you are a freaking genius! Solved my tank issues after 10 minutes with just watching this video. We have been so conditioned to just go the "purchase a solution" route that I have actually spent quite a bit of money, probably hundreds throughout the years on "rust reformers" and "tank liners" and this shit works just fine. You just saved me a crap load of money. Thanks for posting this buddy.
We did this today on a badly corroded DL650 fuel tank and it worked a treat. Tank is almost like new. Thanks for the video, you inspired us to give it a go and we are very glad we did.
Just took your advice and in less than 5 min all the rust was gone. My tank wasn't that bad but holy crap this stuff works! No dilution just make sure you have baking soda diluted with some water on hand in case you get some on your self you can neutralize it. I used an empty 2 liter bottle of soda with water about a 1/4 cup of baking soda mixed in.
I just did this on a 1964 chevy van gas tank. The van was last registered 1983. I pulled it out of a field where it was buried up to the axles in mud. The tank was disgusting -- full of scale and nasty rust. I actually poured chunks and flakes of dried rust out of the tank. I used straight muriatic acid like in the video. I let it sit in there about half hour and sloshed it around every now and then. It got it clean! You can look in there and see clean metal, where previously it was all scaly nasty rust and crud. I was amazed. It really worked well. Thanks alot for the video. Very helpful.
Brought back fond memories of my Dad ,since he used to use Muriatic Acid for tackling cleaning /renewing jobs a lot ! Yet this hadn’t rekindled in my memory till I watched your video !Peace brother .
Years later still is a great how to. Just got done with a KLR tank, perhaps fifteen minutes total sloshing a gallon around in that big tank and it now looks new. Rinsed with water to dilute the acid, then rinsed with Baking Soda solution to make sure it was neutralized, drained as best I could, and then WD40 in their "Big Blast" can which is seemingly made for the purpose. After sloshing the WD40 around for a while what drained was a milky liquid that I'm thinking is the remaining water emulsified by the WD40, I suspect not much water left to worry about. Then poured in a half of a quart bottle of Marvel Mystery Oil and sloshed that around...hopefully no flash rust as it will be a few days before I can fill the tank with gas. THANKS, RM!
God richly bless you for sharing this corrosion removal hack !Was on my way to Publix to purchase White Vinegar,Lemons,Salt,Coca Cola and whip up a brew for tackling some rust in my DEK 5000 Generator fuel tank and decided to look at some UA-cam videos .Your video was heaven sent and that statement lol was awesome ! Didn’t have to go to the store since we had Muriatic Acid for the swimming pool !Double thumbs up from me to you sir !
Awesome! I just cleaned, etched and coated a tank this morning. The muriatic acid made the cleaning part so much easier and quicker. I used POR15 Metal Prep and Tank Sealer after cleaning and drying. Glad I found this video!
I just tried this and it worked very well for my needs. Before the acid I filled the tank with drywall screws and made each of my 3 kids take turns shaking it for 5 minutes to break up the rust first. I then flushed it out with distilled water and added some gas mixed with oil to hopefully help coat the surface from rusting again. All in all it worked very well, thanks for the video!
I tried this cleaning technique on a really nasty rusty Harley-Davidson Sportster fuel tank, I filled it to the brim with the acid, I actually had to let it sit for four days before all the rust was dissolved, that’s how bad it was. However the result was spectacular! My advice is to siphon all the acid back into its original plastic jug with a cheap plastic siphon then flush with a garden hose. Just coating the inside with oil won’t prevent rust from returning. I recommend following up with a tank liner product immediately! Then your good to go. Word of caution: you need a good respirator because the fumes carry out to about a 15 foot radius. Also, you need good wrap around eye protection goggles and rubber gloves plus your garden hose handy! The reason why I used a siphon was to protect the paint job on the fuel tank and it’s much safer and cleaner transferring the acid back into the original container. Of course all of this is done OUTDOORS! Away from kids or critters.
Tank liners are a joke and don't last long, chip off and are harder to remove than rust. Just add a half ounce of 2 stroke oil every few tankfulls and you wont have a rust problem.
This is the best way to clean a gas tank and no it won't harm the paint in a metal tank. I used it on a motorcycle tank after trying just about everything from rust remover to Apple cider vinegar, but in 7 minutes with this stuff clean as new
Just did today after watching this video on my 1985 Honda ATC 250SX and it worked great. I definitely used gloves and glasses though. After rinsing out with water, I followed what you said and used some of my pre-mix gas since it has oil in it. Worked perfect. Showed me the leaks too, lol. I've used Por15 before but gonna try the Kreem this time around. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for this video: I was wondering how best to clean the rust of my newly acquired 1978 Kawasaki KZ750: its been left sitting in a damp garage for the past 18 years so the inside of the tank was thick with rust. As you promised, this stuff did the job in 10 minutes, so thanks - you have saved me a trip to a specialist. If anyone is watching this in the UK and is wondering where to get the chemical mentioned, well it can be found in Homebase for £3 and is called 'Spirits of Salt'.
OK you safety guys out there, YES you should wear safety equipment. Secondly, if you let air into anything that is "clean metal", it is going to rust. This video is great and I beleive intended to clean a tank that will be used very soon. The oil coating he puts in will slow down the corrosion process but will not stop it. I have filled mine with ETHANOL FREE GAS after cleaning the way this gentleman states and have HAD NO PROBLEMS !!!. Also I would recommend (no I don't have any investment in this product) using Yamaha Ring Free in all your engines. Check it out on You Tube. I have had amazing results. No I don't work for any associated companies wit this product .... It just works. Keep the air out of those tanks and they won't rust. Thank you again for this helpful video. PS to the guy who used the drywall screws ... Good idea, I used BB's lol
Dry wall screws are pretty dang sharp - on an older, heavily rusted tank, I would be leary about using them for fear of them poking a hole in the tank when shaking them around.
Amazing result and so fast. I used hydrochloric acid (basically the same thing). For those about to try this though, wear gloves, and watch the fumes.... phewee!!
You should neutralize the acid when done by soaking the tank in a solution of baking SODA and water for 10 or 15 minutes right away. Then get it dry quick.
Muriatic Acid is the KING! Been trying to tell people for years!........my personal favorite is Naval Jelly, good balance of Power and slower burn rate(maybe 1 or 2 hours)....good for thinner, or higher end tanks, No risk of burning holes.....also leaves Lots of chalky Residue, so won't flash rust...and it stops eating once you drain water! Great stuff also.
Just did this over the weekend on a 40L/10gal Acura Integra tank. Took 12L/3gal worth of Acid but it worked flawlessly. Thanks for saving me a ton of time and headache, not to mention MONEY!!
I tell you I had no time to wait for all the "products" to clean out tanks that take anywhere from hours to days... I had one day & this worked better than I could of ever hoped for! I wish I would have taken a video of it. i wasn't even going to worry about the outside of the tank but this worked so well & was so easy I did the outside of the tank as well!! the before & after photos are almost non believable. Not sure how to post them here but this is a must know for anyone who works on "old things" oh ya, love the tee shirt slogan!
This is an awesome video. Just got my XL250 slightly rusty tank. I was thinking coating the inside might cause problems later on if I did not do it right. Then I thought about the slosh of oil and you did just what I thought. Your whole method on cleaning the tank is what I am going to do. Thank You.
I'm restoring an old Honda and had some hydrochloric acid in my shed. I just tried this process with a 40yo Honda tank and it cleaned up 99.9% of the rust within 20mins. I'll leave it to sit another 30mins and it will probably dissolve the rest to look perfect. It did however expose two pin holes which I'll lead solder. Use both sides of your brain, be careful, wear gloves and don't drink the stuff.
Just wanted to give an update on my old Briggs and Stratton fuel tank, I used the stuff from Walmart which is weaker and I went 50/50 and soaked it for about 3 1/2 hours and it worked great. Thanks for this video.
11-4-17. Used this method on a Yamaha XT 600 gas tank, worked Great! I made a metal block off plate for the petcock, diluted the acid slightly with water, took about 1 hour to get it all out. Wear Gloves, Eye protection and don't breathe it at all. Poured the left over acid out in the backyard in the gravel, hosed it all down for 15 minutes, all good.
Yeah, so after letting it sit on all sides you just drained and swooshed it in a little more acid? I don't have access to water hose, so wondering how to purge the gunk leftover after the first clean...
Bro! Thanks for the info! Tried this on my rusty gas tank and it worked flawlessly! When you shook my tank, it sounded like a salt shaker! That's how bad mine was. Now it's like a new tank! Thanks again.
I’ve got to try this! I have an old 1958 David Bradley Roto Spader with a Briggs model 8B engine and the tank looks like it’s had old gas left in it for 60 yrs. Full of rust and the usual suspects. I tried vinegar and added some nuts and bolts to shake it around and got a lot of the chunks and rust out, but it takes too long and I can’t shake the thing for hours to get it done. A paint shaker would be great though. There’s still a lot of “surface” rust in the tank and it’s gotta go! Hope this does the trick because I’m ready to put this thing back together and see if it’ll run after it appears it’s not ran in at least 20 yrs!
Bought some muriatic acid today after work. Put a little in, rotated the tank around a few times, rinsed it with baking soda and water, then 2-stroke mixed gas, then a little oil. The acid worked like a charm and I didn’t get any flash rust whatsoever! So glad I came across this video. An $8 jug of acid and some common sense saved me a lot of money and time trying to do it any other way! Thanks!
I've used acid before to clean out my 1947 Ford 2N"s tank, it works quite well. But, first things first, safety equipment is a must. Chemical gloves, eye protection and preferably a respirator. Not using safety equipment is asking for it... Also if you have really bad deposits in your tank like some of mine, I recommend using bolts, nuts etc. to remove the big junk first. Then once that is done use the acid to remove the rest.
I used aquarium gravel in gas and shook it for quite a while. All the flakey and a lot of visible rust was removed. I figured Muratic Acid was the answer as I used it in my swimming pool. If you buy it in the pool section the charge you $20 for a gallon as folks with pools probably have too much money. Go the paint department and the same Muriatic Acid is a few bucks. Sure, rubber gloves are smart and goggles not a bad idea.
Muratic acid is what we use to clean driveways for those wondering what to do with it.. Dilute it with water and pour it on your driveway and scrub it with a pushbroom. Hose it off after ten minutes. BTW, it is also found in your stomach. It is what digests your food.
im glad i was able to help you out & that would make an awesome T shirt wouldn't it ? i may have to talk to someone about making me one , the cx500 is a nice bike you gotta love old honda's . are you going to post any videos of the bike ? if so i would love to check it out .
nice - I just got a Honda ATC 185S - and the tank is a horrorshow inside! Would you recommend doing a bit of a shake-around with gravel/old bolts first, to remove the biggest flakes?
the acid should eat all of it off but it might help to knock some of the crud loose and dump out what you can just so the acid isnt having to eat through layers of crud it would definitely help cut down to cleaning time .
Once you get the rust out you MUST install a liner like Red Kote or the rust comes back instantly.Call a local radiator shop. Many will boil out your tank and install a permanent liner for around 25.00.Money well spent.
I put nuts and bolts in mine with some diesel and seal it all up and stick it in the dryer. Shove comforters around it to keep it from moving. Then put on air fluff (no heat) for 30min. Comes out spotless clean. Best done when wife is away.
Lol that is very creative , i have a similar system with rustoleum spray paint since it takes forever to dry , if i am painting small metal parts i will put them on a cheap baking sheet that i bought for 2 bucks from walmart then once painted i will put them in the oven for 20 minutes at 220 degrees , makes the house smell like paint so i have to do it when the wife isn't around , once the parts cool down they are completely dry and perfectly smooth .
dude that was a great video works great !!!!! i used it to clean my ceptic tank looked brand new ,, the next morning i pumped it out of the tank on the fence line and it got rid of all the field mice in 2 hrs
I got my tank full of white vinegar right now yours was still very usable the tank I got is from a motorcycle that was sitting in the rain for a year and a half with no gas cap on talk about rust it is full it's been one day now tomorrow I'm going to clean it out and it still doesn't look new I'm going to do this
Great video, thanks for posting it. My tank is larger and more awkwardly shaped, the motorbike started to have poor performance I found water in the fuel filter, I suspected it was from the gas station, we just had hurricane Ian come through, I replaced the gas, it worked fine for the five minutes and went back to starving, I changed the filter, same thing. I ran it without the filter, same thing, I cleaned the carbs, ran okay for 5 minute and started to starve again. When looking through the gas we noticed a spot of rust in one of the bends at the bottom of the tank, it was not big at all. I did the vinegar clean first, tons of rust came out along with flakes, it looked like someone crushed a cigarette inside, also some mold looking stuff that was at the top inside of the tank, it came loose because i filled the entire tank with vinegar. after removing the vinegar i rinsed it with baking soda and water, then water along, then i dried it with the heat gun. It was all rusty worst than before. That was when i came across this video. I watched it, I read all the comments. I got me a gallon of muriatic acid, plugged up holes with rubber and makeshift caps that i made, I put the acid in, shook the tank, got a timer, turned it as needed. Then I dumped the acid, immediately dumped inside a 1/2 a gallon of gas (from a different gas station) mixed with 10w40 synthetic oil, shook the tank around all possible ways and got rid of the gas, which came out black, I repeated this rinse one more time. I reinstalled the float with sensor and petcock, added about 2 gallons of new premium gas, fired up the thing. it sucked so bad, worse than before. I disconnected the tank and run it on gas from a separate container, it ran better. The inside of the tank was completely rusted, even worse than the first time it flashed. I had done some rusty tools that i had around, used the same process, they are okay, no rust on them. Even with the humidity brought by the next storm, Nicole. Now I have 2 gallons of muriatic acid diluted in 3 gallons of water, my tank hold 5 gallons, it is filled to the top, I figure that the last time as I was turning it I must to have missed a side. it already removed the rust that was on the tanks cap hole neck. What do you recommend, I do different this time, after I remove the acid wash?
Hi, random mechanic is that a batavus? My dad and me had long time ago a Horex and he cleaned his tank , someway like yours. Only he used small grind ftom the garden and gaz, My job was to shake the tank and ik worked! Nice to see someone not using fancy stuff but American brain.
Use rubbing alcohol or Heet to help get the moisture out. Stick the filler hole to a running engine exhaust pipe helps remove fumes before, helps heat the tank, and after to dry it out.
I’m needing to do this to my tank very badly. But once I take out the acid. What kind of oil do I need to put into the tank to prevent flash rusting. That was the only vague info of the video. And I really need that info
Like engine oil , 2 stroke gas will work , it will rinse it out and lightly coat the tank in oil do this a few times , pour some in shake and dump it out ,
So...what about neutralizing the metal w/a mixture of baking soda and water prior to oiling (diesel fuel works good) and then rinsing w/gasoline. Not necessary?
Hello, the bottle of acid I have reads 20 degrees baume commercial [31.45%]. On the bottle it says to dilute acid with 4 parts water to remove rust from steel, followed by a thorough water rinse. What are your thoughts on diluting? It seems that you were using undiluted from the bottle but maybe your acid was not as concentrated as mine. I have approx 2 cups of acid in a very old bottle. Given the fact that you left it in a very short time in the tank maybe undiluted followed by a flush is the way to go. Also, I have an old kitchen scrub brush (pole style with metal stem and plastic brushes) which is near the end of its life cycle so I am using that to loosen/remove rust as much as possible before trying acid. I also am using a narrow beam flashlight to see down into the tank. That way I can see the before and after. Many thanks, David.
The tank should be cleaned out with something that will neutralize the acid, baking soda should work, otherwise it can stay in the metal and damage it.
Water, and plenty of it, neutralizes acid just fine. I would be a bit hesitant about putting baking soda in there, afterwards, as it contains approx. 60% sodium ( salt), which causes metal to rust.
The last step was coat the inside with oil , you can just rinse it out with mixed gas it will leave a slight oily coating that will prevent flash rust until you are ready to use the tank
I'm about to do this with my son's '71 Honda with gas that has been in there for a very long time! Thanks fo rposting your video!! Will update after we do it.
+The Random Mechanic Ok, I took the apple cider vinegar approach instead because I felt it was a little safer than using acid. I will say it got rid of 95% of the crap inside. If I used the acid it probably would've gotten the whole tank clean.
I was about to spend 360 at the shot to get my rusted tank fixed. Im definitely gonna try this. Seems legit. I got 2008 honda CBR600RR, just gotta figure out its its an aluminum tank. 🤔
i found a 5hp tiller that someone threw out in the trash. tank full of rust chunks and by the smell they had tried to clean it with brush cleaner! tore it down, new carb coming for $20 so just need to clean the tank and should be good after that 😁
I got a rust so bad in my 73's honda CB 450 tank, it caused a leak. I just cleaned it and seal it with metal resin from the outside of the tank. Will the acid messed up the seal I just made? Thank you
Always remember to neutralize the acid with baking soda Both in the gas tank and and the used acid . I am not a green person but it just makes sense to neutralize acid.
doesn't matter, just dump some cheap 30 weight oil in there, you can even use old oil from an oil change if you want to but run it through a tee shirt to filter out any dirt
I have an old 1982 xj1100 that I need to do this bad How would I go about the petcocks being that there are 2 just take them off and find a way to close them off could I use maybe a piece of plastic and tape or what would you recommend? thank you for this VID!
+Kyle Shalley if they are the bolt on type i usually remove them and find a piece of wood or metal and i make a plate that i can bolt on over the hole with a gasket made from old cereal box or whatever i have laying around . you can also go to a hardware store like ace and pick up small rubber plugs or corks from the assorted hardware bins and just plug them off
+The Random Mechanic So I made the plates and at the end you state about putting oil in the tank see my tank being a way different shape im trying to figure out how to put it on its side
+Kyle Shalley normally with bolt on petcocks il make a plate that bolts in place of the petcock sometimes il make it out of wood or metal and just use some roll gasket from the auto parts store to seal it once bolted in place . the thread on type i just shove a large fuel line over the threads and put a bolt in it , you can also just go get a rubber plug from the hardware isle of ace hardware and plug it off
Will this break up metal chunks in the tank? I was going to use acetone in my tank to break up the first failed sealer I used, but this might work better than that.
I'm soaking my 71 honda ct90 fuel tank now , I did 25% Acid 75% tap water. Gonna soak overnight, 20 hrs or so flipping it every few hours. I'll report back my results ... Right now, this tank is cacked with rust.. 1 good tip that he said was add oil to it and swirl... that I will do!
@Griffin Sauter it worked 100% great. After I soaked it and drained the acid I immediately coated it with 10w30 and drained it, than used WD40 than drained it . Than rinsed with gas.
Hey Random! I want to thank you for this video! I just happened to have a bottle of muriatic acid handy and never thought of it! I had a fuel tank on a Rototiller that was just drowning in rust and crap! Cleaned it like a whistle! Appreciate your efforts in this video!
+Stephanie leos did you coat the tank with oil before putting gas back in it ? normally the rust doesn't come back , if it does i would suggest maybe adding a light mixture of 2 stroke oil to your fuel maybe a 60:1 mixture it will make the exhaust smoke a little but it will help keep it coated for a while until the rust is stopped completely
Keep in mind that today's gasoline has ethanol in it which means it will emulsify water into your gas very easily. Try to find ethanol free gas for all your small engines. Helps eliminate rust build up and keeps (aluminum) carbs from going to hell over the winter months.
+The Random Mechanic I've removed rust with only vinegar multiple times. It rips all the rust rigt out. problem is... it comes back no matter what I do. I coat it with marvels mystery oil and seafoam seconds after I rinse out the acid; Rust always comes back in 24 hours. It's a honda 1985 tank; not super ancient by any means?
honestly i have never used vinegar to clean a gas tank i know it will get the bulk of the rust out but i have never seen the final product , when i use the acid sometimes the metal will turn a light copper color after a few days with no fuel in it but i have never had the rust come back , you have to make sure that all of the acid is out of the tank sometimes it has to be rinsed out a few times with 2 stroke gas then dried with an air hose from your air compressor , then i will put 10w 30 oil in it and shake it up to coat the inside really good ,
good oil to use is mystery oil as it's an upper head lubricant any way. biggest problem with muriatic acid is it's very strong will eat your concrete floor eyes and skin so be mindful ,don't leave it for any body or pets to get into.It is the fastest and serious .Phosphorate acid can be had at napa it smells like rotten eggs and is the exact ,same acid used in drinking soda yup that's why coke is an old time metal cleaning solution ,a VERY mild one at that.But that acid as poisonous as it is ,you will find it in many soft drinks," STOP DRINKING POISON" just because they use it ,to slowly kill you ,doesn't mean you should agree with those corporations to kill you slowly. with out that acid coke ,excetra would be too sweet to drink .Acid is the only thing to cut thru that sugar syrup .It makes your mind think it quenched your thirst but it really made you drink a toxic ,life shortening poison instead. Most body shops use the phosphoric acid to wash bare body metal done to remove rust.Its milder than muriatic but not a whole lot more.It will clean concrete and blind you just as fast.
What happens when people read scientific articles with only half the information that can be traced back to someone selling something. Hydrochloric acid is apart of your digestive acids and when used in consumable products is buffered and /or neutralized making that supposed point moot. This is all common sense high-school level remedial science. Don't bother responding with more half the Science babble, equalizing chemical equations with coefficients is a fun activity for me. Trolling a video for cleaning rusted gas tanks to tell others not to drink pop or eat ketchup, is your life really that sad?
@@ambernoneyah4602 I don't agree with your trolling comment. The whole point of the the replies is to gain other people's knowledge and experiences on the subject and use of HCL as well as other ideas. I don't read comments to hear the same regurgitated replies. In fact his 3 year old comment on phosphoric acid is exactly what I was interested in. I was looking for something not so harsh to clean light spotty rust in my Yamaha gas tank and this fits that criteria. HCL is way to harsh for my needs I believe. The soda comment was perfect and I didn't know about this. Why? Because my father drinks that garbage. I will use this information to try and scare him from not drinking that crap. It's harder now for him he has had two strokes and I blame it on the food choices he made and yes I think soda is one of them. Maybe next time you should consider this and not be so quick to judge this guy.
@@tashagolden7748 In failing to see your point. Science is either accurate or inaccurate. Opinions on soda are not facts. It has its issues like the amounts of sugar, types of sugar (especially in diet), excess caffeine, etc. It certainly is not healthy. My issue is with people spreading misinformation. There are plenty of other science backed issues to stand on a soap box with. Furthermore, people's choice to drink soda has nothing to do with cleaning a tank with Muriatic Acid. That is the very definition of trolling.
@@ambernoneyah4602 phosphoric acid is used in coke a cola and ice tea like he mentioned. I looked it up so it is a fact. I bought some phosphoric acid from the auto parts store and used on bunch of rusted things metal items as a test before I put into my gas tank. It works and took the deep pitted rust as well. I'm quite pleased with results and doesn't have the hazards of muriatic acid. The point is had he not mentioned people wouldn't know how good it works. As for his opinion about soda... it was a bonus because he's right. I suppose I'm a troll for agreeing with him or her as well ? Get a grip.
@@tashagolden7748 It's buffered and /or neutralized when used in consumable products. That was the point and the facts. Spreading 1/2 truths is the problem. If you're on board with spreading misinformation that's on you. If you opted for a different way to clean your tank there's nothing wrong with that. I would never tell anyone to use a chemical /product they're not comfortable with. In this situation acid vapor absolutely can be dangerous. You'll get no argument from me there.
Done what you have done, except putting oil inside on tank (lost when you said that), scooter tank gets all rusted up the next day. Do you know what I have done wrong? Cleaned it up & made sure no fluid from inside of tank (inside of tank was very clean), placed inside of garage. The next morning, rust came back on neck and inside of tank.
you need to put some oil inside the tank after your are done using the acid it will coat the tank and stop flash rusting any oil will do , 2 stroke or 5w30 just pour a cup or two of oil in the tank and slosh it around real good then pour it out dont worry about getting every drop then put the tank back on and fill it up with gas it should be good to go
I thought oil in the gas tank would be bad. I will clean it out, again, using muriatic acid, gasoline, then a cup or two of oil. Thank you for your suggestions.
Just did this on a 1998 Honda magna tank it was really really bad it did flash rust it. didn't hear the part about oil. But I'm ok with the flash rust it's a million times better then it was. Already planned on coating the tank with the red-kote fuel tank liner after the process. I'm just honestly happy that the major rust is gone!!! So thanks for the video!!
that is completely up to you normally i don't bother , as long as you are not going to let it sit long enough for the gas to go bad and rust the tank up again it should be ok ,
I what hasn't been said is it makes the metal flash rust I. Minutes!. Also it will eat right through a badly rusted spot causing leaks. Also it has to be dried out instantly and coated with a sealer, or filled to the top right up to the lid with rust converter . Otherwise it will rust faster than ever on any exposed surface. Vinegar is safer, not so aggressive.
if you leave the acid long enough it will actually leave a black oxide layer that is largely inert and will reduce the ability for it to rust in the future. it wont eat through clean metal it will just oxidise it over time.
A mirror will reflect light into the gas tank better than even a flashlight. Would have liked to have seen the results. Thanks for the vid. Gonna try it.
@@TheRandomMechanic Sorry to bother but i have another question. If i want to store the tank for a few weeks or so, what is the best way to do so without keeping the fuel in? Splash some oil inside and just leave it or something else?
7 years later this video is still making the world a better place
"I'm an American, I like instant gratification just as anyone else." Best statement ever.
Dralium I want a million dollars how do I get that instantly.
@@thomasmcintosh3321 Play the lottery
Hahah right
I subscribed when he said that
I looked at this comment as he said it 😂😂😂
you are a freaking genius! Solved my tank issues after 10 minutes with just watching this video. We have been so conditioned to just go the "purchase a solution" route that I have actually spent quite a bit of money, probably hundreds throughout the years on "rust reformers" and "tank liners" and this shit works just fine. You just saved me a crap load of money. Thanks for posting this buddy.
+Evelio Perez I could not agree more! I build motorcycles and if this works then its going to save me a lot of time ...not to mention $$$Maranatha~
the muriatic acid will not cause bubble the paint sir?
why do you say it's bad
Also look into electrolysis to rrmove rust
Did the rust come back?
We did this today on a badly corroded DL650 fuel tank and it worked a treat. Tank is almost like new. Thanks for the video, you inspired us to give it a go and we are very glad we did.
the muriatic acid will not cause bubble the paint sir?
You sound like his friend @andrew
Did the rust come back?
Just took your advice and in less than 5 min all the rust was gone. My tank wasn't that bad but holy crap this stuff works! No dilution just make sure you have baking soda diluted with some water on hand in case you get some on your self you can neutralize it. I used an empty 2 liter bottle of soda with water about a 1/4 cup of baking soda mixed in.
I just did this on a 1964 chevy van gas tank. The van was last registered 1983. I pulled it out of a field where it was buried up to the axles in mud. The tank was disgusting -- full of scale and nasty rust. I actually poured chunks and flakes of dried rust out of the tank. I used straight muriatic acid like in the video. I let it sit in there about half hour and sloshed it around every now and then. It got it clean! You can look in there and see clean metal, where previously it was all scaly nasty rust and crud. I was amazed. It really worked well. Thanks alot for the video. Very helpful.
That's awesome ! Glad i could help .
Brought back fond memories of my Dad ,since he used to use Muriatic Acid for tackling cleaning /renewing jobs a lot ! Yet this hadn’t rekindled in my memory till I watched your video !Peace brother .
Years later still is a great how to. Just got done with a KLR tank, perhaps fifteen minutes total sloshing a gallon around in that big tank and it now looks new.
Rinsed with water to dilute the acid, then rinsed with Baking Soda solution to make sure it was neutralized, drained as best I could, and then WD40 in their "Big Blast" can which is seemingly made for the purpose. After sloshing the WD40 around for a while what drained was a milky liquid that I'm thinking is the remaining water emulsified by the WD40, I suspect not much water left to worry about. Then poured in a half of a quart bottle of Marvel Mystery Oil and sloshed that around...hopefully no flash rust as it will be a few days before I can fill the tank with gas. THANKS, RM!
I have a Harley original tank that has a liner will this muriatic acid eat that up?
Did it flash rust or have u experienced any issues since wirh your tank?
God richly bless you for sharing this corrosion removal hack !Was on my way to Publix to purchase White Vinegar,Lemons,Salt,Coca Cola and whip up a brew for tackling some rust in my DEK 5000 Generator fuel tank and decided to look at some UA-cam videos .Your video was heaven sent and that statement lol was awesome ! Didn’t have to go to the store since we had Muriatic Acid for the swimming pool !Double thumbs up from me to you sir !
Best comment ever ! Lol
Awesome! I just cleaned, etched and coated a tank this morning. The muriatic acid made the cleaning part so much easier and quicker. I used POR15 Metal Prep and Tank Sealer after cleaning and drying. Glad I found this video!
After you used the muriatic acid, did you wash with water and then dry and use the por15? Or wash with gasoline and then pour the por15
I just tried this and it worked very well for my needs. Before the acid I filled the tank with drywall screws and made each of my 3 kids take turns shaking it for 5 minutes to break up the rust first. I then flushed it out with distilled water and added some gas mixed with oil to hopefully help coat the surface from rusting again. All in all it worked very well, thanks for the video!
I tried this cleaning technique on a really nasty rusty Harley-Davidson Sportster fuel tank, I filled it to the brim with the acid, I actually had to let it sit for four days before all the rust was dissolved, that’s how bad it was. However the result was spectacular! My advice is to siphon all the acid back into its original plastic jug with a cheap plastic siphon then flush with a garden hose. Just coating the inside with oil won’t prevent rust from returning. I recommend following up with a tank liner product immediately! Then your good to go. Word of caution: you need a good respirator because the fumes carry out to about a 15 foot radius. Also, you need good wrap around eye protection goggles and rubber gloves plus your garden hose handy! The reason why I used a siphon was to protect the paint job on the fuel tank and it’s much safer and cleaner transferring the acid back into the original container. Of course all of this is done OUTDOORS! Away from kids or critters.
Tank liners are a joke and don't last long, chip off and are harder to remove than rust. Just add a half ounce of 2 stroke oil every few tankfulls and you wont have a rust problem.
This video is great! I used your method to clean the gas tank in my 1983 Honda 200x and it worked like a charm!
the muriatic acid will not cause bubble the paint sir?
@@dijaslim400 inside the tank is no paint to bubble up
Just did this and it seriously worked..I had a spot inside my outboard tank that had a thick layer of rust and its bare metal now.
This is the best way to clean a gas tank and no it won't harm the paint in a metal tank. I used it on a motorcycle tank after trying just about everything from rust remover to Apple cider vinegar, but in 7 minutes with this stuff clean as new
instant gratification...i came to the right place
Just did today after watching this video on my 1985 Honda ATC 250SX and it worked great. I definitely used gloves and glasses though. After rinsing out with water, I followed what you said and used some of my pre-mix gas since it has oil in it. Worked perfect. Showed me the leaks too, lol. I've used Por15 before but gonna try the Kreem this time around. Thanks for the video.
No problem
The Random Mechanic how often would you recommend doing this
I did this and then used Red Kote Sealer
Thanks for this video: I was wondering how best to clean the rust of my newly acquired 1978 Kawasaki KZ750: its been left sitting in a damp garage for the past 18 years so the inside of the tank was thick with rust. As you promised, this stuff did the job in 10 minutes, so thanks - you have saved me a trip to a specialist. If anyone is watching this in the UK and is wondering where to get the chemical mentioned, well it can be found in Homebase for £3 and is called 'Spirits of Salt'.
CeeJay1972. Im picking one up next week that has this issue thank you for confirming that it will work
I just got my 750 today and have the same issue, gonna give this a go tomorrow and pray it works
I love you,thanks I've been trying to find this stuff for ages,you absolute friggin hero!!!
OK you safety guys out there, YES you should wear safety equipment. Secondly, if you let air into anything that is "clean metal", it is going to rust. This video is great and I beleive intended to clean a tank that will be used very soon. The oil coating he puts in will slow down the corrosion process but will not stop it. I have filled mine with ETHANOL FREE GAS after cleaning the way this gentleman states and have HAD NO PROBLEMS !!!. Also I would recommend (no I don't have any investment in this product) using Yamaha Ring Free in all your engines. Check it out on You Tube. I have had amazing results. No I don't work for any associated companies wit this product .... It just works. Keep the air out of those tanks and they won't rust. Thank you again for this helpful video. PS to the guy who used the drywall screws ... Good idea, I used BB's lol
Dry wall screws are pretty dang sharp - on an older, heavily rusted tank, I would be leary about using them for fear of them poking a hole in the tank when shaking them around.
Amazing result and so fast. I used hydrochloric acid (basically the same thing). For those about to try this though, wear gloves, and watch the fumes.... phewee!!
about a min in i already love this dude
You should neutralize the acid when done by soaking the tank in a solution of baking SODA and water for 10 or 15 minutes right away. Then get it dry quick.
See, I gotta say it.... I told ya' so....! 😂
Muriatic Acid is the KING! Been trying to tell people for years!........my personal favorite is Naval Jelly, good balance of Power and slower burn rate(maybe 1 or 2 hours)....good for thinner, or higher end tanks, No risk of burning holes.....also leaves Lots of chalky Residue, so won't flash rust...and it stops eating once you drain water! Great stuff also.
Just did this over the weekend on a 40L/10gal Acura Integra tank. Took 12L/3gal worth of Acid but it worked flawlessly. Thanks for saving me a ton of time and headache, not to mention MONEY!!
Thanks I'm going to try this tonight after work on a chopper tank I just purchased.
I tell you I had no time to wait for all the "products" to clean out tanks that take anywhere from hours to days... I had one day & this worked better than I could of ever hoped for! I wish I would have taken a video of it. i wasn't even going to worry about the outside of the tank but this worked so well & was so easy I did the outside of the tank as well!! the before & after photos are almost non believable. Not sure how to post them here but this is a must know for anyone who works on "old things" oh ya, love the tee shirt slogan!
I need to have a shirt made with that saying on it for sure , glad to hear i was able to help you out .
You absolutely do not want to breathe any of the fumes from this thing. Or get any of the smoke from it in your eyes.
This is an awesome video. Just got my XL250 slightly rusty tank. I was thinking coating the inside might cause problems later on if I did not do it right. Then I thought about the slosh of oil and you did just what I thought. Your whole method on cleaning the tank is what I am going to do. Thank You.
Did the rust stay away with just the coat of oil?
I'm restoring an old Honda and had some hydrochloric acid in my shed. I just tried this process with a 40yo Honda tank and it cleaned up 99.9% of the rust within 20mins. I'll leave it to sit another 30mins and it will probably dissolve the rest to look perfect. It did however expose two pin holes which I'll lead solder. Use both sides of your brain, be careful, wear gloves and don't drink the stuff.
Just wanted to give an update on my old Briggs and Stratton fuel tank, I used the stuff from Walmart which is weaker and I went 50/50 and soaked it for about 3 1/2 hours and it worked great. Thanks for this video.
11-4-17. Used this method on a Yamaha XT 600 gas tank, worked Great! I made a metal block off plate for the petcock, diluted the acid slightly with water, took about 1 hour to get it all out. Wear Gloves, Eye protection and don't breathe it at all. Poured the left over acid out in the backyard in the gravel, hosed it all down for 15 minutes, all good.
Did the rust come back?
@@gabe5360 I will say no. I sold the bike months later.
This worked perfectly. Mine ended up nearly spotless. All I did was tip the tank around to wash it in acid.
Yeah, so after letting it sit on all sides you just drained and swooshed it in a little more acid? I don't have access to water hose, so wondering how to purge the gunk leftover after the first clean...
Bro! Thanks for the info! Tried this on my rusty gas tank and it worked flawlessly! When you shook my tank, it sounded like a salt shaker! That's how bad mine was. Now it's like a new tank! Thanks again.
I’ve got to try this! I have an old 1958 David Bradley Roto Spader with a Briggs model 8B engine and the tank looks like it’s had old gas left in it for 60 yrs. Full of rust and the usual suspects. I tried vinegar and added some nuts and bolts to shake it around and got a lot of the chunks and rust out, but it takes too long and I can’t shake the thing for hours to get it done. A paint shaker would be great though. There’s still a lot of “surface” rust in the tank and it’s gotta go! Hope this does the trick because I’m ready to put this thing back together and see if it’ll run after it appears it’s not ran in at least 20 yrs!
it should do the trick , let me know how it goes
Bought some muriatic acid today after work. Put a little in, rotated the tank around a few times, rinsed it with baking soda and water, then 2-stroke mixed gas, then a little oil. The acid worked like a charm and I didn’t get any flash rust whatsoever! So glad I came across this video. An $8 jug of acid and some common sense saved me a lot of money and time trying to do it any other way! Thanks!
No problem , im glad it worked out
I've used acid before to clean out my 1947 Ford 2N"s tank, it works quite well. But, first things first, safety equipment is a must. Chemical gloves, eye protection and preferably a respirator. Not using safety equipment is asking for it... Also if you have really bad deposits in your tank like some of mine, I recommend using bolts, nuts etc. to remove the big junk first. Then once that is done use the acid to remove the rest.
I used aquarium gravel in gas and shook it for quite a while. All the flakey and a lot of visible rust was removed. I figured Muratic Acid was the answer as I used it in my swimming pool. If you buy it in the pool section the charge you $20 for a gallon as folks with pools probably have too much money. Go the paint department and the same Muriatic Acid is a few bucks. Sure, rubber gloves are smart and goggles not a bad idea.
the muriatic acid will not cause bubble the paint sir?
Gonna give this a go on a 70's Motobecane Moped
Just bought an ‘80 Garelli and I’m gonna do this on Monday.
Great video man. Thanks for the tip. Gonna try this on my R6 tank. It rusted while doing engine race mods and a rebuild.
Muratic acid is what we use to clean driveways for those wondering what to do with it.. Dilute it with water and pour it on your driveway and scrub it with a pushbroom. Hose it off after ten minutes. BTW, it is also found in your stomach. It is what digests your food.
I'm an American...I like instant gratification. That's a T-shirt slogan if I ever heard!
im glad i was able to help you out & that would make an awesome T shirt wouldn't it ? i may have to talk to someone about making me one , the cx500 is a nice bike you gotta love old honda's . are you going to post any videos of the bike ? if so i would love to check it out .
nice - I just got a Honda ATC 185S - and the tank is a horrorshow inside!
Would you recommend doing a bit of a shake-around with gravel/old bolts first, to remove the biggest flakes?
the acid should eat all of it off but it might help to knock some of the crud loose and dump out what you can just so the acid isnt having to eat through layers of crud it would definitely help cut down to cleaning time .
yep makes sense, less work for acid
The Random Mechanic mm
Once you get the rust out you MUST install a liner like Red Kote or the rust comes back instantly.Call a local radiator shop. Many will boil out your tank and install a permanent liner for around 25.00.Money well spent.
Tank liners dont last long and must be removed and that is 10 times harder than rust to remove.
I put nuts and bolts in mine with some diesel and seal it all up and stick it in the dryer. Shove comforters around it to keep it from moving. Then put on air fluff (no heat) for 30min. Comes out spotless clean. Best done when wife is away.
Lol that is very creative , i have a similar system with rustoleum spray paint since it takes forever to dry , if i am painting small metal parts i will put them on a cheap baking sheet that i bought for 2 bucks from walmart then once painted i will put them in the oven for 20 minutes at 220 degrees , makes the house smell like paint so i have to do it when the wife isn't around , once the parts cool down they are completely dry and perfectly smooth .
dude that was a great video works great !!!!! i used it to clean my ceptic tank looked brand new ,, the next morning i pumped it out of the tank on the fence line and it got rid of all the field mice in 2 hrs
I got my tank full of white vinegar right now yours was still very usable the tank I got is from a motorcycle that was sitting in the rain for a year and a half with no gas cap on talk about rust it is full it's been one day now tomorrow I'm going to clean it out and it still doesn't look new I'm going to do this
Great video, thanks for posting it.
My tank is larger and more awkwardly shaped, the motorbike started to have poor performance I found water in the fuel filter, I suspected it was from the gas station, we just had hurricane Ian come through, I replaced the gas, it worked fine for the five minutes and went back to starving,
I changed the filter, same thing. I ran it without the filter, same thing, I cleaned the carbs, ran okay for 5 minute and started to starve again.
When looking through the gas we noticed a spot of rust in one of the bends at the bottom of the tank, it was not big at all.
I did the vinegar clean first, tons of rust came out along with flakes, it looked like someone crushed a cigarette inside, also some mold looking stuff that was at the top inside of the tank, it came loose because i filled the entire tank with vinegar.
after removing the vinegar i rinsed it with baking soda and water, then water along, then i dried it with the heat gun. It was all rusty worst than before.
That was when i came across this video. I watched it, I read all the comments. I got me a gallon of muriatic acid, plugged up holes with rubber and makeshift caps that i made, I put the acid in, shook the tank, got a timer, turned it as needed.
Then I dumped the acid, immediately dumped inside a 1/2 a gallon of gas (from a different gas station) mixed with 10w40 synthetic oil, shook the tank around all possible ways and got rid of the gas, which came out black, I repeated this rinse one more time.
I reinstalled the float with sensor and petcock, added about 2 gallons of new premium gas, fired up the thing. it sucked so bad, worse than before. I disconnected the tank and run it on gas from a separate container, it ran better.
The inside of the tank was completely rusted, even worse than the first time it flashed. I had done some rusty tools that i had around, used the same process, they are okay, no rust on them. Even with the humidity brought by the next storm, Nicole.
Now I have 2 gallons of muriatic acid diluted in 3 gallons of water, my tank hold 5 gallons, it is filled to the top, I figure that the last time as I was turning it I must to have missed a side.
it already removed the rust that was on the tanks cap hole neck.
What do you recommend, I do different this time, after I remove the acid wash?
Hi, random mechanic is that a batavus?
My dad and me had long time ago a Horex and he cleaned his tank , someway like yours.
Only he used small grind ftom the garden and gaz, My job was to shake the tank and ik worked!
Nice to see someone not using fancy stuff but American brain.
what kind of oil should i use once its cleaned out? and for how long? and after the oil is dumped out do i rinse it with gasoline once again?
Mili Customs HWs always put a bit of gas shake and rinse before you fill your tank for the first time
Rinse with two cycle gas. Done!!
@@twinkie27271 Scott your a damn genius!!!!!!
What oil do I put it in after I rinse it with the gas? I just bought my first bike, need to clean out tank and learn how to wrench on it.
I use 2-stroke oil.
Marvel Mystery Oil
Worked a charm on my Honda cx500 tank. Where I'm from it's sold from the local hardware shop as "Spirit of Salts" and is hydrochloric acid
Use rubbing alcohol or Heet to help get the moisture out. Stick the filler hole to a running engine exhaust pipe helps remove fumes before, helps heat the tank, and after to dry it out.
Or use a hair dryer to blow it up. Fixed that for ya.
Good video. Once I recover from my case of Vertigo, I'll follow these steps.
Baking soda neutralizes the acid by the way. Use that when you empty the tank if you dont want to reuse the acid
thank u so very much. iwork on old harleys and u know i've never thoughjt of using pool acid well never had a pool
I just tried this technique today on my Honda Nighthawk tank. It worked great! Awesome results! Thanks for posting.
No Problem , Glad it worked out
I’m needing to do this to my tank very badly. But once I take out the acid. What kind of oil do I need to put into the tank to prevent flash rusting. That was the only vague info of the video. And I really need that info
Like engine oil , 2 stroke gas will work , it will rinse it out and lightly coat the tank in oil do this a few times , pour some in shake and dump it out ,
Awesome vid. Doing this on my rototiller tomorrow. Thanks.
So...what about neutralizing the metal w/a mixture of baking soda and water prior to oiling (diesel fuel works good) and then rinsing w/gasoline. Not necessary?
That works too , i just didnt have any baking soda , rinsing with 2 cycle mixed gas works equally as well
Hello, the bottle of acid I have reads 20 degrees baume commercial [31.45%]. On the bottle it says to dilute acid with 4 parts water to remove rust from steel, followed by a thorough water rinse. What are your thoughts on diluting? It seems that you were using undiluted from the bottle but maybe your acid was not as concentrated as mine. I have approx 2 cups of acid in a very old bottle. Given the fact that you left it in a very short time in the tank maybe undiluted followed by a flush is the way to go. Also, I have an old kitchen scrub brush (pole style with metal stem and plastic brushes) which is near the end of its life cycle so I am using that to loosen/remove rust as much as possible before trying acid. I also am using a narrow beam flashlight to see down into the tank. That way I can see the before and after. Many thanks, David.
The tank should be cleaned out with something that will neutralize the acid, baking soda should work, otherwise it can stay in the metal and damage it.
Great advice actually!
may be with sodium bicarbonate
Smart man
Water, and plenty of it, neutralizes acid just fine. I would be a bit hesitant about putting baking soda in there, afterwards, as it contains approx. 60% sodium ( salt), which causes metal to rust.
You should use goggles to protect your eyes, that acid will blind you if you splash some in them.
Thank you for getting to the point
"Instant gratification!" LOL! Getting straight to the point. I also hate the guys that like to hear themselves talk. I skip those videos.
Would "Petseal" be good to treat it with afterwards to seal the tank and stop it from re rusting ?
Thank you very much I had great results tank looks like brand new
thank you for sharing this is a money saver, you da man.
Thank you great video but what was the last step after you poured out the gass? Is there any steps or should i just dry it and use it?
The last step was coat the inside with oil , you can just rinse it out with mixed gas it will leave a slight oily coating that will prevent flash rust until you are ready to use the tank
@@TheRandomMechanic so if I'm gonna use the tank no need for the oil?
@@a1995iq right ,
@@TheRandomMechanic thanks man much appreciated
I'm about to do this with my son's '71 Honda with gas that has been in there for a very long time! Thanks fo rposting your video!! Will update after we do it.
+William Bohuslaw Cool let me know how it turns out .
+The Random Mechanic Ok, I took the apple cider vinegar approach instead because I felt it was a little safer than using acid. I will say it got rid of 95% of the crap inside. If I used the acid it probably would've gotten the whole tank clean.
thanks for taking the time to do that. My buddy does it but he adds water with his.
I was about to spend 360 at the shot to get my rusted tank fixed. Im definitely gonna try this. Seems legit. I got 2008 honda CBR600RR, just gotta figure out its its an aluminum tank. 🤔
This is awesome, thank you so much, just what I was looking for a way to fix my tank fast.
i found a 5hp tiller that someone threw out in the trash. tank full of rust chunks and by the smell they had tried to clean it with brush cleaner! tore it down, new carb coming for $20 so just need to clean the tank and should be good after that 😁
"American Fast!"
I got a rust so bad in my 73's honda CB 450 tank, it caused a leak. I just cleaned it and seal it with metal resin from the outside of the tank. Will the acid messed up the seal I just made? Thank you
it shouldn't but if it does you could always just seal it again
@@TheRandomMechanic Thanks for the reply
No problem
Always remember to neutralize the acid with baking soda Both in the gas tank and and the used acid . I am not a green person but it just makes sense to neutralize acid.
Keep Baking Soda and plenty water handy when working with acid.
jaihu420 Always or soda ash
What type of oil did you use for the inside of tank? just regular motor oil, or does it not really matter a whole lot?
doesn't matter, just dump some cheap 30 weight oil in there, you can even use old oil from an oil change if you want to but run it through a tee shirt to filter out any dirt
I'm going to try this on my 82 Kz 1000ltd!
Rinse with two cycle gas. Done!!
Do it need to remove the peacock and use something else to plug the hole or just leave it on?
how do you prevent new rust besides always topping off the tank? I have a 1 yr old tank already rusty on my pressure washer
look into kreem tank liner i used it on an 80's harley tank and it sealed pinholes and prevented any new rust
I have an old 1982 xj1100 that I need to do this bad How would I go about the petcocks being that there are 2 just take them off and find a way to close them off could I use maybe a piece of plastic and tape or what would you recommend? thank you for this VID!
+Kyle Shalley if they are the bolt on type i usually remove them and find a piece of wood or metal and i make a plate that i can bolt on over the hole with a gasket made from old cereal box or whatever i have laying around .
you can also go to a hardware store like ace and pick up small rubber plugs or corks from the assorted hardware bins and just plug them off
+The Random Mechanic So I made the plates and at the end you state about putting oil in the tank see my tank being a way different shape im trying to figure out how to put it on its side
+Kyle Shalley normally with bolt on petcocks il make a plate that bolts in place of the petcock sometimes il make it out of wood or metal and just use some roll gasket from the auto parts store to seal it once bolted in place . the thread on type i just shove a large fuel line over the threads and put a bolt in it ,
you can also just go get a rubber plug from the hardware isle of ace hardware and plug it off
+The Random Mechanic - the muriatic acid will not cause bubble the paint sir?
Boutta try this on my sportster tank. Thankyou much!
Tyler Antinovitch did it work ??
Will this break up metal chunks in the tank? I was going to use acetone in my tank to break up the first failed sealer I used, but this might work better than that.
it should dissolve them or break them loose ,
That instant gratification comment was the funniest thing I've heard all day!
I'm soaking my 71 honda ct90 fuel tank now , I did 25% Acid 75% tap water. Gonna soak overnight, 20 hrs or so flipping it every few hours. I'll report back my results ... Right now, this tank is cacked with rust..
1 good tip that he said was add oil to it and swirl... that I will do!
Yes to the oil coating...best to use 2 cycle oil as it will mix better with first fill of gas...
@Griffin Sauter it worked 100% great. After I soaked it and drained the acid I immediately coated it with 10w30 and drained it, than used WD40 than drained it . Than rinsed with gas.
Oil doesn't care, but 2 cycle is a little thinner. I've ran 30W in my chainsaw, and it works fine.
GREAT VID.BUT QUESTION HOW LONG SHOULD I LEAVE THE GAS TANK OUT IN THE SUN TO HEAT
Like 25 minutes or so
Hey Random! I want to thank you for this video! I just happened to have a bottle of muriatic acid handy and never thought of it! I had a fuel tank on a Rototiller that was just drowning in rust and crap! Cleaned it like a whistle! Appreciate your efforts in this video!
No problem im glad the video helped out , Thanks !
It worked awesome then I let it sit for about a week with gas in it closed up and rust came back how could I prevent that
+Stephanie leos did you coat the tank with oil before putting gas back in it ? normally the rust doesn't come back , if it does i would suggest maybe adding a light mixture of 2 stroke oil to your fuel maybe a 60:1 mixture it will make the exhaust smoke a little but it will help keep it coated for a while until the rust is stopped completely
Keep in mind that today's gasoline has ethanol in it which means it will emulsify water into your gas very easily. Try to find ethanol free gas for all your small engines. Helps eliminate rust build up and keeps (aluminum) carbs from going to hell over the winter months.
+The Random Mechanic I've removed rust with only vinegar multiple times. It rips all the rust rigt out. problem is... it comes back no matter what I do. I coat it with marvels mystery oil and seafoam seconds after I rinse out the acid; Rust always comes back in 24 hours. It's a honda 1985 tank; not super ancient by any means?
honestly i have never used vinegar to clean a gas tank i know it will get the bulk of the rust out but i have never seen the final product ,
when i use the acid sometimes the metal will turn a light copper color after a few days with no fuel in it but i have never had the rust come back , you have to make sure that all of the acid is out of the tank sometimes it has to be rinsed out a few times with 2 stroke gas then dried with an air hose from your air compressor , then i will put 10w 30 oil in it and shake it up to coat the inside really good ,
Fuel Tank Sealer. POR 15 makes it.
Working on a 1950 panhead that sat for ten years. This is helpful.
good oil to use is mystery oil as it's an upper head lubricant any way.
biggest problem with muriatic acid is it's very strong will eat your concrete floor eyes and skin so be mindful ,don't leave it for any body or pets to get into.It is the fastest and serious .Phosphorate acid can be had at napa it smells like rotten eggs and is the exact ,same acid used in drinking soda yup that's why coke is an old time metal cleaning solution ,a VERY mild one at that.But that acid as poisonous as it is ,you will find it in many soft drinks," STOP DRINKING POISON" just because they use it ,to slowly kill you ,doesn't mean you should agree with those corporations to kill you slowly.
with out that acid coke ,excetra would be too sweet to drink .Acid is the only thing to cut thru that sugar syrup .It makes your mind think it quenched your thirst but it really made you drink a toxic ,life shortening poison instead.
Most body shops use the phosphoric acid to wash bare body metal done to remove rust.Its milder than muriatic but not a whole lot more.It will clean concrete and blind you just as fast.
What happens when people read scientific articles with only half the information that can be traced back to someone selling something. Hydrochloric acid is apart of your digestive acids and when used in consumable products is buffered and /or neutralized making that supposed point moot. This is all common sense high-school level remedial science. Don't bother responding with more half the Science babble, equalizing chemical equations with coefficients is a fun activity for me. Trolling a video for cleaning rusted gas tanks to tell others not to drink pop or eat ketchup, is your life really that sad?
@@ambernoneyah4602 I don't agree with your trolling comment. The whole point of the the replies is to gain other people's knowledge and experiences on the subject and use of HCL as well as other ideas. I don't read comments to hear the same regurgitated replies. In fact his 3 year old comment on phosphoric acid is exactly what I was interested in. I was looking for something not so harsh to clean light spotty rust in my Yamaha gas tank and this fits that criteria. HCL is way to harsh for my needs I believe. The soda comment was perfect and I didn't know about this. Why? Because my father drinks that garbage. I will use this information to try and scare him from not drinking that crap. It's harder now for him he has had two strokes and I blame it on the food choices he made and yes I think soda is one of them. Maybe next time you should consider this and not be so quick to judge this guy.
@@tashagolden7748 In failing to see your point. Science is either accurate or inaccurate. Opinions on soda are not facts. It has its issues like the amounts of sugar, types of sugar (especially in diet), excess caffeine, etc. It certainly is not healthy. My issue is with people spreading misinformation. There are plenty of other science backed issues to stand on a soap box with. Furthermore, people's choice to drink soda has nothing to do with cleaning a tank with Muriatic Acid. That is the very definition of trolling.
@@ambernoneyah4602 phosphoric acid is used in coke a cola and ice tea like he mentioned. I looked it up so it is a fact. I bought some phosphoric acid from the auto parts store and used on bunch of rusted things metal items as a test before I put into my gas tank. It works and took the deep pitted rust as well. I'm quite pleased with results and doesn't have the hazards of muriatic acid. The point is had he not mentioned people wouldn't know how good it works. As for his opinion about soda... it was a bonus because he's right. I suppose I'm a troll for agreeing with him or her as well ? Get a grip.
@@tashagolden7748 It's buffered and /or neutralized when used in consumable products. That was the point and the facts. Spreading 1/2 truths is the problem. If you're on board with spreading misinformation that's on you. If you opted for a different way to clean your tank there's nothing wrong with that. I would never tell anyone to use a chemical /product they're not comfortable with. In this situation acid vapor absolutely can be dangerous. You'll get no argument from me there.
Done what you have done, except putting oil inside on tank (lost when you said that), scooter tank gets all rusted up the next day. Do you know what I have done wrong?
Cleaned it up & made sure no fluid from inside of tank (inside of tank was very clean), placed inside of garage.
The next morning, rust came back on neck and inside of tank.
you need to put some oil inside the tank after your are done using the acid it will coat the tank and stop flash rusting any oil will do , 2 stroke or 5w30 just pour a cup or two of oil in the tank and slosh it around real good then pour it out dont worry about getting every drop then put the tank back on and fill it up with gas it should be good to go
I thought oil in the gas tank would be bad.
I will clean it out, again, using muriatic acid, gasoline, then a cup or two of oil.
Thank you for your suggestions.
angelisone how did it work out on your second attempt?
Lol can't beilive how well it worked....tysm... amazing
Just did this on a 1998 Honda magna tank it was really really bad it did flash rust it. didn't hear the part about oil. But I'm ok with the flash rust it's a million times better then it was. Already planned on coating the tank with the red-kote fuel tank liner after the process. I'm just honestly happy that the major rust is gone!!! So thanks for the video!!
No problem , Happy to help
Thanks for that tip... that’s Fantastic. I’m going to try that tomorrow on a rusty tank o have off my generator 👍
Cool let me know how it goes
What's the result
@@vtp157 he’s still working on it
Thanks man i have project bike im going to try this on
For a motorcycle tank, you would still need to line it after you get the rust out--correct?
that is completely up to you normally i don't bother , as long as you are not going to let it sit long enough for the gas to go bad and rust the tank up again it should be ok ,
My friend, what is the name of the material used to remove rust, I live in Yemen, I want to help you, I love you
I what hasn't been said is it makes the metal flash rust I. Minutes!. Also it will eat right through a badly rusted spot causing leaks.
Also it has to be dried out instantly and coated with a sealer, or filled to the top right up to the lid with rust converter . Otherwise it will rust faster than ever on any exposed surface.
Vinegar is safer, not so aggressive.
Nicely done!
What is the best kind of oil to use after you get done cleaning it? Or does it even matter.
Just rinse it out with 2 stroke gasoline mix , the 2 stroke will leave an oily coating , works alot better
Thank you
if you leave the acid long enough it will actually leave a black oxide layer that is largely inert and will reduce the ability for it to rust in the future. it wont eat through clean metal it will just oxidise it over time.
A mirror will reflect light into the gas tank better than even a flashlight. Would have liked to have seen the results. Thanks for the vid. Gonna try it.
So you said after this to put some oil in the tank could you please explain that a little more
Can i skip the water hose part? And just use fuel/premix to wash it out?
Absolutely ,
@@TheRandomMechanic Thanks for the quick answer! Doing the method right now so i needed it quick haha, a great video btw.
@@TheRandomMechanic Sorry to bother but i have another question. If i want to store the tank for a few weeks or so, what is the best way to do so without keeping the fuel in? Splash some oil inside and just leave it or something else?
@@mix6429 you can spray wd40 inside the tank and roll it around inside to coat it
How can you tell if your tank is chrome or aluminum - I have a 97 Suzuki marauder tank I need to clean and fix a couple pinholes