Well if the outside of that tank is fine and it’s just the inside and not rusted through bad you can 100% fix that. Just a good cleaning and de rusting process and a really good tank coating and you should be set.
Just follow the instructions on the coating to a t. Takes a bit of time you need to turn the tank every so often to get it run down and coating the whole thing. I usually just set one up in the morning and every 30 minutes or so rotate it and position it differently. Koats makes a good one. I personally use the POR15 brand. I have alwasy got good results from it.
And for cleaning the rust get you a couple gallons of vinegar and CLR . First try and shake and blow all the bigger flakes and junk out. Then fill with vinegar and clr I do about 3 part’s vinegar and 1 part CLR for the first pass. Fill about 3/4 full. Then add some sharp rocks or even bolts. A good hand full. Seal the cap and bottom so it doesn’t leak out as bad. Shake the crap out of it. Pour and repeat. If it’s super bad I usually do this a couple times then for the last use mostly the CLR. Once you get all the flakey rust and chunks let it dry completely. Blow air. Sit in sun whatever just needs to be bone dry. Then start the coating process. And you are good to go
The first tank I ever done was a 50”s Harley I restored and it actually had some pin holes where gas would leak. I was really not wanting to ruin the patina so I just did the process above and the coating actually sealed the pin holes. I’m 45 now I did that Harley in my late teens and it’s still 100% sealed and filter has always been clean. The good thing about coating is once you coat it then you never have to worry about future rusting. So if it’s good when you finish chances are very good you will never have to address it again.
you can get CLR about anywhere. Stands for calcium lime rust remover. Hardware store Wallmart prob. Lowe’s. Anyplace like that.
Just follow the instructions on the coating to a t. Takes a bit of time you need to turn the tank every so often to get it run down and coating the whole thing. I usually just set one up in the morning and every 30 minutes or so rotate it and position it differently. Koats makes a good one. I personally use the POR15 brand. I have alwasy got good results from it.
And for cleaning the rust get you a couple gallons of vinegar and CLR . First try and shake and blow all the bigger flakes and junk out. Then fill with vinegar and clr I do about 3 part’s vinegar and 1 part CLR for the first pass. Fill about 3/4 full. Then add some sharp rocks or even bolts. A good hand full. Seal the cap and bottom so it doesn’t leak out as bad. Shake the crap out of it. Pour and repeat. If it’s super bad I usually do this a couple times then for the last use mostly the CLR. Once you get all the flakey rust and chunks let it dry completely. Blow air. Sit in sun whatever just needs to be bone dry. Then start the coating process. And you are good to go
The first tank I ever done was a 50”s Harley I restored and it actually had some pin holes where gas would leak. I was really not wanting to ruin the patina so I just did the process above and the coating actually sealed the pin holes. I’m 45 now I did that Harley in my late teens and it’s still 100% sealed and filter has always been clean. The good thing about coating is once you coat it then you never have to worry about future rusting. So if it’s good when you finish chances are very good you will never have to address it again.
you can get CLR about anywhere. Stands for calcium lime rust remover. Hardware store Wallmart prob. Lowe’s. Anyplace like that.
