The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Gas tank renewal, repair or replace???

I see Eastwood and gastankrenu.com have systems to redo the gas tank.

I also hear about the use of rocks.

New tanks for a Burb are about $500 and just trying to save a buck.

Has anyone done any of these? I'm not sure about coating the inside ala Eastwood or renu. Did they have a coating inside when new?

Your Burb tank is several times more expensive than for the trucks so it may be worth going the cleaning and coating route.
I tried this with my tank using rocks and secured to a tractor wheel. Eventually it came clean. If I would have gone ahead and purchased the coating I would have had as much in chemicals as a new tank would coat. I decided to cut my losses and purchased a new tank but it was only about $150 shipped to me.

In retrospect I would not try to salvage an old tank again but if the new one was $500 I might have to re-think that.

Chuck

Try taking it to a radiator shop and see if they can clean it out. Worth a shot. If not try the cleaner. toss in some nuts bolts and what not and see if that cleans it. Or see if you can find a junk yard with a napco. Hard to find but worth looking. I found good windows for mine at a junk yard.

Most of the cleaning "kits" have a "cleaner" (usually phosphoric acid), a neutralizer (usually MEK) and a liner. I used a "kit" the first time and the results were OK. After that I started using muriatic acid to clean, baking soda & water to neutralize and Redkote for the liner. Spectacular results every time.

Has anyone used the process that por 15 has, that is what I was thinking about using.

I'm with Chuck on this. If I can find a good used on, I will lean towards the new one.

Jim Carter sells the GAS TANKS for the suburban @ about $350 delivered. if you use the promo code that you get when you donated to the stovebolt. It's a win/win for everybody involved.

Yes, I used it over 10 years ago in my 37 pickup. Since I can look straight down into it I check it out when I put gas in it. It still looks as good as the day I put it in.

I also had the tank problem with my panel. My old tank was simply GONE. I bought a used tank and lightly blasted the outside and found several bad places. This tank is not an easy one to put in and take out so I waited a while until JimCarter got the repops produced. I bought one from him and it is a dead match.

I had checked intto fixing the old one. The radiator shops in my area that still has a bath to clean stuff wanted $40 to clean it and some wanted $50 to do an overnight cleaning. Then you can add about $75 for the kit. (not sure about that price today.) And even with the kit I had back then I still had to buy something. I think it was acetone or maybe I had to buy the muriatic acid. Bottom line was I'd have over a hundred bucks in a somewhat good tank. I bit the bullet and got a new one.
You look at your tank and be the judge. If its in decent shape with no holes, dents thats been patched or filled then a kit may be your best route.

I'm thinking of patching a hole then doing the kit thing, because, I don't know if I can get a new tank for a 41.

I have used Gas Tank Renu and was happy with the results. It is kind of expensive and I would use them only on a tank I could not replace with a new one. I used it on my Diamond T (30 gal tank), UPS to CA and it cost about $300. Their process is very impressive in that they punch holes in it to visually media blast it, braise in plugs to fill the holes, coat the inside AND outside with a plastic type liner material and then bake it to bond the liner. Many of our tanks have baffles and I don't see how you can assure that you have cleaned the tank sufficiently, now matter what kind of rocks you use, or how you agitate it. Ultimately, you are guessing. I don't like to get stranded with a plugged filter or outlet, so I want a sound gas tank. I tried the local radiator shop, and that lasted a couple years and plugged up the outlet again. The Gas Tank Renu process will fill holes, I believe,if the tank is really rusted through.

Again, I would go with a new one if available and that is what I did with my Chevy COE, ('50) which has the standard behind the seat tank.

Kent

The one he has is for '55 and earlier. I have yet to see one for a '66 that is not $500. Pickup conversion tanks won't work on a Suburban.
Thanks

Sorry,I assumed that you were talking about an earlier suburban. It helps when you include the year in your post.

Indeed it does.

My opinion is, and it is only my opinion, is that gasoline is the only thing that should ever be put in a gas tank. I have seen a number of situations where the chemical re liners have disintegrated and clogged filters resulting in the engine quitting. Ethanol (alcohol) will do a job on some of the patent re lining compounds. Gas in my area all has Ethanol. My .02.

Weeds