Painting Tins. No really...

What color should these tins be?

  • Candy green and white a la XS1

    Votes: 15 30.0%
  • Candy gold and white a la XS1

    Votes: 19 38.0%
  • Candy red and white a la XS2

    Votes: 16 32.0%

  • Total voters
    50
Wow, Mm. For a fuel that's supposed to be a "cleaner burning gas", the ingredients all sound like stuff that's very toxic, noxious, and potentially carcinogenic. (as if regular gasoline isn't?!) Kinda makes me a little nostalgic for the ol' "ethyl" (with tetraethyl lead, and enough octane to support the high-compression engines made before catalytic converters) :yikes:
 
I'm with Pete on this...no liner if at all possible. I've had really good results with Evaporust (getting the rust out) and then I either coat the tank with WD40 (I can get a nice mist/coat on it from the aerosol can) or 2 stroke oil, if I'm leaving it for a while. Otherwise, I only use Non-E gas and call it good. Also, no fuel stabilizers.
 
Very luck it turns out to still have "non ethanol" Supreme fuel at the truck stop walking distance. Just peeked in my 79 tank..
Just as I left it :)
A clean tank is an important check, when considering an XS
 
FortNine did a really good episode on fuel stabilizers and if you watch it - you would never use one again.

I literally just watched it earlier this week! I think Project Farm did one as well. Basically, if you're stuck with e-gas, empty the tank/carbs when storing for more than a month or so is the lesson I got from all of this. If you're lucky to have non-E gas...it's safe for a much much longer time.
 
I literally just watched it earlier this week! I think Project Farm did one as well. Basically, if you're stuck with e-gas, empty the tank/carbs when storing for more than a month or so is the lesson I got from all of this. If you're lucky to have non-E gas...it's safe for a much much longer time.
And worth the added cost
 
Good move! Etched with acid I believe it will just continue to rust. ER or Metal Rescue won't etch the good metal.
Marty, in another thread you spoke of a phosphoric acid that etched the metal and prevented flash rusting? Can you elaborate a bit?
 
Marty, in another thread you spoke of a phosphoric acid that etched the metal and prevented flash rusting? Can you elaborate a bit?
Where phosphoric acid attacked the rust, it left a hard black surface that I believe is iron phosphate. The first fender I tried, I left outside and it has yet to rust where that black surface is. The issue, as I see it, is that the good metal is etched by the acid and whatever coating the factory put there is destroyed, so my expectation is for it to just rust there. I'm sorry I'm so seat of the pants. I did a tank and left it, but I hit it with gear oil and set it on the shelf.

I have a 74/75 tank I want to use. It appears to have a complete rust coat and my plan it to see what happens after phosphoric acid treatment. I'm just not ready to do that yet. I may try it on a chrome exhaust this weekend.
 
Where phosphoric acid attacked the rust, it left a hard black surface that I believe is iron phosphate. The first fender I tried, I left outside and it has yet to rust where that black surface is. The issue, as I see it, is that the good metal is etched by the acid and whatever coating the factory put there is destroyed, so my expectation is for it to just rust there. I'm sorry I'm so seat of the pants. I did a tank and left it, but I hit it with gear oil and set it on the shelf.

I have a 74/75 tank I want to use. It appears to have a complete rust coat and my plan it to see what happens after phosphoric acid treatment. I'm just not ready to do that yet. I may try it on a chrome exhaust this weekend.
What I'm thinkin' is hit a badly rusted tank with hydrocloric (muriatic) acid. That will get you to rust free in less than a hour. Follow up with the phosphoric acid and (hopefully) done. Back to a rust free, protected innards.
 
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I’m not too confident in that as a long term fix. This is the first fender I gave the phosphoric acid bath. It has been sitting outdoors (under roof) since. The XS650 fender I did is doing far better as it’s in the garage. I plan to paint it as soon as it’s warm enough.
 
Hydrochloric acid (aka Muriatic Acid) is fantastic at removing rust - Fact!!. But it leaves the metal contaminated with Chloride ions and these will actively promote further rusting. I use electrolysis now followed by a soak in citric acid. If I had access to Phosphoric Acid (aka Orthophosphoric Acid) I would use it.
 
Hydrochloric acid (aka Muriatic Acid) is fantastic at removing rust - Fact!!. But it leaves the metal contaminated with Chloride ions and these will actively promote further rusting. I use electrolysis now followed by a soak in citric acid. If I had access to Phosphoric Acid (aka Orthophosphoric Acid) I would use it.
I know from experience that this is correct! Muriatic acid will make chrome plated tools rust in a heartbeat.

I found the electrolysis method too cumbersome and my results were OK. The phosphoric acid treatment was much easier.

For a tank with a little rust here and there, I believe Metal Rescue or Evaporust is the ticket and then just keep it full and fresh, or coated with oil. (no liner)
 
I just went out to the garage (1 Celsius and very damp) and shone a torch in my XV gas tank. It has been almost 2 years since I cleaned it by electrolysis followed by a couple of hours soaking with citric acid. The tank is still sparkling clean with no sign of rusting. The tank is nearly empty so must fill it right up tomorrow to be on the safe side.

In the mid-80s I stripped the rust of the air filter cages on my XS1B using concentrated hydrochloric acid. Took about 2 minutes to remove all the rust. After washing and repainting they were showing rust tracking under the paint after about 1 Year. That is because of chloride ion residues.
 
Jetmechmarty, good comment about chrome. Chrome is quite porous and crap like chloride ions can get into the pores down under the plating and then you just cannot wash it out. I will never use hydrochloride acid again, it wrecks too much stuff. Spill a few drops on a work bench and as it evaporates it will drift over nearby surfaces and cause rust on any tools lying about.. It even corrodes stainless steel items.

Today's Handy Tip: Phosphoric Acid is a good flux for soldering onto Aluminum.
 
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