Gas Tank

I had ordered this gas tank from a guy in Uraguay. I can’t even believe how much rust was in the tank. It was a huge job just to get it clean. I haven’t had time to do much else for the last few weeks and it was killing me. As soon as I got this tank clean I could kick it over. I shook a bunch of bolts and nails inside it with some gasoline. Every time I poured it out (5 times) it was the color of mud. On the advice of a friend, I dried it out, put some nuts and bolts in it, and put it in my clothes dryer (no heat) wrapped up in blankets. When I dumped it out, a whole pile of rusty powder came out.

But it still wasn’t clean.

I did the gas again, but It still just didn’t seem clean. So I dryed it out again and put it back in the dryer. By the way, I actually “dry it out” for days by setting it in the sun. I’m not putting a gas tank with gas in it in an electric dryer. That’s part of why it took so long.

After the second go in the dryer, I poored in some naval jelly. Now that got it clean. But I had to rinse it out with water.

Flash rust.

But there are not big chunks in the tank anymore. It’s time to just say “good ’nuff.” I will have to buy a special inline fuel filter for lambrettas because a normal one won’t fit in the two inches of fuel line (one little surprise when I mounted it). 

I also had to clear off the 5 or 6 layers of paint representing about 45 years of use that were on this thing. Maybe I should have gone with a new stainless steel tank from ScootRS.com…