A good tip right after using the vinegar is to flush it out with a slurry of baking soda and water to neutralize the acid in the vinegar. This completely eliminates the flash rust that'll happen to the exposed metal. Then a good rinse with some 2 stroke mix and you're good to go. Getting ready to clean the exact same tank now. Nice job!
Man this and many other videos saved me about $700 from the harley davidson dealership, who was going to charge me for treating my mildly rusty tank. I used 2 gallons of white vinegar and small bottle of CLR, no bolts, but shook and agitated the tank through out the day randomly for 2 days straight and I literally just finished emptying it, rinsing it and drying it with a blow dryer, then finally sealed it with WD40. LOOKS BRAND NEW and all it cost me was $10 for the vinegar, $9 for the CLR and $11 for the WD40
You can purchase high concentrate vinegar at the home improvement box stores. Works much faster. You can filter out the debris with a coffee filter and reuse the vinegar.
I know a guy who took a gas tank from an old motorcycle, put a bunch of nails in it, wrapped it in foam and put it in an old clothes dryer to rotate it and it came out clean as a whistle. Amazing.
I had to think that one over some. If there were no baffles in the tank, it would probably work. I would worry about wearing a hole in the tank in places the nails hit more often, but I could see it acting like a rock tumbler. I wish I had an old dryer I could try it with. Very cool 😎
@danmoore3300 That's another good idea. I am trying to come up with something like that, which doesn't use a mixer(most people don't have access to one). I am thinking of a paint shaker or something like that
I have done a couple videos on it and it really works better than you would expect. On really bad tanks I give it a couple of days and use cleaning vinegar. Reme Make sure you put sealant in the tank when you are done so it doesn't come back.
What time I clean the tank like this he came out pretty nice only one problem I had to take my big big soldering iron and solder up pin holes in the bottom of the tank.
Various pieces of sharp edged gravel works well, and it's free. You can also use a piece of 12 awg stranded wire. Strip off about 2 or 3 inches from the end of a piece approximately 8 inches long. Fan out the copper strands like a brush, then chuck the opposite end up in a cordless drill. You can use this to get into corners and depressions in the tank to agitate the rust during the vinegar soak.
Instead of BB's, I use hex nuts and shake it around with them in the tank. I've used fairly large ones too, like 3/8" or 7/16" bolt size. I think the corners of the hex do a way better job than round BB's. After doing a tank, get some WD-40 in it IMMEDIATELY, especially if it's humid day to stop flash rust.
I live on the edge of a desert, so rust isn't a problem here(but I still use WD40 every time) 👍 BB's take a bit of extra shaking, I used them in the video because they come in a good size package, and not everyone has enough loose nuts handy.
Correct my friend, vinegar is great antirust to start with, i clean the cooling system of the cars, with great result.also rusted bolts soak them in vinnegar fir few days, lads! Just do it, great cheap stuff it is, Bob Belgium, thanks for posting it man!
I hate to admit it, but my wife got me started on it a few years ago. She said "vinegar is the closest thing to magic in the kitchen, besides me!". I would be crazy to argue either point LOL I ran a test with Cleaning vinegar, distilled vinegar and 30% vinegar and was surprised, they were nearly identical in results, so I go with the cheapest one now 👍
@BMJAUDI It sounds like a good idea, but you wouldn't want to do that. The vinegar is mildly acidic and can take sealer or plating off the parts in the cooling system, and you can't put sealer in it later like you would in a gas tank. I would go with something designed specifically for flushing a cooling system, just for safety. You are thinking outside the box. I like that!
For large gas tanks use a concrete mixer and tie the tank outside the front loading hole. Remember to seal all holes in the tank and remove the sender switch and fuel pump etc. You can use ball bearings but cheaper is aquarium river bed gravel. Don't do it at night because it will drive your neighbors crazy!
That's a great idea (as long as you have access to a mixer 🙂). I have seen people use dryers for small tanks, but I don't recommend it because I don't want to single handedly increase the divorce rate. 🤣 River rock is a perfect replacement for bb's, there are no sharp edges and it's little.
I really like that idea but for the life of me I can't imagine how one would attach a chevy truck tank to the mixer. That is the project I have ahead of me soon and have been trying to figure out how to agitate the vinegar and aggregate by my self. Any suggestions how to attach it to the cement mixer?
Get the cleaning vinegar. You really don't need to shake it a lot if you are patient. I have done it on a bike tank without shaking much, and it worked out fine. The really bad corners just took a little longer
I've seen people strap them to a wheel and drive around slowly. If you have a friend with a tractor you can do a really big tank but most tanks you can do with a truck.
I am glad it helped. On a really bad one you might do it twice, but it always works. Don't forget to put tank sealant r in it when you are done so you don't have to do it again later. (and as always, don't forget to subscribe 😁)
Awesome I threw small rocks and white vinegar in swished it around for a bit now it's in the back of my truck hoping it cleans up as I drive around. Thank you
Thank you so much for posting this channel. I have a Harley I stored with gas in it for about eight years. (stupid, right!) This will help me get the rust from all the "orange" gas that was stored in it. Live and learn. Great idea. New sub. Always thumbs up from the 641...
Thanks, and welcome to the channel 😁 The first pass will get you a bunch of sludge, but you will see promising results, once you do it the second time, you are going to be surprised at how well it works, Good luck!
Really good to know, I had to take the old tank out of my Wolseley Hornet cause it had 30 year old gas in it and the expected rust that comes with that length of time, managed to find a spare one in good condition on eBay but since they're so rare I wanted to see if I could fix up the old one. I suppose using nuts and bolts would work almost as well as BBs.
I use BBs because they don't have edges. Nuts and bolts are probably perfectly good. The first run of vinegar is going to give you some serious sludge on a tank that old. Patience is everything 👍
(If it’s fully dismantled and able to be thoroughly jetwashed out afterwards,) I always use fresh new 5mm gardeners grit and warm soapy water. Just a quarter fill and seal off the spout and give it a good shaking from all directions for ten minutes. Less risky than using nuts and bolts, (I think they might be slightly heavy risk wise when working with sixty year old metal)..
Good work. I had one with roofing nails and vinegar for 12 days and the vinegar got ugly, but the tank still looked terrible. I did muradic acid next, and it did a good job.
I have used this trick for a while, it's good for rust but that's about it. I am way too clumsy to play with Muriatic acid LOL How ya doing? I have been thinking about you getting opened up all day
@@GuysPlayingWithTools more than I could imagine, I am sure. They, you, us, me, we form a family, in a good way. Not all family experiences are good ones, but in this small engine family, we are good folks.
@@haneyoakie14 I couldn't agree more. And I am 100% with you on doing it your way. I have had a trip or 2 to the hospital in my young life and always insist on my wife by my side.
I use dilute phosphoric acid ( metal etch from home depot) use clean sharp gravel. Shake the heck out of it... the rust on the top of the tank is just as important as the rust on the bottom. Drain, neutralize with baking soda and water , then rinse that well. Dry in sun or over heat. Then Coat with Epoxy diluted with acetone to a very light syrup consistancy... coat every inch and drain well. dont forget to remove the valve and strainer, and plug the holes.. remove plugs before it sets up. Alky in new gas will eat any of the tank coatings on the market except those which are epoxy or urethane based. buy liquid epoxy kit mix, thin and coat.
These are all good suggestions 👍 I prefer vinegar because, while it takes a minute, it's safer if you have spills. Not everybody has the experience for stronger acids.
I think you will be surprised at how well it works. The first time I tried it, I thought, "Well, the tank is shot, so I have nothing to lose" and I was shocked at how well it worked.
Was looking up ways to clean fuel tanks as one of my next projects is going to require that and saw you did this video, don't really know why white vinegar didn't even come to mind, I've used the white vinegar trick to clean some super rusty bolts before. thanks for reminding me of the magic of white vinegar, bonus make shed smell of fish and chip shop 😂👍
I used simple green and some screws. Attached to cement mixer and let it spin a couple hours. Was spotless inside. I did use a sealer (POR15) and it’s now like new.
If you do this with vinegar make sure to wash the tank out with a solution of baking soda and water, the baking soda will neutralize the acid from the vinegar so you won't get flash rusting.
Of course. 👍I keep the humidity down in the shop, so I have plenty of time to seal it, but for people in humid environments, you will want to neutralize the acid in the tank.
I have used an epoxy tank liner type of paint to seal up a gas tank on a motorcycle, after doing this sort of rust removal process. The epoxy, once fully cured, is impervious to gas and still is doing its job 10+ years after it was applied.
I have a bunch of apple trees here so I make cider vinegar in a 30 gallon drum and use that to submerge parts in that are rusted up and doesn't cost a dime.
I have an old motorbike that I am going to be working on this summer and I am going to give this a try. It has been sitting around for about 20 years so I am assuming the tank will need some lovin. Thanks. Stevo
I have had good luck using epoxy which will encapsulate. The rust and it off the oxygen to the rust so that it doesn’t continue to rust. It will also plug small pinholes.I have had tanks still going strong ten years after this treatment.I covered the filler neck with Saran Wrap.tape off any openings.you may have to drill out any openings to clear them out.Putin enough epoxy to cover the inside of the tank. Rote the tank in all directions until the epoxy starts to set and no longer will flow. The beautiful part is that you don’t have to clean out the old rust,
That is an interesting way to treat a metal tank. I assumed epoxy would get eaten by the fuel, but now I am going to have to give it a shot. Thanks for the idea!
@@GuysPlayingWithTools Eastwood, Summit racing, Jegs etc sell gas tank sealers specifically designed for this task but no way would I leave the rust and coat over it. I don't know if it is epoxy or polly but it's tough stuff. BTW muriatic acid (Pool acid) works crazy fast depending on the concentration IE how much you put in the water solution. Were talking hours not days.
@tomhubbard353 yeah, I agree. Coating it is just wrong. Good after cleaning though. I use vinegar for a lot of reasons, it works great, it's safer to use, it's cheap(and it makes the shop smell like an Italian restaurant, lol)
@@GuysPlayingWithTools I agree the vinegar is far safer to use and works. The Muriatic is really reasonably priced tho, you usually get two gallon jugs for something like $20 and it goes a long way with dilution. BUT it is a strong acid and has inherent dangers, but that is also it's strong suit making it fast acting. Another option is molasses, I have a five gallon bucket in my shop of 10-1 molasses and water. It is slow as molasses but does an incredible job of stripping every spec of rust when combined with a pressure washer rinse(scrubbing also works, sonic tank etc.) I just did a pitman arm last week, it takes about a week or better soak but looks like a sand blasted bare metal part when done. I also use the muriatic to remove galvanized coated parts prior to welding.
A local body shop buys "tank liner" (sealant) by the 55 gallon drum and will fill up a quart can for a few dollars, then you can seal it when you're done removing the rust! Way cheaper than the kit the bike dealers sell.
That's an option for sure. I usually spray either WD40 or a bit of 2 stroke mixed fuel into the tank, and they prevent flash rust really well. course tank sealant would be a good idea on older tanks to seal any leaks and high corners that weren't immersed while it's both off and empty
How effective you suppose this would be on a motorcycle fuel tank and the ball bearings with its awkward design compared to a simple lawn mower fuel tank?…nice and simple video man 🤙🏼
The bearings just break up the thicker sludge faster, I did a "part 2" with a cut-up tank and didn't touch the parts in any way, and it still worked fine after a couple of days. Let me know how it goes. 👍
That will work. Be super careful , most drain cleaners are really strong and can eat the tank up in a hurry. Make sure you flush it well with baking soda when you are done. I am curious and hoping for the best for you. Let me know how it works out. 👍
"Tank you " so much !! I'm from Mexico, and i bought a replacement to my c10 Fuel thank, but... is rust in the outside and inside just a little mark, but i will do this method !! thank i suscribe.
Thanks. It works well, Make sure you get either fuel or a spray of oil in it when you are done so it doesn't try to flash rust. Super clean metal re-rusts pretty quick(hours)
About 6 months ago I did a video, an overnight test of Distilled vinegar vs. Cleaning vinegar vs. 30% concentrate vinegar(the strongest). As expected, the 30% cleaned faster than the others the first day, but the next afternoon when I got back to them, I was glad I had marked the containers because there wasn't a difference between the 3.
Thanks. White wine vinegar, you are showing your tank a better time than I did. LOL I would suggest use BB's rather than gravel, no sharp edges and you don't have to clean gravel dust out when you are done 🙂 Let me know if it works the same as distilled.
@@GuysPlayingWithTools The tank I will be working on is bone dry with about an inch at the bottom with rust in it. However some of the rust is a bit thick, hence the gravel. After the gravel, I will use the vinegar.
Just for fun, I put an old destroyed Briggs aluminum carburetor in a pan of vinegar for a couple of weeks. It ate the carb, turned it into putty. Avoid using vinegar on aluminum.
You probably want to avoid leaving anything you want to keep in vinegar for a couple weeks... but now I am gonna toss an old carb body in tomorrow morning just to see it happen. 😁
You are 100% right. I did a vid comparing vinegars with different levels a month or so ago. I went with plain "salad: vinegar for this one because they all work great, and most people already have this in the kitchen. 👍
Once it’s clean, let it dry put a cap full or two capfuls of automatic transmission fluid switch it around make sure it touches all metal inside. Let it sit for a day then pour gas switch it around and wash it out out. It’ll never rest again.
@@GuysPlayingWithTools just don’t let it sit long enough for Russ to build back in it as soon as it dries, put the automatic transmission fluid in swish it around and then rinse it with gas. I did that to a Toyota pick up my dad told me about the trick it never rested again.
If you come across any of those fuel tanks hang on to them DonnyBoy 73 says they are no longer available so we had 2 in stock and have already used one on a repair.
I use POR15, it's $15 at O'Reilly (the cheapest place I have found it). it's for an 8 oz container but that's proven to be more than enough for lawn equipment tanks.
I get some nice comments, but I am pretty sure this might be the nicest ever. You might not realize it, but you made my day, Thanks. 🙂 (As I often say, tell a friend)
Yhank you so much! Your going to save me a fortune 🙈 hopefully youve got a video on taking apart a carb to clean too 🙈 I've a cbr125 thats been sittijg in a barn for3 years WITH FUEL IN and decided this could be a fun project... Then realised how little i actually know hahan😅😂 wish me luck 🤞😂
You are at the right place! I am a carb fanatic and have rebuilt just about every carb you can think of. They are mostly the same from one to the next, so a similar carb would be the same inside If the tank is especially bad, you might have to do it twice, but it always works. Oil it right away when you are done to prevent flash rust. Let me know how it goes!
@@GuysPlayingWithTools absolutely amazing! It's a good job I've already subscribed before you had wrote back lol 😂 I'll certainly be in touch throughout the rebuild to keep you up to date :) (and most likely gather all the information I possibly can too) haha thank you so much for being so responsive too!
@awholenewman155 I hope I can help, I try to get a little of everything engine related on the channel. The best advice you are going to get... take your time and get a LOT of pictures while taking it apart. If you don't work on them often, it's easy to forget exactly how it goes together. Good luck!
@@GuysPlayingWithTools you've already helped but I would never have even thought of taking pics I was just going to sticker everything and number it 🙈😂 I already think I'm in over my head but the bike did run perfect before it was let sitting they just got a 1200cc and left the 125 sitting but when I saw it I knew I needed it lol thank you so much for being so kind my name's Roy btw I feel like we'll be in touch regularly lol
Pics are easiest and 10x better than labels. They show how fiddly linkage fits together and which bolt goes where. 🙂 Feel free to grab my email from my about box. If you aren't 100% sure of something, you can send me a pic and we can talk
All you have to do to get one is go the Minnesota airport. LOL White vinegar is good stuff, cleans showers,, makes pickles, eats rust, and it's good on a salad. It deserves its own holiday.
Hey Bill, so,the shot of WD40 at the end won't do anything bad to the motor when ran through the fuel line and carburetor upon gasoline fill up and start up?
@@-LIONHEART You can use baking soda and water and get the same results, you want to stop the action of the acid in the vinegar and protect it from flash rusting. If you are using a sealer quickly after it's finished(1/2 hour or less), you can skip both. 👍
After vinegar you must nutralise the chemical reaction using baking soda and water. Otherwise it will flash rust. Then let it dry in the sun. Cool it down then do 2 thinned coats of sealant. Will never have a problem again
@GuysPlayingWithTools done a bunch of 60's and 70's triumph motorcycle tanks and a couple of harley tanks. Never had a seal fail. I have had to strip and re coat a few thanks that were not prepared correctly and people had done at home.
I am working on getting a McLean edger running and found the down tube out of the carb (fuel line) broke- do you know where I can buy just the down tube / fuel line line?
I hate when I get one of those. There are a couple of different carbs, and each has a different fuel pickup tube and choke setup. I would strongly suggest replacing the carb. Pressing one back in correctly is not easy, and if it isn't just right, it will fall out later in the tank.
Did u ever try lead (PB) balls ? As for example used in fishing or gun ammunition? It is supposed to leave a thin coating on the surface after shaking the tank.
I haven't tried that. I am going to pay with cleaning one with electrolysis next week. So far, vinegar is winning, but I will try anything to find an easier way to do a dirty job
@@GuysPlayingWithTools soft lead balls are supposed to be for the finish. Leaving a thin layer on the cleaned iron. WD40 will get washed off by fuel. But lead is supposed to stay. Vinegar is still in the game for the reduction of the rust.
@farrider3339 I have tried 3 different kinds of vinegar, and they all worked really well . Of course, you need a coating of some sort when you are done no matter what you use. Lead balls are an easy test, I will try it when I get my hands on another rusty tank. You can only find rusty tanks when you aren't looking for them. 🙄🤣
Will the vinegar eventually eat through it if left too long? I've already filled my super old tank twice its still plenty rusty. Left the vinegar for 12 hours both times. I was thinking about leaving it longer this time..
It would take a while, but it could eventually make the tank vanish. How big is the tank? If it's small enough to shake, you can put BBs or something like that in it and shake it up to loosen the rust and speed things up. Once you get most of the rust out, use baking soda and water to neutralize the acid and seal it with POR15 or something like that. I am curious: What's the tank for? 🙂
This is the best question I have gotten in a month. There are a number of reasons this can happen, but the most common is that dirt in the fuel system (or age) is causing the float in the carb to stick. When that happens, the fuel tank will slowly drain into the oil and cause the level to get high enough to leak through the carb. Check your oil level. If it's really high, empty the fuel tank. Drain the oil and check it. If it smells like gas, clean the tank, replace the fuel line, and clean/rebuild/replace the carb(depending on how bad the carb looks) There are other reasons, I am going to change my schedule and do a video about it today. (Like I said, this is the best question of the month) 👍
Sorry, I skipped the screen filter part. They don't all have one but the most common ones are part of the petcock. If it's removable, there is usually a small round screen attached to it
WD40 is my holder, mix up some water and baking soda and rinse it with that. I use POR15 after I am done to seal the tank. It takes care of any little holes it might have and also protects it from ever rusting again.
Thanks for the video.. i jist bkught a 76 Jeep J10 long bed pickup.. the tanks outer shell is surface rusted.. Ill jist wire wheel and paint.. but the inner.. im not sure yet.. guy claimed it was driven 6 months ago.. but i doubt it considering he could only get it running with fuel pured into the carb lol.. I guess well see what it looks like when i drop the tank.. I sure as hell am not spending 500$ for a plastic tabk.. eveb if the steel one had a pin hole or what not.. id just cut and weld new metal... way cheaper than a new tank.
They always say that. Everything I buy "ran when i put it away." 🙄 Check for pinhole leaks first. The walls could be too thin to be worth bothering with. Every once in a while, I see tanks where the walls are rusted so thin, they aren't worth bothering with
@@GuysPlayingWithTools well to be frank whwn i looked at it he had it running.. and it sounded fine.. but it only ran when he poured gas into the carb bowel and intake. I picked it up and tried that but i. Ould only get it to run for 10 seconds. Being dumb i put too much gas in the bowel and the oil reeks of gasoline now.. so i gatta drain the oil and filter which i was gonna do anyway. The tank. When i drove the Jeep on a trailer home. The filler hose broke sploshing gasoline all over the trailer. The tank has no holes its just the filler tube broke being 50 years old and rubber. I was gonna disconnect the fuel line to the tank and hook it from the pump to a 5 gallon fuek can.. and crank the engine and see if the mechanical pump even pump gas first. Then fix some of these vacuum lines. And plug the leaks.. and try to get it running again. When i tried with gas in the carb itd run fir 5 seconds. Then die. Probly a good thing though with gas in the oil.. so it doesnt damage the bearings etc..
@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 Checking for flow first is a good idea, you can also put some of the fuel in a shallow dish and see what it looks like. You might get lucky and have a tank of 2 year old fuel that doesn't have the oomph to start the motor... that's a good problem to have. This might be a good time to invest $20 in a cheap borescope off Amazon, that will let you peek inside the tank after you have it empty. We joke here about the 3 things you might see: 1 - "fill it up, it's fine" 2 - "Clean it, it's just rust" 3 - "Oh @#$#, this thing is history" From what I am hearing, you have a fair chance that you will look inside the tank and see a perfectly good tank. When they have fuel in them, they don't tend to rust
@@GuysPlayingWithTools guy said the gas in the tank was 6 months old.. when it sloshed on the uhaul flat bed i towed it with.. it was slightly greenish which gas is. And smelled.. well of gas. So ya. I have a borescope better than a 20$ one. Lol i thought of sticking it in there through that torn filler hose and checking. I dont know MUCH abkut carbs.. even though i have had my grand wagoneer for 7 years.. i never needed to adjust it or work on it.. besides eliminating 20000 vacuum lines for emission crap i dont need anymore. Did i flood my oil with gas when i poured it into the bowel holes ? I lut some over the flaps too. I used probly 750ml of fuel in the bowel lol.. I hope it was just that.. and not a leaking mechanical pump. But i do have a spare pump and its just two bolts. Look on my channle. Youll see my vids of my new j10. Its a rusty mess lol. Im way way better at welding and fixing rust than i am with carbs. Should i drain the oil and lut fresh oil in and replace the filter.. even though i am not gonna try starting the engine for awhile ? Maybe crank it with the new oil to at least get the engine coated with oil again.. versus oil/gas
@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 I did go look at your channel, hoping to see some of the wrenching we are talking about here 🙂 If you cranked it over right after you but the fuel in, it probably(can't say from here) didn't get enough in the oil to matter but a new oil change never hurt anything and you don't know what sort of oil the previous guy put in, so I would go that way for sure. I am the opposite of you, I am a rookie welder(good with a grinder🤣) but I know carbs back and forth. With any old world automotive carb you want to think(and clean eplace) jets, needle\seat\float setting, accelerator pump, choke, leaks. If you cover those bases, 99% of them will run fine. Take LOTS of pics at each stage while removing it and taking it apart and you will have a nice little reference library when you are putting it all back together.
my moped has a non-removable gas tank in the frame, should i use vinegar instead of the rust remover? since i cant swish it around to the sides that well and id be able to fill it up all the way with vinegar (rust remover is only 500ml)
It's a little trickier if the tank is build in and can't be removed. I would suggest making it a project. If it has layers of rust that might break free, I would pull the motor and put BBs, or small nuts and bolts in with the vinegar and have a friend help me shake it around to break it up. The motors are usually pretty easy to get out, only a few bolts. If it doesn't have layers of rust you can use the vinegar without shaking it up too much. After you have used the vinegar, and the rust looks better, mix in some baking soda with water and full the tank, then wait 5 minutes and empty it, this will neutralize the acids in the vinegar. After that's all done, get a tank sealant like POR15 and put it in the tank, then rotate it around so it covers every inch and you are good to go. You should do this step with any tank cleaner, we use vinegar because it's cheap and works great. It's a little bit of extra work since the tank can't be removed but if you follow these steps you will never have a problem again.
@@GuysPlayingWithTools cheers. i might do it a bit more in depth when i get it completely stripped for paint this summer. for now i did just fill it up with vinegar and let it simmer for 4 days, worked well!
My problem is my gas tank isn't 1 gallon, mine is 20 gallons/100lt. I can't fill it to the top. I cleaned it before with water and concrete stone, and it came out perfect, but it came back now with a vengeance, so you HAVE to coat it with something that will last in fuel for years and years, because you don't want to remove the tank once a year to clean. Any ideas what I can coat with that will last.
There are quite a few commercial sealants out there that all work well. It's mostly the same stuff in a hundred different packages. You are right. A car tank is a different animal.
Thanks, I did it all by hand so I spent a whole day getting it just the way I wanted it... all for 7 seconds of video 🙂 I have a container of nuts and bolts but went with BBs because I worried about people tearing up the tanks, most people are gentle and think about what's happening inside the tank but others might not be
The reason I use BB's is that it leaves a spotless tank, and for the guys who don't have a good nut collection(I couldn't imagine not having a nut and bolt collection but some people don't have one) they are considerably cheaper. I appreciate the suggestion though. 👍 Sometime next week, I am releasing a video of a completely different way to do it. 🙂
So I'm pretty sure by the time I get a response back it'll probably be too late but you are saying to spray WD-40 in it but do you wipe it down or how does that work cuz I don't think I can stick my hand in the gas tank what do I do after I put WD-40 and how much of it
@dannyzukko8916 I pinned a comment at the top that should help. The WD40 is a very temporary thing. It's a messy job, and it buys you time to clean up before you rinse the tank with baking soda and water, then seal it. I hope I was fast enough to help 👍
@@dannyzukko8916 Slow? I don't think so. You ask all the right questions, the world could learn a lot from you. The baking soda and water at the end will neutralize the acid in the vinegar and clean out the WD40. It was just there to buy you time. There are a few companies that make tank sealer. Once a tank starts to rust, it will rust faster once you clean it out. Ethanol in fuel attracts water and encourages rust. The tank sealer will make sure it doesn't rust again. I use POR-15 but there are cheaper sealants out there that will work fine.
@GuysPlayingWithTools you are truly a National Treasure I appreciate you very much for taking the time to explain that to me now I understand. As they say there's no such thing as a stupid question but I feel even though things are answered I still sometimes have a hard time understanding but you've explained it perfectly I appreciate it again thank you sir you have a blessed one.
@dannyzukko8916 I appreciate it a lot. This makes my day. 😁 I try to be the guy that helps, not just another guy making videos. Tell a couple friends, I am always hoping for more subs. Lol
@reesemolloy6109 If it's not terrible, you can still use vinegar without the BBS or bearings. They are just a way to hurry things up. If the holes are big enough for them] to get through, you can use them, but it might take a lot of shaking it around to get them back out.
I went back and forth on that one. As a rule, I spray them down with a protectant, but when they have fuel in them, it's a natural protectant of you ask 3 people, they will give you 3 answers and every one of them will swear that theirs is the only true way to do it.
@@GuysPlayingWithTools Bill I bought 4 gallons of white vinegar because I have 3 or 4 fuel tanks to de-rust, they are my winter projects and I am still undecided on whether to coat the inside of the tanks. I think I will follow you're philosophy. Cheers Mate.
I have an old gas tank and I can't find a replacement. I have tried vinegar , and several different tank cleaners . I have used gravel and ball bearings. Nothing gets all of the rust out.
How long did you let it sit with vinegar? On really bad tanks I have let it sit a couple days sometimes. I am prepping another video on gas tanks using a homespun electrolysis machine that didn't cost much to make, but it was still more expensive than vinegar. It's not better, just faster
@JDStaffylover That's odd, I am wondering if the previous owner saw rust and sealed the tank rather than cleaning it. What you did was more than enough to clean any tank.
@GuysPlayingWithTools It came off of a tiller that I bought new. I thought I had ran all of the gas out . Left some ethanol and stored it for about 4 years. No hope for it now.
@JDStaffylover I have never seen vinegar fail to clean rust. You said you also tried other rust removal that didn't work... if you were near Dallas, I would give you a new tank and use the one you have for experiments to find out what is different about it.
Sure, it would work on just about anything rusty. After you are done cleaning, make sure you use something to seal the tank. I mention it on the video, but it's important. They sell all sorts of stalker sealants and the all work pretty good
Probably. It's nearly impossible to do anything that hasn't been done before with well over 800 million videos out there. That said, it really works, and I enjoy sharing things that really work. If you have ideas for future videos, I would love to hear them
@@GuysPlayingWithTools Warn anybody doing the vinegar tank clean - to not do it if they have a locking gas cap. The vinegar will rust the internals - then you can't unlock the gas tank. They'll need to seal up the tank with something besides the locking gas cap.
@cr500mike Good point. I never thought about locking caps in little motors but on a motorcycle or car, it's a lot more common. I will put together a comment and pin it.
@@GuysPlayingWithTools - It's sold already diluted. Look at the bottle you buy, it probably says 5% vinegar. 30% vinegar can be found at hardware stores, it works better.
I will have to try it. Plain old distilled vinegar has worked really well for me, but I am always up for trying something new. I have an old tank i can sacrifice(cut in 1/2), I will run them head to head. This will be interesting. .
A good tip right after using the vinegar is to flush it out with a slurry of baking soda and water to neutralize the acid in the vinegar. This completely eliminates the flash rust that'll happen to the exposed metal. Then a good rinse with some 2 stroke mix and you're good to go. Getting ready to clean the exact same tank now. Nice job!
If I could go back in time, I would have that in the video. It's easy to forget that the offscreen stuff should be part of the video. 👍
or household ammonia solution and than rinse out with acetone or gasoline to remove any water
WD40 does that pretty well. 👍
I did that to a B&S tank a couple of years ago and can say I got the same results as he did. Works very well.
How do you coat the tank after baking soda rinse
I have used vinegar to remove rust on old tools. Took some days but it worked great. Thank you.
Man this and many other videos saved me about $700 from the harley davidson dealership, who was going to charge me for treating my mildly rusty tank. I used 2 gallons of white vinegar and small bottle of CLR, no bolts, but shook and agitated the tank through out the day randomly for 2 days straight and I literally just finished emptying it, rinsing it and drying it with a blow dryer, then finally sealed it with WD40. LOOKS BRAND NEW and all it cost me was $10 for the vinegar, $9 for the CLR and $11 for the WD40
I am glad it helped. There is stronger stuff than vinegar that will work but not nearly as cheap and easy. 👍
You can purchase high concentrate vinegar at the home improvement box stores. Works much faster. You can filter out the debris with a coffee filter and reuse the vinegar.
Did you mix the vinegar and CLR or use them separately?
I did a video on the different strengths of vinegars. They all work well, but cleaning vinegars are faster for sure
@Rein_Ciarfella I just use vinegar, but CLR is good stuff and might work.
I know a guy who took a gas tank from an old motorcycle, put a bunch of nails in it, wrapped it in foam and put it in an old clothes dryer to rotate it and it came out clean as a whistle. Amazing.
I had to think that one over some. If there were no baffles in the tank, it would probably work. I would worry about wearing a hole in the tank in places the nails hit more often, but I could see it acting like a rock tumbler. I wish I had an old dryer I could try it with. Very cool 😎
Try sand blasting media, works well with a mixer. Ductape the holes and walah.
@danmoore3300 That's another good idea. I am trying to come up with something like that, which doesn't use a mixer(most people don't have access to one). I am thinking of a paint shaker or something like that
@GuysPlayingWithTools just spin it in your hands and shake it around. IF you have the time. It takes about 30 minutes or so with about a 1/2 cup.
@@danmoore3300 I will come up with something easy to shake it, I have to give it a try👍
That turned out amazing. 24 hours and agitation. Got it. Thanks!
I have done a couple videos on it and it really works better than you would expect. On really bad tanks I give it a couple of days and use cleaning vinegar. Reme Make sure you put sealant in the tank when you are done so it doesn't come back.
Yeah. As soon as you broke out the ball bearings, I knew you knew you know what you're doing. Good job.
Thanks, it's not my first rodeo with old rusty tanks. When you are flipping equipment, you get good at stuff like that. 👍
What time I clean the tank like this he came out pretty nice only one problem I had to take my big big soldering iron and solder up pin holes in the bottom of the tank.
Try POR15. It's $15 for a little container, but it's enough for a small tank, and the time it saves is more than worth it
Various pieces of sharp edged gravel works well, and it's free. You can also use a piece of 12 awg stranded wire. Strip off about 2 or 3 inches from the end of a piece approximately 8 inches long. Fan out the copper strands like a brush, then chuck the opposite end up in a cordless drill. You can use this to get into corners and depressions in the tank to agitate the rust during the vinegar soak.
I use the bb's because they are little and get into the corners, some tanks have baffles that get in the way and Mahe it a pain.
Great suggestion. Thanks!
Thanks.Like everything, it came from a lot of trial and error. 👍
Instead of BB's, I use hex nuts and shake it around with them in the tank. I've used fairly large ones too, like 3/8" or 7/16" bolt size. I think the corners of the hex do a way better job than round BB's. After doing a tank, get some WD-40 in it IMMEDIATELY, especially if it's humid day to stop flash rust.
I live on the edge of a desert, so rust isn't a problem here(but I still use WD40 every time) 👍
BB's take a bit of extra shaking, I used them in the video because they come in a good size package, and not everyone has enough loose nuts handy.
Correct my friend, vinegar is great antirust to start with, i clean the cooling system of the cars, with great result.also rusted bolts soak them in vinnegar fir few days, lads! Just do it, great cheap stuff it is, Bob Belgium, thanks for posting it man!
I hate to admit it, but my wife got me started on it a few years ago. She said "vinegar is the closest thing to magic in the kitchen, besides me!".
I would be crazy to argue either point LOL
I ran a test with Cleaning vinegar, distilled vinegar and 30% vinegar and was surprised, they were nearly identical in results, so I go with the cheapest one now 👍
Do you run cars/engines with vinegar in the cooling system?
@BMJAUDI It sounds like a good idea, but you wouldn't want to do that. The vinegar is mildly acidic and can take sealer or plating off the parts in the cooling system, and you can't put sealer in it later like you would in a gas tank. I would go with something designed specifically for flushing a cooling system, just for safety.
You are thinking outside the box. I like that!
For large gas tanks use a concrete mixer and tie the tank outside the front loading hole. Remember to seal all holes in the tank and remove the sender switch and fuel pump etc. You can use ball bearings but cheaper is aquarium river bed gravel. Don't do it at night because it will drive your neighbors crazy!
That's a great idea (as long as you have access to a mixer 🙂). I have seen people use dryers for small tanks, but I don't recommend it because I don't want to single handedly increase the divorce rate. 🤣
River rock is a perfect replacement for bb's, there are no sharp edges and it's little.
I really like that idea but for the life of me I can't imagine how one would attach a chevy truck tank to the mixer. That is the project I have ahead of me soon and have been trying to figure out how to agitate the vinegar and aggregate by my self. Any suggestions how to attach it to the cement mixer?
Get the cleaning vinegar. You really don't need to shake it a lot if you are patient. I have done it on a bike tank without shaking much, and it worked out fine. The really bad corners just took a little longer
I've seen people strap them to a wheel and drive around slowly. If you have a friend with a tractor you can do a really big tank but most tanks you can do with a truck.
@@danielboughton3624 I don't have a truck, but I'm going to have to try that, my little daily driver Honda will hold an edger tank.
The end of the video is the most important so that the rust doesn't come right back. Thanks
Yeah, the surface can flash rust on you in a couple of hours, so I always spray as soon as I am happy with it.
Short and to the point I appreciate your time sir thank you
Thanks,. Everybody else says I talk too much lol
Great video thank you you just saved me some money I was going to buy a new tank for my motorcycle thank you
I am glad it helped. On a really bad one you might do it twice, but it always works. Don't forget to put tank sealant r in it when you are done so you don't have to do it again later.
(and as always, don't forget to subscribe 😁)
Awesome I threw small rocks and white vinegar in swished it around for a bit now it's in the back of my truck hoping it cleans up as I drive around. Thank you
Cool. I usually use BBs because they are little and get into corners. Let me know how it goes 👍
Thanks for this video! Clear and easy to understand.
Thanks. Remember to clean up with baking soda and water, it will neutralize the vinegar in the tank(and anyplace else it ends up)
Very clear, direct to the point video. Thank you
Thanks, I try to stay on point. 😁
Thank you so much for posting this channel. I have a Harley I stored with gas in it for about eight years. (stupid, right!) This will help me get the rust from all the "orange" gas that was stored in it. Live and learn. Great idea. New sub. Always thumbs up from the 641...
Thanks, and welcome to the channel 😁
The first pass will get you a bunch of sludge, but you will see promising results, once you do it the second time, you are going to be surprised at how well it works, Good luck!
Such a useful video. Love how short and sweet it is 👏
Thanks 😁
Really good to know, I had to take the old tank out of my Wolseley Hornet cause it had 30 year old gas in it and the expected rust that comes with that length of time, managed to find a spare one in good condition on eBay but since they're so rare I wanted to see if I could fix up the old one.
I suppose using nuts and bolts would work almost as well as BBs.
I use BBs because they don't have edges. Nuts and bolts are probably perfectly good. The first run of vinegar is going to give you some serious sludge on a tank that old. Patience is everything
👍
(If it’s fully dismantled and able to be thoroughly jetwashed out afterwards,) I always use fresh new 5mm gardeners grit and warm soapy water. Just a quarter fill and seal off the spout and give it a good shaking from all directions for ten minutes. Less risky than using nuts and bolts, (I think they might be slightly heavy risk wise when working with sixty year old metal)..
I agree. I use steel bb's, no pointy edges
Good work. I had one with roofing nails and vinegar for 12 days and the vinegar got ugly, but the tank still looked terrible. I did muradic acid next, and it did a good job.
I have used this trick for a while, it's good for rust but that's about it. I am way too clumsy to play with Muriatic acid LOL
How ya doing? I have been thinking about you getting opened up all day
@@GuysPlayingWithTools I (we ) are still figuring it out. I appreciate your good thoughts. Thank you
@@haneyoakie14 Remember that there are a lot of people pulling for a good recovery when you finally go through it
@@GuysPlayingWithTools more than I could imagine, I am sure. They, you, us, me, we form a family, in a good way. Not all family experiences are good ones, but in this small engine family, we are good folks.
@@haneyoakie14 I couldn't agree more. And I am 100% with you on doing it your way. I have had a trip or 2 to the hospital in my young life and always insist on my wife by my side.
I use dilute phosphoric acid ( metal etch from home depot) use clean sharp gravel. Shake the heck out of it... the rust on the top of the tank is just as important as the rust on the bottom. Drain, neutralize with baking soda and water , then rinse that well. Dry in sun or over heat. Then Coat with Epoxy diluted with acetone to a very light syrup consistancy... coat every inch and drain well. dont forget to remove the valve and strainer, and plug the holes.. remove plugs before it sets up.
Alky in new gas will eat any of the tank coatings on the market except those which are epoxy or urethane based. buy liquid epoxy kit mix, thin and coat.
These are all good suggestions 👍 I prefer vinegar because, while it takes a minute, it's safer if you have spills. Not everybody has the experience for stronger acids.
I have a gas tank from a Yamaha scooter that's rusted good and is on backorder until July. I'm definitely going to give this a try!
I think you will be surprised at how well it works. The first time I tried it, I thought, "Well, the tank is shot, so I have nothing to lose" and I was shocked at how well it worked.
How is the tank looking
Good question, I usually hear back by now. It works every time though, rust is rust.
Was looking up ways to clean fuel tanks as one of my next projects is going to require that and saw you did this video, don't really know why white vinegar didn't even come to mind, I've used the white vinegar trick to clean some super rusty bolts before. thanks for reminding me of the magic of white vinegar, bonus make shed smell of fish and chip shop 😂👍
It really works like a charm and it has the advantage of being REALLY cheap... and not flammable.
I used simple green and some screws. Attached to cement mixer and let it spin a couple hours. Was spotless inside. I did use a sealer (POR15) and it’s now like new.
A dryer works too, but I didn't want to get anybody divorced . 🤣
If you do this with vinegar make sure to wash the tank out with a solution of baking soda and water, the baking soda will neutralize the acid from the vinegar so you won't get flash rusting.
Of course. 👍I keep the humidity down in the shop, so I have plenty of time to seal it, but for people in humid environments, you will want to neutralize the acid in the tank.
I have used an epoxy tank liner type of paint to seal up a gas tank on a motorcycle, after doing this sort of rust removal process. The epoxy, once fully cured, is impervious to gas and still is doing its job 10+ years after it was applied.
That's a good suggestion for sealing a tank. I appreciate it(I am sure anyone who reads this will also appreciate it)
Thanks Bill ive got a 1980's Tanaka generator im repairing with a bad tank its in vinegar now
After a couple 6 will surprise you. 🙂
Make sure you spray a rust inhibitor pretty soon after you get it clean
I have a bunch of apple trees here so I make cider vinegar in a 30 gallon drum and use that to submerge parts in that are rusted up and doesn't cost a dime.
Free is even better than cheap. 👍
Seafoam is a great additive/fuel stabilizer to help prevent damage.
I usually recommend stabilizer all year, especially in the fall
👍
@GuysPlayingWithTools Great idea!!! I have seen how good white vinegar removes rusty classic smaller car parts.
It works surprisingly well. Use POR15 pdq after you are done to seal it, and it will last forever. 👍
Hi great video, thanks for posting it.
Can you tell me what the ratio is for the baking soda and waters thanks in advance.
Good morning. I use 5 or 6 table spoons to a gallon of water. It's stronger than required, but it works well. 👍
I have an old motorbike that I am going to be working on this summer and I am going to give this a try. It has been sitting around for about 20 years so I am assuming the tank will need some lovin. Thanks. Stevo
It will surprise you, it works great.
Great information brother! I was just thinking about you today, I havent heard from ya for a bit! Great video Bill!
Thanks! I decided I didn't like my intro(again lol) and went heads down for a couple days reworking it from scratch. Like the new one? 😁
I have had good luck using epoxy which will encapsulate. The rust and it off the oxygen to the rust so that it doesn’t continue to rust. It will also plug small pinholes.I have had tanks still going strong ten years after this treatment.I covered the filler neck with Saran Wrap.tape off any openings.you may have to drill out any openings to clear them out.Putin enough epoxy to cover the inside of the tank. Rote the tank in all directions until the epoxy starts to set and no longer will flow. The beautiful part is that you don’t have to clean out the old rust,
That is an interesting way to treat a metal tank. I assumed epoxy would get eaten by the fuel, but now I am going to have to give it a shot. Thanks for the idea!
@@GuysPlayingWithTools Eastwood, Summit racing, Jegs etc sell gas tank sealers specifically designed for this task but no way would I leave the rust and coat over it. I don't know if it is epoxy or polly but it's tough stuff. BTW muriatic acid (Pool acid) works crazy fast depending on the concentration IE how much you put in the water solution. Were talking hours not days.
@tomhubbard353 yeah, I agree. Coating it is just wrong. Good after cleaning though.
I use vinegar for a lot of reasons, it works great, it's safer to use, it's cheap(and it makes the shop smell like an Italian restaurant, lol)
@@GuysPlayingWithTools I agree the vinegar is far safer to use and works. The Muriatic is really reasonably priced tho, you usually get two gallon jugs for something like $20 and it goes a long way with dilution. BUT it is a strong acid and has inherent dangers, but that is also it's strong suit making it fast acting. Another option is molasses, I have a five gallon bucket in my shop of 10-1 molasses and water. It is slow as molasses but does an incredible job of stripping every spec of rust when combined with a pressure washer rinse(scrubbing also works, sonic tank etc.) I just did a pitman arm last week, it takes about a week or better soak but looks like a sand blasted bare metal part when done. I also use the muriatic to remove galvanized coated parts prior to welding.
A short length of chain can help loosen the rust.
True. But with a baffled tank bb's get everywhere really well. 🙂
A local body shop buys "tank liner" (sealant) by the 55 gallon drum and will fill up a quart can for a few dollars, then you can seal it when you're done removing the rust! Way cheaper than the kit the bike dealers sell.
That's an option for sure. I usually spray either WD40 or a bit of 2 stroke mixed fuel into the tank, and they prevent flash rust really well. course tank sealant would be a good idea on older tanks to seal any leaks and high corners that weren't immersed while it's both off and empty
How effective you suppose this would be on a motorcycle fuel tank and the ball bearings with its awkward design compared to a simple lawn mower fuel tank?…nice and simple video man 🤙🏼
The bearings just break up the thicker sludge faster, I did a "part 2" with a cut-up tank and didn't touch the parts in any way, and it still worked fine after a couple of days. Let me know how it goes. 👍
I've got one dunked in drain cleaner . But I did have to put screws in it to remove the old sealer.
That will work. Be super careful , most drain cleaners are really strong and can eat the tank up in a hurry. Make sure you flush it well with baking soda when you are done.
I am curious and hoping for the best for you. Let me know how it works out. 👍
"Tank you " so much !! I'm from Mexico, and i bought a replacement to my c10 Fuel thank, but... is rust in the outside and inside just a little mark, but i will do this method !! thank i suscribe.
Thanks. It works well, Make sure you get either fuel or a spray of oil in it when you are done so it doesn't try to flash rust. Super clean metal re-rusts pretty quick(hours)
great video Bill, white vinegar is really handy for rust.
Thanks! This was one of those neat little tricks that seemed worth sharing.
Good quick video Bill, I learn something everyday..
Thanks! This really works that easy too. 🙂
FYI, you can buy what's called "cleaning vinegar" which is more acidic. About the same price and fairly cheap.
About 6 months ago I did a video, an overnight test of Distilled vinegar vs. Cleaning vinegar vs. 30% concentrate vinegar(the strongest).
As expected, the 30% cleaned faster than the others the first day, but the next afternoon when I got back to them, I was glad I had marked the containers because there wasn't a difference between the 3.
Good job, vinegar is my go to, to.
Me too. I am prepping a video about a completely different way to do. I am not sure it will replace vinegar as my favorite.
Good tips.. I have one to do for which I have white wine vinegar and gravel.
Thanks. White wine vinegar, you are showing your tank a better time than I did. LOL
I would suggest use BB's rather than gravel, no sharp edges and you don't have to clean gravel dust out when you are done 🙂 Let me know if it works the same as distilled.
@@GuysPlayingWithTools I've cleaned the gravel first... Sorry, distilled white vinegar, same as yours.
@@BensWorkshop I thought you were gonna give the tank something nice before cleaning it. Lol
@@GuysPlayingWithTools The tank I will be working on is bone dry with about an inch at the bottom with rust in it. However some of the rust is a bit thick, hence the gravel. After the gravel, I will use the vinegar.
cool , i always have white vinagar around , add for hard water for water pot on wood burner
I haven't tried white vinegar.. it's pretty close to distilled. Let me know how it works.
Just for fun, I put an old destroyed Briggs aluminum carburetor in a pan of vinegar for a couple of weeks. It ate the carb, turned it into putty. Avoid using vinegar on aluminum.
You probably want to avoid leaving anything you want to keep in vinegar for a couple weeks... but now I am gonna toss an old carb body in tomorrow morning just to see it happen. 😁
That looks fantastic, I'll remember that tip. Great vid
Thanks! 🙂
Very cool brother 😎 thanks for sharing 👍
It's one of my favorites.
There is vinegar with high levels of acidity , 20-25 , etc . These used for killing weeds and deep cleaning .
You are 100% right. I did a vid comparing vinegars with different levels a month or so ago. I went with plain "salad: vinegar for this one because they all work great, and most people already have this in the kitchen. 👍
If I spray it with WD-40 to prevent rusting, won't the fresh gasoline wash it off? Thanks for the nice and informative video.
It's temporary. You will want to rinse it off with baking soda and water, then apply a sealant. I use POR 15 but they are all good.
The WD-40 is only meant to prevent the flash rust which will occur within a few minutes.
@markharmon4963 Yes, a baking soda and water rinse afterward will neutralize the vinegar but the WD40 buys you a few minutes 👍
Once it’s clean, let it dry put a cap full or two capfuls of automatic transmission fluid switch it around make sure it touches all metal inside. Let it sit for a day then pour gas switch it around and wash it out out. It’ll never rest again.
I am going to have to try that. I even have a tank ready to clean that I can let sit for a while after it's done. Thanks for the idea!
@@GuysPlayingWithTools just don’t let it sit long enough for Russ to build back in it as soon as it dries, put the automatic transmission fluid in swish it around and then rinse it with gas. I did that to a Toyota pick up my dad told me about the trick it never rested again.
Thanks for posting this!
Thanks for watching! 😁
If you come across any of those fuel tanks hang on to them DonnyBoy 73 says they are no longer available so we had 2 in stock and have already used one on a repair.
They are getting harder to find. I already turn down McLanes that need hard to find parts.
What's simplest/cheapest way to coat the tank once cleaned?
I use POR15, it's $15 at O'Reilly (the cheapest place I have found it). it's for an 8 oz container but that's proven to be more than enough for lawn equipment tanks.
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO 🙏
I get some nice comments, but I am pretty sure this might be the nicest ever. You might not realize it, but you made my day, Thanks. 🙂
(As I often say, tell a friend)
Yhank you so much! Your going to save me a fortune 🙈 hopefully youve got a video on taking apart a carb to clean too 🙈 I've a cbr125 thats been sittijg in a barn for3 years WITH FUEL IN and decided this could be a fun project... Then realised how little i actually know hahan😅😂 wish me luck 🤞😂
You are at the right place! I am a carb fanatic and have rebuilt just about every carb you can think of. They are mostly the same from one to the next, so a similar carb would be the same inside
If the tank is especially bad, you might have to do it twice, but it always works. Oil it right away when you are done to prevent flash rust.
Let me know how it goes!
@@GuysPlayingWithTools absolutely amazing! It's a good job I've already subscribed before you had wrote back lol 😂 I'll certainly be in touch throughout the rebuild to keep you up to date :) (and most likely gather all the information I possibly can too) haha thank you so much for being so responsive too!
@awholenewman155 I hope I can help, I try to get a little of everything engine related on the channel.
The best advice you are going to get... take your time and get a LOT of pictures while taking it apart. If you don't work on them often, it's easy to forget exactly how it goes together.
Good luck!
@@GuysPlayingWithTools you've already helped but I would never have even thought of taking pics I was just going to sticker everything and number it 🙈😂 I already think I'm in over my head but the bike did run perfect before it was let sitting they just got a 1200cc and left the 125 sitting but when I saw it I knew I needed it lol thank you so much for being so kind my name's Roy btw I feel like we'll be in touch regularly lol
Pics are easiest and 10x better than labels. They show how fiddly linkage fits together and which bolt goes where. 🙂
Feel free to grab my email from my about box. If you aren't 100% sure of something, you can send me a pic and we can talk
Salad channel as in cucumber.. good tip bill..
O.... M....G
How did I let that one get past me?🤣🤣
@@GuysPlayingWithTools lol
The Salad channel?? Mick??
@@barryewalt5368 🤣🤣
Kids kids kids
You done a great job with the vinegar but you need to mix bread soada and water to flush the tank after using the vinegar and then flush with water
Guilty. I didn't include enough of the "after" in the video. I added it in the description and pinned a comment on it, hoping people will read them.
C'mon Bill I want a t'shirt like that too cool 😎 What is it with white vinegar you can use it for a lot of stuff 👍 Results are amazing good one 👊
All you have to do to get one is go the Minnesota airport. LOL
White vinegar is good stuff, cleans showers,, makes pickles, eats rust, and it's good on a salad. It deserves its own holiday.
@@GuysPlayingWithTools 🤣
Hey Bill, so,the shot of WD40 at the end won't do anything bad to the motor when ran through the fuel line and carburetor upon gasoline fill up and start up?
Not even a little bit. It's a minimal amount and diluted quite a bit by the gas.
@@GuysPlayingWithTools what if you using the sealer do you still have to put WD-40?
@@-LIONHEART You can use baking soda and water and get the same results, you want to stop the action of the acid in the vinegar and protect it from flash rusting. If you are using a sealer quickly after it's finished(1/2 hour or less), you can skip both. 👍
It's nice to use molasses 1 to 10 water.. ... It's amazing....
I have never heard that, I am going to try it on something rusty today
After vinegar you must nutralise the chemical reaction using baking soda and water. Otherwise it will flash rust. Then let it dry in the sun. Cool it down then do 2 thinned coats of sealant. Will never have a problem again
All good suggestions 👍
@GuysPlayingWithTools done a bunch of 60's and 70's triumph motorcycle tanks and a couple of harley tanks. Never had a seal fail. I have had to strip and re coat a few thanks that were not prepared correctly and people had done at home.
@@safechameleon7656 That sounds like my kinda fun. I am a small engine guy, I don't care what it's attached to, if it's got a spark plug I am into it.
This was awesome!
Thanks 🙂
I am working on getting a McLean edger running and found the down tube out of the carb (fuel line) broke- do you know where I can buy just the down tube / fuel line line?
I hate when I get one of those. There are a couple of different carbs, and each has a different fuel pickup tube and choke setup.
I would strongly suggest replacing the carb. Pressing one back in correctly is not easy, and if it isn't just right, it will fall out later in the tank.
Wow that worked like a charm.
Thanks. Vinegar is good stuff. 👍
Getting ready to try this on a 240sx today wish me luck
It's gonna be a little messy but outside of shaking the tank, it's really easy. Do it twice once for sludge, once for shiny. Good luck!
Did u ever try lead (PB) balls ? As for example used in fishing or gun ammunition?
It is supposed to leave a thin coating on the surface after shaking the tank.
I haven't tried that. I am going to pay with cleaning one with electrolysis next week. So far, vinegar is winning, but I will try anything to find an easier way to do a dirty job
@@GuysPlayingWithTools soft lead balls are supposed to be for the finish. Leaving a thin layer on the cleaned iron. WD40 will get washed off by fuel. But lead is supposed to stay. Vinegar is still in the game for the reduction of the rust.
@farrider3339 I have tried 3 different kinds of vinegar, and they all worked really well . Of course, you need a coating of some sort when you are done no matter what you use.
Lead balls are an easy test, I will try it when I get my hands on another rusty tank. You can only find rusty tanks when you aren't looking for them. 🙄🤣
@@GuysPlayingWithTools 😄👌
Awesome video thank you
Thanks for watching! Ping me if you have any questions 👍
I wonder if this will work on a car gas tank, have a caddy I’m looking to restore, gas has been in it for 15 + years!
It will, but it will be hard to shake the tank. 🙂
After you get it clean, use a sealer like POR 15 to make sure the rust doesn't come back.
Will the vinegar eventually eat through it if left too long? I've already filled my super old tank twice its still plenty rusty. Left the vinegar for 12 hours both times. I was thinking about leaving it longer this time..
It would take a while, but it could eventually make the tank vanish. How big is the tank? If it's small enough to shake, you can put BBs or something like that in it and shake it up to loosen the rust and speed things up.
Once you get most of the rust out, use baking soda and water to neutralize the acid and seal it with POR15 or something like that.
I am curious: What's the tank for? 🙂
@@GuysPlayingWithTools 1974 cb750, building a bike like my father had :) 836 kit 4 in 1
@GuysPlayingWithTools I have a bag of little rocks. Will shake again with vinegar. Then, neutralize and seal. Tyvm
@Chuckdrums11 👍
Good one Bill - I use the same method but with Evapo-Rust - which I filter and re-use
Thanks, I suppose I could re-use the vinegar but my garage might start smelling like a salad bar. 🤣
🤣🤣🥗🥗
What causes motor oil to get on your air filter? Also have you ever seen where a wire screen is inside your gas tank?
This is the best question I have gotten in a month. There are a number of reasons this can happen, but the most common is that dirt in the fuel system (or age) is causing the float in the carb to stick. When that happens, the fuel tank will slowly drain into the oil and cause the level to get high enough to leak through the carb.
Check your oil level. If it's really high, empty the fuel tank. Drain the oil and check it. If it smells like gas, clean the tank, replace the fuel line, and clean/rebuild/replace the carb(depending on how bad the carb looks)
There are other reasons, I am going to change my schedule and do a video about it today. (Like I said, this is the best question of the month) 👍
Sorry, I skipped the screen filter part. They don't all have one but the most common ones are part of the petcock. If it's removable, there is usually a small round screen attached to it
Yum salad, and that is the easiest way to clean a tank!!
The whole shop smelled like Olive Garden the next morning. 🙄
Cool video
Thanks 😁
After you put in the wd40 can you just use gas in it as normal or do you need to clean out the wd40 before putting in fuel?
WD40 is my holder, mix up some water and baking soda and rinse it with that. I use POR15 after I am done to seal the tank. It takes care of any little holes it might have and also protects it from ever rusting again.
Thanks for the video.. i jist bkught a 76 Jeep J10 long bed pickup.. the tanks outer shell is surface rusted.. Ill jist wire wheel and paint.. but the inner.. im not sure yet.. guy claimed it was driven 6 months ago.. but i doubt it considering he could only get it running with fuel pured into the carb lol..
I guess well see what it looks like when i drop the tank.. I sure as hell am not spending 500$ for a plastic tabk.. eveb if the steel one had a pin hole or what not.. id just cut and weld new metal... way cheaper than a new tank.
They always say that. Everything I buy "ran when i put it away." 🙄
Check for pinhole leaks first. The walls could be too thin to be worth bothering with. Every once in a while, I see tanks where the walls are rusted so thin, they aren't worth bothering with
@@GuysPlayingWithTools well to be frank whwn i looked at it he had it running.. and it sounded fine.. but it only ran when he poured gas into the carb bowel and intake.
I picked it up and tried that but i. Ould only get it to run for 10 seconds. Being dumb i put too much gas in the bowel and the oil reeks of gasoline now.. so i gatta drain the oil and filter which i was gonna do anyway.
The tank. When i drove the Jeep on a trailer home. The filler hose broke sploshing gasoline all over the trailer. The tank has no holes its just the filler tube broke being 50 years old and rubber.
I was gonna disconnect the fuel line to the tank and hook it from the pump to a 5 gallon fuek can.. and crank the engine and see if the mechanical pump even pump gas first.
Then fix some of these vacuum lines. And plug the leaks.. and try to get it running again.
When i tried with gas in the carb itd run fir 5 seconds. Then die.
Probly a good thing though with gas in the oil.. so it doesnt damage the bearings etc..
@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 Checking for flow first is a good idea, you can also put some of the fuel in a shallow dish and see what it looks like. You might get lucky and have a tank of 2 year old fuel that doesn't have the oomph to start the motor... that's a good problem to have.
This might be a good time to invest $20 in a cheap borescope off Amazon, that will let you peek inside the tank after you have it empty. We joke here about the 3 things you might see:
1 - "fill it up, it's fine"
2 - "Clean it, it's just rust"
3 - "Oh @#$#, this thing is history"
From what I am hearing, you have a fair chance that you will look inside the tank and see a perfectly good tank. When they have fuel in them, they don't tend to rust
@@GuysPlayingWithTools guy said the gas in the tank was 6 months old.. when it sloshed on the uhaul flat bed i towed it with.. it was slightly greenish which gas is. And smelled.. well of gas. So ya.
I have a borescope better than a 20$ one. Lol i thought of sticking it in there through that torn filler hose and checking.
I dont know MUCH abkut carbs.. even though i have had my grand wagoneer for 7 years.. i never needed to adjust it or work on it.. besides eliminating 20000 vacuum lines for emission crap i dont need anymore.
Did i flood my oil with gas when i poured it into the bowel holes ? I lut some over the flaps too. I used probly 750ml of fuel in the bowel lol.. I hope it was just that.. and not a leaking mechanical pump. But i do have a spare pump and its just two bolts.
Look on my channle. Youll see my vids of my new j10. Its a rusty mess lol. Im way way better at welding and fixing rust than i am with carbs.
Should i drain the oil and lut fresh oil in and replace the filter.. even though i am not gonna try starting the engine for awhile ? Maybe crank it with the new oil to at least get the engine coated with oil again.. versus oil/gas
@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 I did go look at your channel, hoping to see some of the wrenching we are talking about here 🙂
If you cranked it over right after you but the fuel in, it probably(can't say from here) didn't get enough in the oil to matter but a new oil change never hurt anything and you don't know what sort of oil the previous guy put in, so I would go that way for sure.
I am the opposite of you, I am a rookie welder(good with a grinder🤣) but I know carbs back and forth.
With any old world automotive carb you want to think(and clean
eplace) jets, needle\seat\float setting, accelerator pump, choke, leaks. If you cover those bases, 99% of them will run fine.
Take LOTS of pics at each stage while removing it and taking it apart and you will have a nice little reference library when you are putting it all back together.
my moped has a non-removable gas tank in the frame, should i use vinegar instead of the rust remover? since i cant swish it around to the sides that well and id be able to fill it up all the way with vinegar (rust remover is only 500ml)
It's a little trickier if the tank is build in and can't be removed. I would suggest making it a project.
If it has layers of rust that might break free, I would pull the motor and put BBs, or small nuts and bolts in with the vinegar and have a friend help me shake it around to break it up. The motors are usually pretty easy to get out, only a few bolts.
If it doesn't have layers of rust you can use the vinegar without shaking it up too much.
After you have used the vinegar, and the rust looks better, mix in some baking soda with water and full the tank, then wait 5 minutes and empty it, this will neutralize the acids in the vinegar.
After that's all done, get a tank sealant like POR15 and put it in the tank, then rotate it around so it covers every inch and you are good to go. You should do this step with any tank cleaner, we use vinegar because it's cheap and works great.
It's a little bit of extra work since the tank can't be removed but if you follow these steps you will never have a problem again.
@@GuysPlayingWithTools cheers. i might do it a bit more in depth when i get it completely stripped for paint this summer. for now i did just fill it up with vinegar and let it simmer for 4 days, worked well!
@phrg8332 Nice. Use POR15 or something like it to seal it. It isn't cheap, but even the little can goes a long ways
I used brick cleaner (hydrochloric acid diluted) and it came out spotlessly clean…
I am not sure how hard it would be on the metal. I might try it and compare. 👍
Recrommend using a sealer when doing this cause now there isnt any zink coating left
I will add that to the description. Once it's rusted, it's prone to rust again. 👍
My problem is my gas tank isn't 1 gallon, mine is 20 gallons/100lt. I can't fill it to the top. I cleaned it before with water and concrete stone, and it came out perfect, but it came back now with a vengeance, so you HAVE to coat it with something that will last in fuel for years and years, because you don't want to remove the tank once a year to clean. Any ideas what I can coat with that will last.
There are quite a few commercial sealants out there that all work well. It's mostly the same stuff in a hundred different packages. You are right. A car tank is a different animal.
Oh new intro, like it. Good tip Bill. I use nuts and bolts inside the tank, they come out clean too!
Thanks, I did it all by hand so I spent a whole day getting it just the way I wanted it... all for 7 seconds of video 🙂
I have a container of nuts and bolts but went with BBs because I worried about people tearing up the tanks, most people are gentle and think about what's happening inside the tank but others might not be
@@GuysPlayingWithTools I’ve used gravel too😄.
@@almclean4835 did you have gravel mud in the tank?
@@GuysPlayingWithTools no just cleanish pea gravel
It cleaned up nicely Bill, I like the new intro. 👍🏼
Thanks, if you like it, everybody will like it. 😁
One more tweak to it and it's finished, until I get bored with it. LOL
Well I am a hip hop sorta guy so go figure. 🤣🤣
@@Big_Johns You are! I could see you going down main street in a donk, Detroit leaning. 🤣
🤣🤣🤣
If you keep the tank fairly full of gas (to keep the oxygen away) that will stop the rust returning.
You get it. I only spray it with WD40 to keep it from flash rusting before it gets installed(it might be a while)
Ah, now the WD40 makes sense. As it dissolves in gasoline I wondered what the point was. Now it is clear.
You got it, and there isn't enough sticking to the tank to make any difference in the fuel.
Next time instead of ball bearings, use small nuts like ⅜ or¼ inch. The sharp edges chip off the rust more effectively.
The reason I use BB's is that it leaves a spotless tank, and for the guys who don't have a good nut collection(I couldn't imagine not having a nut and bolt collection but some people don't have one) they are considerably cheaper. I appreciate the suggestion though. 👍
Sometime next week, I am releasing a video of a completely different way to do it. 🙂
So I'm pretty sure by the time I get a response back it'll probably be too late but you are saying to spray WD-40 in it but do you wipe it down or how does that work cuz I don't think I can stick my hand in the gas tank what do I do after I put WD-40 and how much of it
@dannyzukko8916 I pinned a comment at the top that should help. The WD40 is a very temporary thing. It's a messy job, and it buys you time to clean up before you rinse the tank with baking soda and water, then seal it. I hope I was fast enough to help 👍
@GuysPlayingWithTools forgive me if I'm a little slow on this one . The 2 stroke oil how do you clean that out with what and seal meaning ?
@@dannyzukko8916 Slow? I don't think so. You ask all the right questions, the world could learn a lot from you.
The baking soda and water at the end will neutralize the acid in the vinegar and clean out the WD40. It was just there to buy you time.
There are a few companies that make tank sealer. Once a tank starts to rust, it will rust faster once you clean it out. Ethanol in fuel attracts water and encourages rust. The tank sealer will make sure it doesn't rust again. I use POR-15 but there are cheaper sealants out there that will work fine.
@GuysPlayingWithTools you are truly a National Treasure I appreciate you very much for taking the time to explain that to me now I understand. As they say there's no such thing as a stupid question but I feel even though things are answered I still sometimes have a hard time understanding but you've explained it perfectly I appreciate it again thank you sir you have a blessed one.
@dannyzukko8916 I appreciate it a lot. This makes my day. 😁 I try to be the guy that helps, not just another guy making videos.
Tell a couple friends, I am always hoping for more subs. Lol
👏 good job
Thanks, it works really well.
How can I clean a gas tank that has walls in it to hold fuel?, it’s from a tiller so it’s there to hold fuel when lifted around
@reesemolloy6109 If it's not terrible, you can still use vinegar without the BBS or bearings. They are just a way to hurry things up. If the holes are big enough for them] to get through, you can use them, but it might take a lot of shaking it around to get them back out.
Awesome!
Great advice Bill, does the tank need to be coated on the inside?
I went back and forth on that one. As a rule, I spray them down with a protectant, but when they have fuel in them, it's a natural protectant of you ask 3 people, they will give you 3 answers and every one of them will swear that theirs is the only true way to do it.
@@GuysPlayingWithTools Bill I bought 4 gallons of white vinegar because I have 3 or 4 fuel tanks to de-rust, they are my winter projects and I am still undecided on whether to coat the inside of the tanks.
I think I will follow you're philosophy. Cheers Mate.
@Mick Hardie you can do a lot with that much 🙂 Don't leave it in more than overnight, it's a weak acid but it's still an acid
going to try this Broward County!!!
I was raised in Broward County! Be patient when you do it, go over night, then rinse the sludge out and do it again and it will be ready to go
I have an old gas tank and I can't find a replacement. I have tried vinegar , and several different tank cleaners . I have used gravel and ball bearings. Nothing gets all of the rust out.
How long did you let it sit with vinegar? On really bad tanks I have let it sit a couple days sometimes.
I am prepping another video on gas tanks using a homespun electrolysis machine that didn't cost much to make, but it was still more expensive than vinegar. It's not better, just faster
@@GuysPlayingWithTools30 days changing the vinegar every 3 days. Also used the rust remover from harbor Freight.
@JDStaffylover That's odd, I am wondering if the previous owner saw rust and sealed the tank rather than cleaning it. What you did was more than enough to clean any tank.
@GuysPlayingWithTools It came off of a tiller that I bought new. I thought I had ran all of the gas out . Left some ethanol and stored it for about 4 years. No hope for it now.
@JDStaffylover I have never seen vinegar fail to clean rust. You said you also tried other rust removal that didn't work... if you were near Dallas, I would give you a new tank and use the one you have for experiments to find out what is different about it.
After i put the wd40 should i clean it again or its good to go to put a gas inside thanks for the response 🙂
It should be good to go. A little wd40 will be diluted so much by the fuel it won't matter
Genius
The original idea came from my wife way back when. It's been my "go-to" ever since. 🙂
Nice new intro!
Thanks!
Works on motorcycle tanks
Sure, it would work on just about anything rusty. After you are done cleaning, make sure you use something to seal the tank. I mention it on the video, but it's important. They sell all sorts of stalker sealants and the all work pretty good
Thanks man
Thanks for stopping by and watching
There's only about 100 videos like this
Probably. It's nearly impossible to do anything that hasn't been done before with well over 800 million videos out there.
That said, it really works, and I enjoy sharing things that really work. If you have ideas for future videos, I would love to hear them
@@GuysPlayingWithTools Warn anybody doing the vinegar tank clean - to not do it if they have a locking gas cap. The vinegar will rust the internals - then you can't unlock the gas tank. They'll need to seal up the tank with something besides the locking gas cap.
@cr500mike Good point. I never thought about locking caps in little motors but on a motorcycle or car, it's a lot more common. I will put together a comment and pin it.
I've used vinegar to remove rust in the past.
YOU MUST USE 30% DILUTED VINEGAR!
Don't use the stuff they sell at the grocery stores.
I use straight distilled vinegar, and it works pretty well. I would love to hear better ways though, why do you dilute it?
@@GuysPlayingWithTools - It's sold already diluted.
Look at the bottle you buy, it probably says 5% vinegar.
30% vinegar can be found at hardware stores, it works better.
I will have to try it. Plain old distilled vinegar has worked really well for me, but I am always up for trying something new.
I have an old tank i can sacrifice(cut in 1/2), I will run them head to head. This will be interesting. .
Ok how do I get that shirt you’re wearing?
I had to go look, I grab every t-shirt I see that makes me laugh. This one came from Amazon. (It's still a favorite)