Tank cleaning idea

[81xsproject]

I heard this on another site and it sounds like a good idea to me. Obviously the petcocks should be removed and blocked off. You get a carton of BB's and poor them in. Then wrap the tank in blankets. Put it in the cloths dryer so it is pretty well certered and pack in more blanket/towls so the it won't mover around. Then turn the dryer on the 'no heat' setting and let it go. I haven't tryed it, but I like the idea for a really nasty tank.

[audijunky]

I saw it on chopperfix.com.
A member on there did it, but with nuts, bolts, and washers. He said it worked great. Said he put it in for about 30 minutes and a bunch of dust powder poured out. I just so happen to have an old dryer in my garage. Next ugly tank I get gonna definetly give it a try.

[dbeardslee]

I sure wouldn't use bb's. Use some wood screws. You'll find that it is a lot easier putting them in than getting them back out. I cleaned a tank several months ago, and put a whole handfull of woodscrews in the tank. I poured in some laquer thinner and sloshed the whole thing around by hand (no dryer needed). When the sloshing was over I turned the tank upside down and not one screw fell out. I wound up fishing them out via the fuel guage port with a magnet.

Unless I'm mistaken, bbs are made out of copper, and therefore not magnetic. Also, you want the rough edges of a screw so they will knock the loose rust off the inside of the tank.

After you get them out slosh some acetone around in the tank to get rid of the laquer thinner, let it dry and you'll be ready to coat.

[dbeardslee]

Should have put this in the previous post

If you do plan to coat the tank, make sure you put bolts in all the holes (fuel tank level gauge and petcocks) especially if you use the Caswell Plating stuff - it sets-up like iron. First tank I did I broke a tap off in one of the holes and wound up scrapping the tank. The second one I took to a radiator shop and had them do the whole job - $125 and well worth it.

[Guest]

tank cleaning

hey jessie after you get through the bb's ,screws ,nuts or what ever stage go to page 3 i posted tank cleaning? and i used bud manly's post of electrolisys just finished mine this morning worked like a charm tank looks great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
dick

[SiP]

Nearly did that to my cat, fortunately heard her purring before starting dryer.

[dbeardslee]

brokenarrow - I like your electolysis idea a lot better than mine. Where were you when I was doing my tank?!

[81xsproject]

Hey broke arrow, see THIS electrolysis link.

[audijunky]

I did the electrolysis as well. turned out allright, my battery charger was a newer type that senses the batery, so it wouldnt work by itself. Had to hook up a battery in paralell with the tank. Left it outside on a summerday and went to work. that evening apparently there was a small explosion and the plug had blown out of the tank. So if you do this method, make sure there is a breather for the gas created to blow off.

[prometheus578]

"Explosion from pressure build up..."

... which is better than the other type.
Remember that you're separating water molecules...
Those little bubbles you see are hydrogen and oxygen.
(Too early in the morning for me to recall which comes from which anode)
Same as smoking/flames around a charging/discharging battery or sparks caused when using jumper cables... exercise some caution.
Unplug the battery charger before removing the electrodes.

[audijunky]

You mean anode or cathode, right? not WHICH anode?
SO the tank acts as one or the other. And the clothes hanger is the opposite