Rusty tank

[mbarjbar]

The tank looks good externally, but I wanted to get it cleaned out, so I took it to a shop that does radiators and fuel tanks. The guy calls me today and says that it very rusty inside. He wants $400.00 to clean and seal the tank. Here's the question: should I let him do the work or should I just buy a kit like a KBS sealing kit and do it myself. The tank has no holes or external rust. Or, does anyone know of new replacement tank? Help!

Mike

[Glliw]

A new tank or a good used one is going to run you a pretty penny. If I were you, and I probably am, I would pull the tank and POR-15 it myself. Much cheaper that way.

[manny1973]

Take it to a different radiator shop. I had mine boiled and sealed for $100 last year. $400 is way out of line.

[DC871F]

I took mine out, cut it in half(long ways) right above the weld seem. I had it sand blasted, welded, pressure tested, and powder coated, for around $250. Looks better than brand new.

If you do this, just make sure you take compressed air and run a nozzle in one of the holes to constantly have fresh air running throught it. It may go boom if you dont.

[peapickersting]

$100 is what it should cost. Been there..

[JimmyZ]

Be very careful if you are doing any work on your tank. Tanks can explode and kill or maim. This is one thing that might not give you a second chance if you screw up. This is why having a shop do it is much better. Do a search on this topic and you'll see it's been discussed many times.

Here's a page I made for a do it yourself approach.... http://warbuddies.homestead.com/gastank.html

The Renu franchises are expensive but nice. Member "Diseazd" told me of a fellow who cleans the insides out and then galvanizes the interior. This would be the BEST by far.

2c

Jim

[mbarjbar]

I decided on a compromise, I am having the shop do one tanking. This way they dispose of the old fuel (hazardous waste), degas and clean out a good bit of the rust and crud. I'm going to try the KBS kit, their video was pretty good. Any suggestions about keeping the sealant out of the small fuel outlet and inlets?

[Jeff G 78]

I don't know of the KBS kit, but I can say that the POR-15 kit works very well. I am going on three years and it looks great so far. It was around $55 for the kit and another $15 for misc supplies.

[a7dz]

I used the POR system last fall and am really happy with the results. Cleaned the tank myself and followed all their instructions to a T.

Edited November 26, 2008 by a7dz

[JimmyZ]

A chemical treatment of the tank will buy you some time but the rust will be back. You should consider having the tank opened up and sandblasted inside. The depth of the rust pockets on my '71 Z's tank warranted this and I imagine most Z's would be the same. (Especially if the rust is becoming an issue with the fuel system.)

The KBS system says that it's impervious to alchohol. Interesting

How does one remove KBS if the need should arise later down the road???

[mbarjbar]

Got the tank back today after one tanking, looks rusty inside but not like I was led to believe. I think the DIY method will be fine. However, no one, even in the restoration manual, says anything about the fuel pick up inside the tank. Can the sealant clog the pick up? That would be a bear to fix after all that work....

Mike

[Jeff G 78]

I simply blew mine out throughout the process to make sure it didn't clog. I didn't have any problems.

If you do the DIY cleaning, follow the instructions EXACTLY. Pretend they are telling you how to deactivate a bomb. If you cheat on any aspect, you will be worse off than you are now and will be looking for replacement tank.

It is a lot of work and is a bit tough to do, but if the directions are followed, it will work. I waited for a nice, warm day to make sure it had good drying, but you shouldn't have a problem in California. Just make sure you get it 100% dry before the final step.