[old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration
I restored my gas tank about a year ago; let me share my story. I was rather anxious about doing so after hearing all sorts of, that didn't work for me stories. Many, many folks seemed to indicate that is was virtually impossible to restore a gas task successfully on your own. I was not interested in having anyone else do it for a number of reasons. Primarily, I take joy in doing the work on my own and looking back to see a job well done. Secondly, I am tight with my money; since my labor is free, I can typically do the job cheaper than anyone else. Finally, I find that my work generally is more carefully and metiticulously done than anyone I pay. To clean the tank of varnish, I purchased a can of lye from Lowe's, dumped it in the tank, then added several gallons of boiling water. Be careful adding lye to boiling water. As lye disolves, it releases heat, so adding it boiling water creates even more heat and steam. I would let the solution sit in one portion of the tank, then rotate it after a while. I let the stuff sit overnight in the bottom as that was where most of the goo was. After dumping, I sprayed it out FOR EVER (the stuff is difficult to wash off). Lye will do some work on rust, but nothing spectacular. I knew that it was going to take some type of mechanical work to remove the serious rust. I had heard of putting in a chain and shaking the tank, so off I went to find a chain. It was loud and tiring. After shaking until my arms were jelly, I shook another 30 minutes. It's hard work, but it works good. The rinse water was almost as nasty as the lye solution. The inside of the tank was looking nice. I knew it needed a final preparation though before coating it with gas tank sealer. I used a posphoric acid solution that I had used in the past before painting metal surfaces. Ospho is what it's called and it's avaiable at Lowe's too. I dumped in a quart of this stuff and sloshed it around. What surface rust had developed from water sitting inside the tank was removed. The stuff also etches the metal surface, one last thing to help a sealer stick. Drying the inside of the tank is critical. This can be a tough task since the inside of the tank is essentially enclosed. I learned a trick some time in the past: buy a fish tank pump and dangle the tube inside of the tank. Leave it a few days. The final step is to dump in your choice gas tank sealer. I used the Por15 stuff, which has done well. If you have pin holes, the stuff will fill them. If you have larger holes, leave them open till you have coated the inside of the tank entirely by rolling it around. Hang the tank so that the sealer can drip out of the tank. While it is beginning to dry, take fiberglass material and cover any large holes that don't seal up. Paint the outside of the tank around the holes, apply the fiberglass patch, then paint over the patch. Wait several days and you are ready to go. Make no mistake, the job is an arduous one. I assure you that you will not get a better job done anywhere though. The real work is the cleaning. The cleaning is the critical part. Skimp on that and you might as well not bother trying to restore your tank at all -the sealer will not stick for long. Many folks talk of aving it boiled out. Some places will not do it, some will. Sometimes, the job is adequate, sometimes not. Boiling it out does not remove rust, just as the lye does not. Do the job yourself and do it only once! Will --- In old-chevy-truck@yahoogroups.com, mciolli [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello all. I've a question for the group regarding removing the varnish sediment left behind in an old gas tank. The tank in question is off of a '65 John Deere, but I'm guessing some of those here have encountered this. I went thru the archives and found some references to restoring tanks, but none that I found recommended what type of solvent to use to remove the varnish. My friend that's restoring the tractor had some success with Gum Cutter (Acetone, Toluene, Xylene carb cleaner), but the quantity required would cost way too much. He dumped a quart of Acetone in the tank and said it seemed to cut it, but he's not sure if this is the best and/or most readily available solvent to use. One of the archived posts suggested taking the tank to a radiator repair shop and having it boiled, but he's trying to clean it on his own if it doesn't cost a bundle. Since a repop tank isn't available he's limited to cleaning/reusing the tank he has. Any suggestions the group has would be greatly appreciated. Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings
[old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration
Cool Mike ; I cannot seem to keep all the various names straight . There's a good buncha folks on this list , ready to help . I bet if you asked any welding shop they could bend up a set of 1/4 straps to hols the saddle typ gas tnak to the frame , esp. if you had the bed off so they could _see_ what you wanted before beginning . I like to use thin rubber strips between gas tank straps and the actual tank to prevent chafing tiny holes . -Nate Mike wrote: Thanks to all the members for some great tips. I'm glad to see this topic was able to bring back some good memories for some of those here. Mike '49 3100 5 window P.S. to Nate: My apologies for leaving my name off of my first post. I was trying to sneak the post up before the end of my lunch hour. Thanks again for sharing your experiences and for some great advice. Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration
I'm green with envy. In my youth I used to do field work all day on a 1952 JD A on our 357 acre farm in Wakeman Ohio. I have it on my list to find and rebuild one after the 1952 3600 and the 1926 Model T that are in line. My brother just finished rebuilding a JD 730. Bob Moore [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration
JD Green I presume. I too spent some time on the farm with some Johnny Poppers. [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.OldSub.com - Original Message - From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: old-chevy-truck@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 8:05 AM Subject: Re: [old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration I'm green with envy. . [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration
Not to mention name brands but what about Coca-Cola? (Half joking...) On Sep 9, 2006, at 7:48 AM, vwnate1 wrote: Acetone is the stuff to use , as much as he can afford and have him toss in a BIG handfull of _clean_ sheet metal screws , nuts washers to help scrape off the crud in the corners faster easier as he shakes the bejeebers out of it ~ this is the hard part , takes lots and lots of shaking and turning the tank as there will be sludge varnish in the botton and rusty crud in the top , all of it must be scraped and then drained out , I like to strain through a BIG funnel lined with felt scraps so I can not only re-cover my hardware but this also allows you to re-use the liquid medium a couple times to help rinse the tank . Then pour in a gallon or two of Phosphoric Acid and slosh that all around to dissolve the remaining rust . DO NOT use Muriatic Acid ! (swimming pool) this eats the good metal , Phosphoric Acid cannot damage good metal . Good luck with the J-D , we had a '35 Model A and a '37 Model B John Deer tractors on the farm when I was a laddie , good tractors if a bit slow . This is a very freindly group so post your name at the end of each post to garner better more replies . -Nate mciolli wrote: Hello all. I've a question for the group regarding removing the varnish sediment left behind in an old gas tank. The tank in question is off of a '65 John Deere, but I'm guessing some of those here have encountered this. I went thru the archives and found some references to restoring tanks, but none that I found recommended what type of solvent to use to remove the varnish. My friend that's restoring the tractor had some success with Gum Cutter (Acetone, Toluene, Xylene carb cleaner), but the quantity required would cost way too much. He dumped a quart of Acetone in the tank and said it seemed to cut it, but he's not sure if this is the best and/or most readily available solvent to use. One of the archived posts suggested taking the tank to a radiator repair shop and having it boiled, but he's trying to clean it on his own if it doesn't cost a bundle. Since a repop tank isn't available he's limited to cleaning/reusing the tank he has. Any suggestions the group has would be greatly appreciated. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/ * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
RE: [old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration
Too much sugar and not enough acid :) Doug -Original Message- From: old-chevy-truck@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jonas Thaler Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2006 11:29 AM To: old-chevy-truck@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration Not to mention name brands but what about Coca-Cola? (Half joking...) On Sep 9, 2006, at 7:48 AM, vwnate1 wrote: Acetone is the stuff to use , as much as he can afford and have him toss in a BIG handfull of _clean_ sheet metal screws , nuts washers to help scrape off the crud in the corners faster easier as he shakes the bejeebers out of it ~ this is the hard part , takes lots and lots of shaking and turning the tank as there will be sludge varnish in the botton and rusty crud in the top , all of it must be scraped and then drained out , I like to strain through a BIG funnel lined with felt scraps so I can not only re-cover my hardware but this also allows you to re-use the liquid medium a couple times to help rinse the tank . Then pour in a gallon or two of Phosphoric Acid and slosh that all around to dissolve the remaining rust . DO NOT use Muriatic Acid ! (swimming pool) this eats the good metal , Phosphoric Acid cannot damage good metal . Good luck with the J-D , we had a '35 Model A and a '37 Model B John Deer tractors on the farm when I was a laddie , good tractors if a bit slow . This is a very freindly group so post your name at the end of each post to garner better more replies . -Nate mciolli wrote: Hello all. I've a question for the group regarding removing the varnish sediment left behind in an old gas tank. The tank in question is off of a '65 John Deere, but I'm guessing some of those here have encountered this. I went thru the archives and found some references to restoring tanks, but none that I found recommended what type of solvent to use to remove the varnish. My friend that's restoring the tractor had some success with Gum Cutter (Acetone, Toluene, Xylene carb cleaner), but the quantity required would cost way too much. He dumped a quart of Acetone in the tank and said it seemed to cut it, but he's not sure if this is the best and/or most readily available solvent to use. One of the archived posts suggested taking the tank to a radiator repair shop and having it boiled, but he's trying to clean it on his own if it doesn't cost a bundle. Since a repop tank isn't available he's limited to cleaning/reusing the tank he has. Any suggestions the group has would be greatly appreciated. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration
My 47 1 ton has had several modifications, one of which is the gas tank(s). It currently has two saddle bag tanks, but I was wondering if anyone could confirm that these actually came with a underbody style gas tank? I have someone working on the truck now who says that only one of the tanks is worth saving due to lots of rust in the bottom. If that is so, I would prefer to go back to something closer to original. Any suggestions to a vendor for these? Dan Corsicana, TX vwnate1 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Acetone is the stuff to use , as much as he can afford and have him toss in a BIG handfull of _clean_ sheet metal screws , nuts washers to help scrape off the crud in the corners faster easier as he shakes the bejeebers out of it ~ this is the hard part , takes lots and lots of shaking and turning the tank as there will be sludge varnish in the botton and rusty crud in the top , all of it must be scraped and then drained out , I like to strain through a BIG funnel lined with felt scraps so I can not only re-cover my hardware but this also allows you to re-use the liquid medium a couple times to help rinse the tank . Then pour in a gallon or two of Phosphoric Acid and slosh that all around to dissolve the remaining rust . DO NOT use Muriatic Acid ! (swimming pool) this eats the good metal , Phosphoric Acid cannot damage good metal . Good luck with the J-D , we had a '35 Model A and a '37 Model B John Deer tractors on the farm when I was a laddie , good tractors if a bit slow . This is a very freindly group so post your name at the end of each post to garner better more replies . -Nate mciolli wrote: Hello all. I've a question for the group regarding removing the varnish sediment left behind in an old gas tank. The tank in question is off of a '65 John Deere, but I'm guessing some of those here have encountered this. I went thru the archives and found some references to restoring tanks, but none that I found recommended what type of solvent to use to remove the varnish. My friend that's restoring the tractor had some success with Gum Cutter (Acetone, Toluene, Xylene carb cleaner), but the quantity required would cost way too much. He dumped a quart of Acetone in the tank and said it seemed to cut it, but he's not sure if this is the best and/or most readily available solvent to use. One of the archived posts suggested taking the tank to a radiator repair shop and having it boiled, but he's trying to clean it on his own if it doesn't cost a bundle. Since a repop tank isn't available he's limited to cleaning/reusing the tank he has. Any suggestions the group has would be greatly appreciated. - All-new Yahoo! Mail - Fire up a more powerful email and get things done faster. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration
On Sep 8, 2006, at 2:09 PM, Douglas C Sims wrote: I just love it when they bring out NEW data on OLD chemicals. I worked in a chemical plant making Benzene Toluene. None of the MSDS sheets for Toluene looked anything like that. Of course the old hands used to wash their tools with the Benzene, because it was such a good solvent back before anybody figured out just how bad it was/is for us. Doug Yah, that's the sad part of all of this. A lot like smoking cigarettes I suppose. I'm young and have had the benefit of years of peoples experience with these chemicals. Unfortunately this information has come pretty late for those who worked with it over the years. That said, there are very effective solvents out there that are not nearly as toxic. Probably not as good as the the most potent ones we have described here, but that is almost certainly what makes them so unhealthy at the same time. A very common, widely used solvent in the lab is Acetone. This does a great job of solvating, and need only be treated respectively in the presence of open flame and in the absence of adequate ventilation. Benzene has all but disappeared from the market. It was a great solvent, only its toxicity is off the charts. Albion Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Re: [old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration
Check with any local radiator repair shop. They all used to boil gas tanks up until a few years ago. These days far fewer do but there may be one or two left in your area. The guys who work at the radiator repair shops will know who still does this in your area. Alan '50 Chevy 1/2 ton Denver - Original Message - From: wgilbert_99 To: old-chevy-truck@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 3:07 PM Subject: [old-chevy-truck] Re: Gas Tank Restoration What you say is true. I am now 64 and have been up to my elbows in that stuff, about once a year between 1965 and 1975. How do I find a tank boiling establishment in a town of 50,000? ...bill Recent Activity a.. 5New Members Visit Your Group New Message Search Find the message you want faster. Visit your group to try out the improved message search. Share feedback on the new changes to Groups . -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.2/442 - Release Date: 9/8/2006 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links * To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/ * Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional * To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/old-chevy-truck/join (Yahoo! ID required) * To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] * To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] * Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
