The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Gas tank sealers???

Alright I posted on acid cleaning my tank and now want to hear about experiences with different types of tank sealers. Looking through the searches Ive heard mention of POR15 and Red Kote primarily. I remember my dad using some (dont know what?) on his motorcycle tanks several years ago and it flaked off in sheets. It could have been a cheap sealer or he did it wrong.

What kind of sealer have you used and to what success? Also after acid cleaning it, do you have to use a metal prep of some sort before sealing? Or can I go straight from acid to sealer?

Thanks, Jeff

Mine was leaking from the seam along the bottom and I used POR-15. It comes as a kit- a cleaner/degreaser, metal prep and sealer. It is a bit time consuming but they warn you to do all the steps as they describe them. It took me the better part of a weekend, but eight months later it's holding up fine.
Kim

I,ve had them coated at professional shops & it seems to always come loose & clog things up.

Most of the biker's I know use(d) Kreem. It will, as will all of them, peel if not put on correctly. I used it on my FLP tank and never had a problem. The key is to follow the manufacturer's directions and to make sure the inside of the tank is DRY before putting the sealer in. I've not used POR-15 but I've heard good things about it. I personally prefer Red Kote. Another tip is to buy more than the recommended amount. It spreads quicker, more evenly and with better coverage plus you'll have extra in case you ever need it.

Well I went the POR-15 route. Ordered some Metal Ready, Marine Clean and sealer delivered for less then a 100$. Heres their website if anyones interested.

http://www.por15.com

And heres a link explaining the process. Thanks again to brjr51 for providing this link.

http://www.ratwell.com/technical/FuelTankRestoration.html

Boy, my credit card has been recieving a work out lately... When its all done I ought to be grinning pretty good! Thanks, Jeff

used the POR15 in my tank 7 years ago and still doing great. There is several threads on this if you do a search. Someone once said the POR15 would peel and thats why it was not used in the aircraft industry but after doing quite a bit of reading I find that it contains certain "ingredients" and that it does not crack and peel. For my .02 cent I like it and it has held up well. It does take a little time. It took me all day on a saturday and once coated it has to dry/cure. But for about $50 (7 years ago) it was the right thing to do and still going.

I will have to look to see what I put in but it ran 25 a pint it took two cans for my tank I did put multiple coats in it. And It has held up great so far.

I used the kit from Eastwood Co. and after about a year it's holding up fine. As mentioned, follow all instructions to the letter.

you need to keep gas in the tank after sealing or the sealer will dry out and peel the gas keeps it soft

'Taint that way with Kreem or Red Kote. They're supposed to be hard. If they soften they are failing.

I had a place here in Connecticut dispose of the stale gas, clean the tank, repair a few pin holes that had developed where the tar paper was under the straps (only spot on the tank with any rust), seal it and guarantee it for 20 years for $147, seemed like an OK deal to me. The sealant is hard, and has a rough texture to it. I now feel comfortable I should not have to worry about the tank for a long time.
Mike