help me with my tank

[sbaugz]

So I am restoring my cl360 and am having an issue with the inside of tank. The bottom, inside had a thick layer of reddish, smelly coating on it. I can't tell if its varnished gas or some failed liner. It almost looked folded over in a few areas like it was a sheet of something. It was caked inside carbs too.

So I sloshed around some laquer thinner for a few days and that seemed to help alot. I threw in some nuts and bolts too. Seemed like it thinned out the stuff but it was still caked in. I then added about a half gallon of paint thinner with methyl chloride. That seemed to make things worse. Now I have this sludge of molasses consistency red stuff that the bolts and nuts are imbedded in. I don't know if I can even get the nuts and bolts out anymore because they are encased in this goo.

Any thoughts on what I should try next?

its hard to tell by picture what is truly going on, but it literally looks like a big gooey mess of nuts and bolts that are plastered to bottom of tank. Its like a firm molasses.

 

[I am Carbon]

sure looks like varnish to me.
If you have a soda blaster You probably can blast that stuff out fo there.

 

[sbaugz]

That might work with the right side of the tank but there is no way I could get at the left side of the tank using the soda blaster. The gas cap is situated off to the right hand side and the center hump is in the way.

 

[jetmechmarty]

I just went through this. Put acetone in there. That will get it. I used a gallon and it completely melted my failed tank liner and I poured it out with the acetone. I tried other stuff that didn't work, like paint stripper.

You can read the whole story here:
Failed tank liner

 

[sbaugz]

I just went through this. Put acetone in there. That will get it. I used a gallon and it completely melted my failed tank liner and I poured it out with the acetone. I tried other stuff that didn't work, like paint stripper.

You can read the whole story here:
Failed tank liner

Someone on another board mentioned muriatic acid?

 

[Royboy]

Don't think muriatic is a very good answer. Way too aggressive in my experience. That stuff eats steel for breakfast. Acetone would be a safer approach.

roy

 

[jetmechmarty]

Someone on another board mentioned muriatic acid?

Muriatic acid will work on the rust. If you want the goo out, use solvent. Acetone will probably get it. If you look at my link, I went into my acid rust removal process once the goo was out. As good as your tank looks, I'd just use the resin media to remove the rust as described in my link. Get the goo out first.

Skip to page 2 in my link and you can bypass my failures.

 

[Maxx650]

Hydrofluoric acid may help.. not as strong as muriatic and when cut with water it can be useful.. I buy mine in the form of AutoMagic's "Spoke Cleaner" - it's pretty much just straight Hydrofluoric Acid and Butoxyethanol. I get it from my local car painting dispensary. The site says to not use it on: aluminum, magnesium, plastic, or painted surfaces. I've used it on aluminum before cut down about 2:1 and then gave it a good rinse with a high pressure hose as well as sprayed it down with a solution of some Simple Green and a few table spoons of baking soda to neutralize any remaining acid.

Also, don't use this stuff to wash your hands.. my dad mixed it up with Goop/Orange hand cleaner once and got a fresh layer of skin the next week

http://www.automagic.com/cleaners.htm

 

[MacMcMacmac]

I'm pretty sure methyl ethyl ketone is what is used to remove failed tank coatings.

I'll be the one standing way, way back in the corner when you hit a tank that has had paint thinner, gasoline and acetone in it with any kind of blasting process. There's a lot of static discharge with any type of blasting process I've done. You might get more blast than you are looking for.

 

[jetmechmarty]

I'm pretty sure methyl ethyl ketone is what is used to remove failed tank coatings.

MEK will melt a tank liner. I had rapid success with acetone. If it works, I'd rather use the acetone as it isn't as volatile as MEK.

 

[shotgunjoe]

Seen similar too many times... result of using stabil with ethanol. There is a stabil specifically for ethanol fuels. Cant tell from the pics, but may not be the issue, just reminds of the hours I've spent cleaning tanks and carbs of the stuff.