what it's sucking up, will fit on both regular and shop vac hoses
You Should put carpet underneath that tank so you don't scratch it. This was hurting my ocd
🚶💭a man .👍👍👍👍👍
Best way to clean a fuel tank is to use a good mechanic that guarantees his work.
Woof! I agree!
I am having doubts as to if it's worth it.
15:56 stick a shop vac in there to suck up that crap
What about oxalic acid?
The best there is!! It leaves a protective layer of phosphate on the metal after treatment! No flash rust will bite on that!
I was able to get the pet cock fuel filter out of my tank by turning the tank upside down, sticking my finger up into the tank opening and rolling that filter around until I was able to feel it with the finger. I then pinned that fuel filter tube between my finger and the tank and then carefully turn the tank right side up and did my best to create a level bottom part of the tank so that when I released the filter with my finger it would drop straight down and more or less not roll away. And then I was able to use one of those spring loaded grabbing tools, though I suppose some needle nose pliers would have worked too.
The Moment the grabber got that freaking tube, I think I shed some pounds of psychological weight.
No red kote..? I was hoping for a more serious recovery of the tank.
Would you be willing to try and save my tank? I’ll ship it to you, cover costs of materials, and compensate you for your time/service. It’s the exact same tank you restored in this video.
Man, rusted tanks are a head ache, I had one on my Honda steed 400 but all the methods I kept using didn't get rid of the rust well. I kept having issues with the bike because of the filth in the tank, one time it clogged my fuel filter and the bike died on me in the middle of town. Anyway, I sold the bike two months ago. I'm thinking now of a wild idea to get rid of this rust...how about if one cut up the tank in two, scrubbed the two insides with wire brushes and thin steel wire. Maybe coat it after with a preferred coating and welded it back together, repainted it too.
This would be quite some work but would insure that the tank is perfectly clean inside.
Dunno about that. No matter how clean you get the tank, there is fuel impregnated into the metal. As soon as you cut into the tank….boom!!
I don't need it at the moment but still interesting
i used (reddey )coat on my army trk.tank about 2 yrs latter one big mess looked like chocklet saw dust you could scoop it with a puddy knife dont recomend that stuff
How about telling people not to use any shit regular or mid-grade garbage.
If you're putting anything but the best premium gas from the best place you can...you will f up your tank, fuel system, engine, exhaust...
Molasses