The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Gas tank-can I use it?

Hey

I have a tank from my 46 PU that I restored myself and I really want to use it. I soaked the thing in muriatic acid and soldered about 50 or so pinholes. I then coated it in some sort of magic gas tank sealer that I bought at a car show. It doesn't leak now and the inside of the tank is a nice white color. Will this work?
I have invested a LOT of time in this thing but I won't use it if,for some reason,people who know better say I shouldn't

Thanks
Rich

I'd be interested in the results others have had good or bad with this type of sealer. I just finished preping and coating the inside of my tank also. I got the $45 kit from Eastwood Co. The steps for the kit I got were as follows...
-rinse out as much rust and debris as possible
w/garden hose.
-mix a batch of "metal wash" included in kit and
slosh around in tank then rinse.
-mix 1/2 gal. of muriatic acid and slosh around.
-rinse twice with water.
-pour in 1pt. "rust remover" included in kit and
roll tank around.
-dump out remover and pour in 1qt. acetone and
slosh around (twice)
-empty tank and pour in 1qt. of tank sealer and
roll tank around to get uniform coating.

Looks pretty good now, anyone had good luck with this stuff. Ritchie, mine has a nice white coating too, sounds like about the same stuff.

If doesnt leak why not. If you put it in and fill it up and it smells kinda gassie don't light up smoke while figuring out where the smells coming from.

If it leaks down the road then change to a different gas tank.
My 2 cents

Test for leakage with actual gas before putting it in the truck, dont use anything that wont be in the tank constantly

Ritchie, If you still have it out, I'd plug the line, put 3 or 4 gallons of gas in it, and let it sit at different angles, to check the sides for leaks. It sounds as though you went through a lot of extra effort to repair this to the best of your ability. I think it should be fine. The real question will be how long it will last.
If it passes the leak test, I would install it and use it. If it does start to leak, you will know right away from the smell.
(Your not a smoker are you?)
You may want to test it with 5 or 6 gallons at first, and if it doesn't leak after a few days of driving, then fill it up.
You may want to carry a couple gas cans and a funnel with you for the first week or so, just in case.
Let us know if it works out.

John

I have used a similar product in motorcycle tanks called Kream and it always worked very well for me. Use that tank.

to be double sure it wont leak if its down to bare metal fiberglass the thin area where the pinholes were napa. makes a patch kit ive done it many times on tanks and they were rusted out they outlasted the cars they were in im talking 20 years on a rusted out tank with no inside sealer then paint it the glassed area wont show

If you followed the instructions of the tank liner to the "T" you should have no problems. I've used Kreem with good results but I prefer Redkote. There is no reason that you should not be able to use your tank.

seal up all the holes and put it under 20 lbs of air for 24 hrs
that should tell you if it will work after all your efforts

Hey

Thanks for the encouraging words. I think a test b4 installing is a good idea. I will plug it and try a few gallons in it to see if it works. Maybe I can pour it out and look to see if there is any crud.

Thanks guys
Rich

Thanks everybody for the replies, no worries about it leaking in the cab, mine's mounted on the frame.

Hell with it...you've got this much invested...go for the gusto! Mount that baby up and fill 'er full of gas! Worst case you end up with a rapidly evaporating puddle in the drive, best case you get to use a piece of automotive history that you personally brought back to life.