Motorcycle Tank Rust Removal Using Electrolysis
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ธ.ค. 2016
- Removing rust from a motorcycle fuel tank need not be a messy, difficult, costly maintenance item.
We show how science and simple workshop items makes this task simple and efficient.
This is the single best video on cleaning a motorcycle tank on the internet. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain all the details, and showing such detailed before and after photos. What is significant is that the electrode was so small, and not anywhere near the bottom of the tank, and yet the process worked just fine. I was under the assumption that you couldn't reach the back areas of the tank, because there was no way to get an electrode into the crevices of the tank. You've showed that the anode is not particularly important, but being patient, and using a pressure washer, are the keys to success. Nobody has actually mentioned a pressure washer before, but it makes a lot of sense, because the detached rust is lightly bonded and needs physical force to be removed.
Thank you! I want to hear from folks who have tried this method, their successes, and failures.
Electrolysis like this has worked perfectly for me several times. Just don't forget to coat the tank after you're finished. I have had great success with POR-15.
th-cam.com/video/zNasREUrUVU/w-d-xo.html
@@MotocaribeDR Hi - Just got my Suzuki Bandit fuel tank cap off after cutting a pretty big slot in the bottom and with a screwdriver and penetration fluid prising the 2 tangs back to pop it.and looking at TH-cam for the next process.
I'm going to give this a go I think providing I can buy the stuff in the UK
Need to watch it again and I can bridge the wires with a old but working golf trolley battery 👍
Damn I'm signed in on my wifes name again durrrr 🤦♂🤷♂
Steve
@@MotocaribeDR Had mine cooking for 3 days now, it is working but I wish I had more of the sludge to remove from the top like yours. I used an old allen key too but a bit bigger than yours.
I put a battery between too and hits 4.5 amps on initial start up but then trundles along at about 1 amp but getting alot of debris each time attached to the allen key.
I'm going to keep it going for the best part of the week and then jet wash it. I have a flexi hose that should get to the more difficult to reach places too.
One more point when I tipped the warm water over the soda it went solid and I had to break it down so I wouldn't recommend tipping the soda straight into the tank as I don't think it would break up.
Robert -
Thank You for taking the time to post this video on removing rust from inside a gas tank. I knew electrolysis was the correct solution to use on my tank but was afraid to try. Your step by step on camera start to finish has made this process possible for all of us................Thank You !!!
Denny
What was your ambridge set at ? A trickle charge ?
@@MyM0STYLE I have my charger set at 12v, 2A.
What did you do after electrolysis, did you coat it with anything?
I did not and it rusted again. My fault, not his !@@ItsAlive111
man im thinking about going through this process with the fuel tank on my honda prelude, its an 89 and i bought it with a blown engine not realizing the extent of what i was getting into
the motor works now but all 4 injectors failed and when i replaced the filter the gunk inside of it looked awful similar to the gunk that came out of your tank after electrolysis
i will post back once finished if it works out! thank you for this informative video :D
This is by far the best and most thorough vid I have seen on this process. My hats off to you Sir. Well done!!
Thanks so much for this! Was recently told that my tank was junk because there was rust inside (no holes). I have this running in my basement now and it seems to be working fine.
Update?
Have cleaned several gas tanks from 1 gallon to 20 gallon with electrolysis and it always works. Just perfect as long as you remember to rinse, dry and flush with some moisture neutralizing agent.
This is a perfect video. Great info, great video work, great narration, you were to the point, you didn't have a long intro where you video tape yourself talking for five minutes about your life story and you actually kept me curious and entertained the whole time. Well done.
Thank you, sir. I agree about many videos with long-winded intros. I am not important. Fixing your fuel tank to get back on the road is...
I did the same on a DL1000 (same tank) but found that the worst rust was on the uppermost panel of the tank near the filler cap. This makes sense as this area is never immersed in fuel and so vulnerable to rust. Due to this, I put the cathode in from the fuel pump hole and plugged up the fuel cap hole allowing the worst area of rust to be targeted - with the tank upside down.
That is a very good idea which I had not thought of! both ways up would do a thorough job. thanks.
Did you coat the tank after electrolysis? Any updates?
Simply Superb, I used an old chain inside the tank after to scrub the inside.
I will be trying this on my FJ1200 tank. Thanks for taking the time to document this.
Followed what you did here, except used half a door hinge as the anode. It completely cleaned all the rust out if my 1965 Ariel Leader tank. Thanks very much for sharing.
Intriguing. Great job. Thanks for sharing!
Never thought of a pressure washer! Genius!
Thank you so much for the informative video
I'm amazed how good it actually worked.
Tell me your experience, please!
@@MotocaribeDR I have not tried electrolysis, I was amazed by you're video :) I'm working on a Harley tank, the paint in the tank is starting to peel, and I'm seeing some rust as well, so I need to try and off the old paint first, I have added some sharp edged nuts and white vinegar to help the process.
That is an amazing video. Thank you for sharing it!
great stuff Robert Thank you
This video is so good i had to watch it twice ❤
Great video! My Softail tank isn't that bad and it's easy to get in there with a scrub pad, but now I think I'll do the electrolysis to make sure all the nooks and crannies are clear.
Thumbs up for the creativity!
done three tanks now,this is the best method to use
Thanks you sir,now i can clean my tank!😊
What a great video. Thanks very much
👍
Very nice. I like this process because no harsh chemicals are involved and have to be disposed of. Just water and rust. Will be doing this to my tank soon. Thanks for the vid well done
Great job, Robert.
You must have been stoked with the outcome!
I tried other methods with messy, mixed results. This took a little longer but the tank came out excellent after the rust was gone and lined with POR-15. I have done this method of five tanks now with outstanding results.
Wow excelente video amigo Robert, muy didáctico, un 💯
I really enjoyed your video. I will try this on my next Cafe Racer build!
Good idea you have .I always wondered about the process. I used distilled vinegar,cheap, filled tank let sit overnight shook vigorously till I tired out then drained and used complete with pressure city water and let dry out. I was surprised how clean and shiny metal was restored. I expected rust wood immediately reoccur, which it did.a yeah I found a product that stops and seals small holes on the tanks, it's been around a long time and is called red-kote, fuel tank liner. Lawn mower shop owner suggested the product. did it today, I'll give it a second coat later once the 1st coat drys, seems to be good stuff plus lots of good reviews on utube channel. Seems theirs so many ways to accomplish this problem the many of us nowadays experiencing.
Great video and idea, one thing to finally check with your tank, it has a recessed fuel cap and in that recess will be a drain hole to let any water escape. The drain is a steel tube that passes right through your tank exiting at the bottom underside of the tank. If this tube becomes blocked the recess in the tank will fill with rain water or water from when you wash your bike off eventually some will end up inside your tank and will cause rust in your tank and fueling problems.
Thanks! Doing right now exactly like you said. I hope it works 👍🏻
I'm going to do this with my 86 Yamaha radian gas tank
Thank you so much Sir
Good job!! I will try on mine!!
Fantastic job
Amazing, thank you.
Thank you!
Brilliant 🤩 thanks. I was going to do my tank with vinegar but now I’m going to use this method...
Thankyou for your video, I'm doing the same with my hayabusa tank, Sunny is a beautiful cat.
Excellent stuff 👏 👌 👍
Thank you, amazing video, I need to do the same in my 2008 Wee. Did you coat the tank after electrolysis?
Love the info. Im looking at the same issue on my 2002 shadow. From what im gathering the ethenol in the gas is having alot to do with this problem. I have a 76 gt 80 yamaha that has sat as long as 15 years . I empied the tank. Poured fresh gas in swashed it around. Drained. Refilled and started rightbup. No rust in it. My shadow sat for a couple years and now looks like a boat anchor. Thanks for the geeat video.
Ethanol can be a problem attracting water, no doubt.
If you're going to store a tank with ethanol, be sure it is fully topped off and add some fuel stabilizer. The problem comes from moisture in the air in the tank.
Awesome video! I have been looking for a solution for a "new" 1954 Alice chalmers tractor. The gas tank is soo bad inside. And other than expensive chemicals this looks to interesting to not try. I am going to use my old school on/off battery charger and give it a go. I will let you know the results!!
I've watched quite a few videos on this process.. and have done it myself as explained in most of these videos.. but what I kind of figured out on my own is you should be using distilled water from the very start.. with tap water especially if you use hot water from your hot water heater "mineral buildup in heater" and don't have soft water in your house.. soft water also contains unwanted salts.. most City tap or well water if not softened contains quite a bit of dissolved solids "rust and other minerals" in the water which is actually responsible for quite a bit of the rust buildup on the anode...
If you use distilled water for your solution you have a more effective and efficient solution...✌👋
Interesting comment, Cody. Thanks for the input. You inserty an interesting variable. We have very soft water here, but those in, say, FL have a different situation.
That said, I suspect the concentration of iron oxide in contact with the solution exceeds dissolved minerals by several orders of magnitudes. I'm not sure of the electrolytic effect on dissolved minerals.
@@MotocaribeDR or old bad water lines .. galvanized pipe fitting even new pex pipe will collect rust from being hooked to old contaminated water lines underground.. take the city of flint mi for example... old municipal lines all over are contaminated...
2:08 loved the subtitles
Did you use the compete POR -15 kit or after the electrolysis just dry the tank and just use the sealer? Would 8 oz sealer be enough for the Gal V Stom tank?
Thank s Robert , Having the same problem at the moment.
Frank, gimme a shout if'n I can help out...
Can we add coating of rust free material by electolysis so that it may not again catch rust especially from inside.thanks for detailed video. 👌
Like some sort of metal plating?
I have no idea. My concern is IF that could be done, what happens when that metal flakes off? It would be like rust, but not rust.
An excellent video, thank you for taking the time to produce it.
You have Românian kids around? Very good video tutorial!
Good video.
After all the crap was removed I poured in chainsaw fuel, it contains oil and lifts all water from metal surfaces. Then emptied the tank and left to dry.
Great suggestion!
Just like to get ideals from youtube. Gives me a lotof new ideals. Thanks youtube.
I did the same but the tank was rusted in the bottom then i found a hole. Then I have to solder it then sesl it. Thanks for your video.
Thankyou.
Thank you, without intending to, my bike has sat a couple years and has rust in the tank. I've watched loads of videos about cleaning out the fuel system, using vinegar in the tank, muriatic acid, electrolysis, drying it & preventing 'flash rust' afterwards... I think I have a handle on what's required now. But like yours the fuel pump/filter assembly sits inside the tank through a large hole underneath and I had no idea how to seal that up. I don't know what a 'toilet flapper' is, not being from the US lol... but I think I get the gist of it. Find something to make a gasket and then cut out a plastic lid to bolt on. Much appreciated, another piece of the jigsaw covered I hope. Thanks again for sharing your experience.
Good luck.
I kinda knew the science behind electrolysis, but implementing the science from a practical perspective was a different story.
I ended up taking some flat metal larger than the pump opening, drilled holes aligned with the tank bolt holes, made a gasket from rubber tire innertube, and bolted both on. It worked well, and now I have tools for the next time I go through the process.
Let me know how it all works out.
@@MotocaribeDR Oh that's great to hear, I actually have a piece of flat metal laying around somewhere that I was thinking might work better.
@@MotocaribeDR Wouldn’t the actual fuel pump seal ( gasket ) with the metal bolted down seal the tank from leaking? It’s seals gas from leaking.
@@300zxdriver Maybe, but I didn't want to risk damaging that gasket, not knowing the totality of the work ahead.
Well done
Not sure if my 1991 Honda Beat car's tank may need this and it uses a 5 gallon fuel tank as well and it is easy to access by removing the two piece engine cover panel under the convertible top, just got to figure out how to unbolt and remove it from the car.
Excellent clip, i was concerned about ruining my tanks paint job using some method of acidic treatment, looks as if this is the solution. my tank also has a similar pump/filter set up so this should be ideal.... hopefully btw did the flush out affect the external paint on the tank ?
No issue with paint at all.
Been using this method for years it/s the one and only way to remove rust inside or outside a tank if you want it clean
Do you coat the tank after electrolysis or leave it as is, after removing all the rust and thorough cleaning it?
Nice video. I have the same problem with a VFR400 tank. Will probably do this or the acid route. At the moment it is in Vinegar. Will also do POR-15 or equivalent for anti-rust coating. Thank you for this video.
How did the POR-15 work out? I'm just in the process of rust removal (bandit600) tank.
Supper bro
Thank You for the video. I have a 20 gallon tank from my car which I pulled, Should that process work with that, and what changes do I need to make for the process to work properly > ?
Just the amount of liquid you put into the tank, and the longer time for the electrolysis to work.
Thanks for the video ! May I know the history of the tank ? Was it parked outside empty ,,,,etc ,,, . I'm trying to understand what leads to this sort of rust build up . Thanks
The bike was crashed and sat for a while at the shop until repaired. The shop is in Santo Domingo in heat, humidity and salt air. I assume this is when the rust occurred.
Will this dissolve tank sealer as well? I used por15 tank sealer and it dried way to fast somehow and only coated one side of the tank. Want to try this on a 1972 Honda tank before I give it to an engine shop to have baked in there block cleaner oven.
I have had *zero* problems with POR-15, none, nada. It's a permanent solution as I have used it.
It does take some patient effort sloshing it around inside the tank to make sure all surfaces are coated.
What did you do to seal the fuel outlet? ill be doing this process to mine isn’t as bad so I’m going to try this for a day and a half to see.. thanks again.
The DL650 has an electric fuel pump with built-in outlet, so the challenge is sealing the large hole after the pump is removed.
A non-EFI tank usually has a metal nipple for the fuel, with a fuel hose clamped onto it. You can use almost anything to block that hole. I would think duct tape may do the job.
Good luck!
Great video, thinking of doing this to a 08 vstrom 1000 tank. Did you do a video of sealing the tank after the rust has been cleaned?
No, but should have.
I bought the POR-15 motorcycle tank kit and followed the easy instructions. The only caution os once the POR-15 gets on anything, it's there for good. I got some on two fingers and it took a week to finally get it off no matter what I did.
It's a simple process. The challenge for a V-Strom tank is moving the tank around to get the splash shelves in the tank coated properly. But it's doable.
@@MotocaribeDR thanks for your reply.
Did the tank flash rust once you finished cleaning with the pressure wash?
Sorry if you have already answered this question in previous comments . I have not been reading through them all
@@jefffisher9545 No prob.
When you strip ant ferrous metal down to the bare metal, you will get flash rust.
My advice is to plan the POR-15 right after the tank is dry. BTW: I put a hairdryer in the opening of the tank for about an hour to totally dry it out before the POR-15.
Good luck, and tell us your results!
Great video, could an anode fro an electric hot water system be used instead and would results be better, coating the inside of the tank with magnesium ?
Or, follow up with reverse electrolysis using copper rod in place of your Allen key anode ?
@@markinnam6991 I have no idea...
Robert Where did you purchase the POR-15 to treat the tank after the rust is out.? In The DR?
I had it shipped in. I doubt you can find it here. It's good stuff. We've done four bikes with it.
If I can lend a hand let me know.
thanks for the elaboration !! does electrolysis weaken the tank ? coz mine is a pretty old one and I dont want to test it much .. please advise
No. Any tank weakness could come from the rust, not electrolysis.
The metal inside the tank might have the tendency to get flash rust because it is undergone electrolysis. thus, you have coat the innards with some anti rust coating else you end up with the rust again as time goes. For temporary fix mix 2t oil and gasoline and pour into the tank and coat it until you get a permanent coating solution
You are correct. We used POR-15 which did an excellent job. But first major rust removal.
Phosphoric acid or Citric acid cleaning is necessary once you have bare metal. The phosphoric acid is what they use to protect steel from flash rusting, when you paint a car. You wash the whole car in a light mixture of phosphoric acid and water. Or you use self etching primer, which has phosphoric acid in it. Citric acid apparently does the same thing. The phosphoric acid/citric acid actually forms a very thin protective barrier on the steel which makes it much less prone to rusting. As opposed to hydrochloric acid which literally destroys the integrity of the steel and makes it much more rusty, if not treated with phosphoric acid or paint immediately. Gas and oil are not effective, because as soon as the tank sits with humidity in it, it will rust again. You need to make sure to wash the part in phosphoric acid, which removes the last traces of rust, and seals the metal. You can buy "rust converter" from the store and use that, or some types of concrete wash, which contain phosphoric acid. Or you can buy cheap citric acid. Rinse with baking soda and water to remove the traces of acid. Then keep it dry and full to the top with fuel, and keep it warm.
Cold steel condensers water and forms rust. Having your bike under a blanket will be enough to prevent condensation from forming in most cases. Water seeks out cold, and is driven away by warmth. A blanket over a piece of steel will prevent it from forming condensation (almost by magic) and this in theory, should protect your entire motorcycle from condensation and rust. The gas cap is vented, and so water will be drawn into the tank and it will condense on the sides, but only if the gas tank is COLDER than the surrounding ambient air. If you keep the gas tank under a blanket, it will retain more heat than the ambient air, and at night, it will not condense water drops on the inside and it won't rust as quickly, or at all. You can prove this theory by just placing a piece of bare steel under a blanket in the garage. It won't rust at all, even without any oil on it.
@@Ritalie Thanks for the suggestion to finalize this very useful video; currently working on my cbr400 gas tank!
@@Ritalie what ratio do you recommend of water and phosphoric acid to clean the tank after the electrolysis ?
NOW what are you going to line /paint/coat it with ? or nothing ? have tried commercial brands of coating that did not work for me ..it peeled
POR-15. Excellent stuff. It's never failed on me.
After the process is finished , the surfaces need a good scrub to remove all the guckie residue . How do you give a good thorough scrub to the inside of the tank ?
I used a pressure sprayer, then used POR-15 when it was dry, just a short time later.
Thanks for taking the time to do this video, very well explained, my only question is, you cleaned it in two days and a half?, or how many days does it take you to finish?
Yes, 2.5 days. I suppose I could have let the process work for a couple of more days, but I was flying blind and did not know the progression of the process.
At the end I just pressure cleaned the tank and let it dry. Then coated the inside with POR-15.
Next time I'll let the process go for 4 days while monitoring water levels and anode deterioration, and scooping out the crud.
t@@MotocaribeDR
@@MotocaribeDRt Thanks man, my tank is not too rusty, so I guess with two days will work fine
Maybe a theoretical question here. I've got a rusted tank that the former owner either coated with something like POR 15 over existing rust, or had rust build underneath the sealant. What I've got now is a complete mess - some of the liner flaking off, some still on but stuck to rust underneath. Have tried paint stripper and it's barely touching it - could keep on going with the stripper but I hate using the stuff. Question is - if I tried this method, then would it lift the rust underneath the old sealant and lift the whole lot off in one hit? I'm thinking the answer is yes, even if it might take time for it to start at the edges of the old sealant and take time to work its way under bit by bit. Never tried the electrolysis method, but this video is awesome - thanks for sharing.
You present an interesting situation, and like you I don't have an answer.
I suspect most sealants are similar in composition. You might want to write the folks who make POR-15 what they might suggest to remove old coating.
Chipping away at the old coating through the filler hole or EFI pump opening would be difficult and frustrating
And you could be correct: electrolysis could eat away at the rust underneath the coating. It may take a while, and I'd be interested in your results.
I would suggest contacting a radiator repair shop. They will dip the tank and everything will be stripped. You MUST remove any plastic first!! Sometimes the paint will be OK, but you may have to re-paint it. In any case the entire interior will be stripped to bare metal and every radiator shop I've worked with not only strips, but can also re-seal if you prefer.
Seems to be a good process just a slow process. Thanks for the video
Slow. Absolutely. But thorough. Most other methods get rid of visible rust, but not as thoroughly as this method.
@@MotocaribeDR got cha i just did my tank with acid and flushed it. And heat dried the tank and sealed it. Turned out good i guess. Took me about a half a day
@@johnwiechel Great! A lot depends on how much rust the tank has. The key is sealing it.
@@MotocaribeDR yes sir. I used the pro 15 fuel tank sealer and it turned out nice. 1987 honda shadow 1100
@@johnwiechel Excellent! I am a big fan of POR-15.
Thanks for the video Robert, I'm doing my KLR gas tank right now, first time using electrolysis. You stated below that you sealed the tank with POR-15. Did you just use the sealer or did you use their 3 step process (Cleaner, etcher, and then sealed)? Thanks again.
Ed, after getting rid of the rust, I used the POR-15 three-step process to ensure the best results. I have done this multiple times with great success.
@@MotocaribeDR when using the 3-step did that keep your tank from flash rusting at all before you sealed it?
@@specialed8219 The first time I waited a few days and there was some flash rust. Now I plan the POR-15 process right after finishing the rust process. The flash rust wasn't bad and was easily cleaned off with vinegar. You just don't want to wait too long before the POR-15.
Busy with a Triumph Trophy 1200 tank, 25L.
For the petcock, I managed to find a replacement diaphragm, spring & screws in a Suzuki 14-fck35 kit, the internal nitrile o-ring can be bought from an automotive store. The gaskets will have to come from Suzuki GSX_ model bike.
Electrolysis on a 12V 2A transformer got rid of the scale forming some scum. Now, after 4 days of repeating the process it seems to take longer to lift the black Ferrous Oxide. I also flipped the tank so get at the rust at the top. Busy on my fourth anode.
When this anode is almost depleted I'll do a pressure wash to see if this gets rid of the stubborn Ferrous oxide.
Otherwise, some say that the process is complete when the reaction at the anode is no longer visible. So, I might hook it up again after the wash to see if there is any change.
Interesting comment about the anode: the process is done when the anode no longer disintegrates. Might be overkill, though, because when you seal the tank (I use POR-15) rust is no longer an issue
For what it's worth, I put excess POR-15 left over on a small section of chain link fence rail that was starting to rust. 5 years later, no rust, and the POR-15 is still present, unchanged, like the day I swabbed it on. That stuff is hard and tough...
I used marbles and rust killer it worked great.
Do you need to add some sort of sealer to coat the inside of the tank or anything like that afterwards?
Definitely, otherwise flash rust will start right away. I have had excellent results with the POR-15 gas tank coating system.
@@MotoCaribeLead thanks for the reply. Could you link me to the product please? Much appreciated 👍
How many amps were you putting the charger on
2A.
Could you elaborate on why this process works? Is it selectively removing the rust only and not any of the metal work of the tank?
All the rust from the inside of the tank is removed. Electrolysis separates rust from the base metal. An electrochemical process causes an ionic exchange that removes iron oxide from metal.
That, and majik...
Did you seal the fuel assembly hole because you didn't have the fuel cap? Or is there another reason for this? About to try myself.
I sealed the fuel pump assembly hole to help the solution from leaking out.
Hey Robert , may be showing my ignorance here but if this set up eroded a allen wrench like that wouldn't it eat up the inside of the tank as well ? I must be missing something .....
I can understand why you'd ask the question, but the answer is: No.
The allen wrench---but you can use any ferrous metal---is sacrificial. The current goes from the tank (ground) to the cathode (positive.) The rust is electrolyzed.
What amperage did you have the charger set at?
I set it at 2 amps.
In your opinion instead of taking out the pump clean it all intact ?
The pump and float level are fairly sensitive electronics, so I don't think running DC current through them, especially with the soda ash mixture, is a good idea. I wouldn't do it. Besides, removing the pump offers an opportunity for some basic cleaning and maintenance.
Hey do You think that it Will works in a fuel tank from a car?
Sure. But it could be harder if the fuel tank has internal baffles. You could cut an access hole for cleaning, then weld it back shut. You will still need to treat the surface with some sort of epoxy like POR-15.
Good luck!
Hi Team...Why do they use a battery and not connect the charger directly?
Because an automatic charger needs to detect some voltage to work, and when connected directly will not detect voltage, and therefore will not work. A battery jumper is necessary as I pointed out in the video. Charger-->battery---> tank.
Does it matter what amperage you have the charger at when doing this ? 2A or 10A ?
I'm not sure it matters. I used 2A because 10A DC is some powerful juice...
Should we use 12w 4amp charger?
Or which liquid you use in tank?
My tank is 11 litres can you please tell exact ratio or liquid please?
2:46 describes the liquid and ratio.
You mean 12v 4 amp. I used 2 amps and don't know what happens if you use 4amp. I'm not sure if it makes any difference, so why use more?
This is a better option than vinegar, I used vinegar last time but think it is little hard to neutralize strong acid even after using baking soda...!
Nice video, been looking at ways to clear out my new bikes tank and wondered what kind of time and effort I'd need for electrolysis.
Think I'll be using a product similar(seemingly identical in function too) evaporust instead though as I don't have a good place to vent out a bunch of hydrogen gas
I think the main issue you'll have is the nature of a gas tank: it is enclosed, the rust is on the *inside* and the openings are small, too small to get a hand inside to work the rust, and filling the tank with most products is very expensive and messy. I saw one video of how well muriatic acid works, but cannot imagine filling the V-Strom tank with 5.3 gallons of muriatic acid. Just a couple of cups for our pool give off noxious gasses.
That is one clear advantage of electrolysis: cheap, close the bottom and away you go. It's a matter of time.
I don't know how much hydrogen is generated, but I'd be surprised if it is dangerous except in a very small, enclosed area.
Except in a case of extreme rust, other products may be more practical for removing rust, like on bolts and small tools.
Good luck!
@@MotocaribeDR I'm thinking I will pour some in, a couple of liters, let it work for a few hours, turn it, let it sit, repeat until I can't see any more rust. I think that should work well, those are the instructions for how to use it for motorbike tanks on their website :)
Also if you leave it as is will it flash rust?
If you do not coat or seal the tank, you will get flash rust very quickly.
I suggest coating the tank within a couple of days after getting it de-rusted and cleaned.
Do you then use a coating after that treatment or leave it bare metal ?
If you leave it bare, you'll be removing rust again.
Yes, definitely, coat the tank. I use POR-15 with great success.
@@MotocaribeDR that was my thought also , I have a 1970 Evinrude snowmobile tank to do .
Thank you. This is a perfect video i think i can do the same to save my rusted tank (same model).
Can you explain me something about the connections? I can see jumpers connected from the bike to the battery (green - white) and another jumpers (black - red) going from the battery to ??? Do the other side go to the ground?Can you please expain this?
No problem.
I found, and I tried to explain this at 4:01 in the video, that using an automatic charger does not pass any current to the tank because the charger needs to sense some voltage to work. By placing a 12v motorcycle battery between the charger and tank allows the charger to sense current and operate properly.
I suppose one could attach just a battery to the tank and it would work, but for how long, and at what current drop off to ineffective levels? The charger allows for constant current to the tank.
+ goes -->charger-->battery(+)-->electrode, - goes charger-->battery(-)-->tank.
I hope this helps, and good luck! Let me know how it works out.
If you have a V-Strom with a rusted tank, you might want to consider the high-pressure filter bypass mod, because you will have that screen eventually clog and give you headaches. While the EFI pump is out of the tank, the mod is much easier. That mod bypassed the screen in the fuel pump housing, and replaces it with an inline auto fuel injector can filter. and works perfectly! Ask me how I know... ;)
@@MotocaribeDR Thanks for replying and excuse me if i dont understand easy i just want to be 100% sure because my english are good enough but not perfect and i dont want to risk more damage with the electricity.
So i have the battery charger plugged in the wall charging the battery during the proccedure and the jumpers from the battery (-) tunk (+) to the anode right?
Another one question because i read that the Ambers must be 3 or less because you may have bad results or harm the metal if you use much power and i think the battery is 10Amber.
For the external filter that you said i have read in forums that can only be done in the models before 2007 that have different pump. i have 2008 model with different pump.
@@christosx13 Yes, + to anode and - to tank.
I have 12 2008 DL650's. Fuel issues have been the only real problem with the bikes beyond normal wear issues, like shock seals, brake pads, etc. Particles that escape the low-pressure mesh filter WILL get caught in the high-pressure screen in the upper plastic housing of the pump housing, causing fuel starvation under acceleration. The high-pressure bypass mod fixes it in my three 2008's which were problems, so I did the entire fleet...and have not had one fuel problem since. It is time and money well spent.
It's not a fuel pump thing. The filter screen is in the plastic pump housing regardless of the model year. The procedure is well outlined in the VSRI forum.
I actually had to do the bypass on the side of the road on a tour: www.stromtrooper.com/threads/fuel-filter-bypass-a-first.366562/#post-4596234
@@MotocaribeDR You are so right. I have 65000 klm and i i discovered the rust and red mud inside the tank because the last weeks i had problem after 5000 or 6000 rpm because my bike cuts and when it goes to reserve turns off suddenly many times. The bike was not moving enough the last 10 months and i think it stayed for a period 6 months without switch on and this cause mud and rust to go inside.
.I have taken the pump out of the tank and i was planning to do the electrolysis for the rust but i am thinking if i should try to fix the pump myself or take it to a garage because my expirience stops in the tank removal and change or clean the air filter.
@@christosx13 Pumps are rarely an issue. You can change the filter sock attached to the pump, but the culprit is the high-pressure filter screen. If you have rust, fine particles can go past the filter sock and clog the fine filter screen in the top part of the pump housing.
A new pump module is VERY expensive.
You have to penetrate the high-pressure filter screen to allow fuel to pass. This is done by taking the pump assembly apart---not a difficult task---and carefully drilling a hole at a particular angle into the filter screen. The rest is really simple, just needs some fuel line, hose clamps and an inline fuel filter (I use (I use Wix 33095, small and inexpensive.).
Here is the procedure on a K7 and up: www.vstrom.info/Smf/index.php/topic,6105.msg213009.html#msg213009 . Really, it sounds a lot more complicated than it is. As I said before, I did one on the side of the road.
Cool
What exactly are you doing with the electrolysis? As in, chemically? Are you trying to dissolve the rust or turn it back into good metal be removing the oxygens? This doesn't seem to make sense to me. There should be less rust in that solution.
The process turns rust back into iron, which is flushed out with water.
This explains all the black material when we first dumped out the tank after the first electrolysis.
After taking sodium carbonate and dissolving it in hot water and putting it in the tank, do you refill the tank completely with hot water?
Yes
Great video & thanks. Can you please tell me, whether you used distilled or normal water?
I used normal water from a well. I have no idea if distilled would make any difference.
@@MotocaribeDR OK, my concern is that normal tap water might create flash rust. Which is what I'm experiencing now with white vinegar. Immediately when I flush it out, it forms flash rust. So I'm thinking of giving this a try.
@@Mohapi_Tau Give it a try, but I doubt the water is the source of the flash rust. It's the bare, totally clean ferrous metal.
This is why I suggest immediately coating the tank with POR-15 or some other solution as soon as the tank is completely dry. I set up a hairdryer blowing into the tank for this reason unless you live in a very dry environment. Here in the Caribbean, it's very humid and flash rust will show up within a day or two.
@@MotocaribeDR OK, thanks for your answer. So I've got a 6a 12v automatic battery charger, I saw that you used 2 amps. Do you think that it will still work well as yours, because mine can't be adjusted the amps, or will the higher amperage affect it?
@@Mohapi_Tau I'm not sure it matters but don't know for sure. Keep in mind you'll need to put a 12v battery between the tank and charger or the auto charger won't work.
I wonder weather it might have been better to use zinc as an anode?
It could be, but I had none. So I sacrifies a big Allen wrench I never used.
I also had to connect the charger to a battery and then on to the cathode and tank, what I would like to know is did you leave the battery charger on during the whole process?
If the cathode was in the tank, yes, I left the system connected at all times.
@@MotocaribeDR And leaving the charger on the battery that long wont hurt the battery?
@@tkwalters2189 It should not. Because only a trickle charge is through the cathode, the charger is putting a trickle charge into the battery.
It's as if you had the charger on the battery. That said, the chargers I use are automatic chargers who deliver a very low charge as the battery gets closer to fully charged.
No worries.
@stephen shaff With the tank I have I was unable to use a pressure washer like Robert did in his video, I only have the fill access and the petcock access so at first I rinsed with distilled water and with all the junk that came out I knew I was not going to be able to use the tank until it was completely clean, so I spent well over an hour filling and shaking and rinsing until it finally ran clear. But the process of electrolysis seemed to work well for me. I also filled the tank with fresh gas and added stabil to hopefully help keep the tank from flash rusting.
@stephen shaff The process seemed to work very well, should have take some pics. The hardest part was rinsing the tank because I only have the gas fill access and the petcock access no way to pressure wash like Robert did in the video. It took me over an hour to fill, shake and dump to finally get it to run clear, then I immediately filled it with fresh gas and added some stabil to prevent flash rust.
Any good radiator shop can or can send out a tank to get spray lined after this procedure. Your tank will keep rusting if not.
hence why you seal it for much cheaper than a shop would do. there are plenty of great products that regular ol' consumers can get that seal tanks
We used POR-15 as a liner.
How to do pressure cleaning?
I have a gas engine pressure cleaner, but there are also electric ones. You just "wand" the inside as best as possible.
@@MotocaribeDR love the video! If you don't mind me asking, what is the psi of your pressure washer? I have a few we use commercially and don't want to go overboard.
@@nelsonm3025 Mine is 2200psi at max, but I used a slightly wider spray. Unless the tank is rusted beyond repair, you probably won't damage it.