Incompetence rules

[fredintoon]

As some may remember, I finally got a Standard gas tank to extend my rig's distance between fillups. Looking inside same there's shreds of Kreem hanging off the rusty insides. So I seal off the openings, pour in a gallon or so of lacquer thinner and a length of chain and start the soak & tumble routine for a few days then pour out the horrible brown sludge. So far so good. Now the fellow who said, "rather than a fistful of nuts & bolts which will be a swine to remove, use a length of chain you can just snag with a hook and lift out" had obviously never tried the trick on a Standard tank and I was a fool to believe him. The chain, of course, had wrapped itself several times around the filler hole drain tube and was jammed in solid. I'd have left it in there except the loose ends would have taken out my gas tap filter towers. The only thing I could do was to cut a big hole in the top of the tank to unwind the chain.
Now to try out my welding skills.

[DiverRay]

As long as you have it open, don't forget to CHECK THE TUBE!!!! You WILL want that to drain water and any "spilled" gas. I used a chunk of speedo drive cable to clean the tube on my "new" tank.

[Paintman]

The Missing Link

Hey Fred ive seen that before . now when i clean atank i built a home made rotessire and i will put walnut shells or stell shot in it then i hook it up and walk away usualy in about 2 days everything comes loose then i will rince it out.
good luck with the welding
John

[Doo-Daa]

Hey Fred,

Not to be a kill-joy, but I have sucessfully cleaned several tanks with nothing but straight white vinegar.

Now before everyone jumps on board and steals this thread, I have to say that it is very effective against inside tank rust, but it has it's drawbacks.

Basically it will effectively remove 100% of the rust. So well that once drained and waiting for 3 hours in 20% humidity, the inside of the tank will turn bright orange with new rust.

If people want more info - ask.
But I'm not stealing Fred's thread without Freds permission.

Besides, I need to stay on the good side of him as I enter into my second year of using my 78E as a tug for my California Freedom. I need his wisdom .


Doo-Daa

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Fred,

You couldn't have removed the fuel gauge to possibly get a different angle of access to the chain?? Kinda late anyways, sorry to hear about the chain mess!

Hope you have a low powered MIG, or could get access to a TIG would be even better! Best of luck in not blowing/burning a bigger hole than you already have with it!
T.C.

[fredintoon]

Thanks for the thoughts

Yes, I had pulled the sender and made a plate to go over the hole, same as for the gas taps. I could pull the ends of the chain out of the filler hole and out of the sender hole. Perhaps 8" of it then it jammed.
Then I got mad and cut a big square hole in the top of the tank. (The angle grinder don't fit in the tank tunnel or my ugly welds would be there, out of sight.) The hole revealed that the chain had wrapped three turns of itself around the drainage tube & it's carrier bracket. No effin' way would it have ever pulled out of there. My smallest oxy-acetylene jet turned as low as it'll go will hopefully be OK on the tank material. Now that there's a big hole in the top anyway I can try out my son's el-cheapo sandblasting kit to remove the worst of the rust. Not a 100% white finish, just to knock the chunks off.
And yes, sandblasting = breathing mask + eye protection + outdoors.

[egsols]

Well that just sucks but........

if the welding turns out good then perhaps with your newly acquired skills you can mod another standard tank for even more fuel capacity. Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

[Hammerhead1st]

Hey at least you didnt do the "gravel in the tank" method...I tried that and spent half the summer getting it all out. Damaged my fuel gauge in the process. Harumph....nxt time I'll acid the thing and coat it right. IF I can find a time in Ga where riding isn't really an option..

[fredintoon]

Hi Hammer,
thing is, I knew about the fuel gauge sender and at least that component can be removed and the square hole plated over. But, silly me, I thought the drain tube would be tack-brazed to the inside of the tank top out the way rather than run through the middle like a clothes-line. My buddy Dennis built himself a gas tank rotisserie but he does old Britbikes that don't have chain traps inside them. His favorite tank cleaning medium is shattered car side windows. He claims those little chunks of glass do a wondrous job on a tank's innards. Suck them out afterwards with a shop vac. I have sand blasted the worst of the rust off my tank's inside and am off to the welding suppliers to trade my empty acetylene tank for a full one.

[Hammerhead1st]

UGH...I wish you luck, man. Just dont try to see if it holds gas BEFORE you're done welding...

[Incubus]

I WROTE the rules of incompetence.....

[TopCatGr58]

Hey Fred,

IS the whole where the gas cap hole used to be, or beside it??

I always wanted to put on one of those fancy flush fitted gascaps like you see on the modern bikes and hi $$ sports cars and such. IF you cut out the gas cap, perhaps you could put one of those types of caps/fittings which might help hide the welding scars!?!?
T.C.

[79XS11F]

Question .... Would the whole mess, Chain and sender unit / arm not have come out through the fuel sender unit opening that is already in the fuel tank?
Rob

[fredintoon]

Thanks for the interest

You guys are just happy it ain't you, right?
Hammer; after the hole in the tank is welded back closed I plan to do the old washing soda electrolysis trick on it. The electrolyte will show up any leaks without creating a fire hazard.
Succubus; I guess I have added the odd footnote to your rules.
TC; the hole is downslope of the filler cap pocket so, no fancy filler cap.
79XS; the sender was already out of there & the rectangular hole was sealed with a gasket & a metal plate. Just like with the filler cap hole, I could get a short length out but then it jammed solid. That effin' chain had taken three full turns around the gas cap pocket drain tube. I cut a 3" x 8" hole in the top of the tank to access the bastard.

[TADracer]

Re: Thanks for the interest

Originally posted by fredintoon
You guys are just happy it ain't you, right?

Yep!