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Best way to clean inside of petrol tank?

Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 10:31 pm
by spanky
Evening all,
I've aquired another rvf but it's only fit for breaking*. If I poke my fingers inside the petrol tank, there is red paint on the inside that has turned grainy and mushy - you can wipe it off with your fingers.

I'm not sure what the tank should have on the inside but it's definitley not this paint... What's the best way to clean it out? I was thinking maybe a jet wash squirted inside but is there a more scientific solution?

James.

*Normally I get annoyed by people buying nc's to break them since there's few enough already but this one was a special case..trust me.

Re: Best way to clean inside of petrol tank?

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 1:10 am
by Neosophist
there usually unpainted steel.

To get rust out I usually stick a bicycle chain in the tank and swish it around to break up / off the rust.

You can probably get some chemical treatments too.

Re: Best way to clean inside of petrol tank?

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:31 am
by vr46
I also have a tank which has plenty of overspray inside... it's layered and peeling off in places :|

Keep the ideas coming ;)

Re: Best way to clean inside of petrol tank?

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:59 am
by Dynamohum
fish tank gravel and deagreaser :idea: this was an article in practical sportsbikes magazine a month or so back . btw if your breaking nc30/35s for spares please dont sell the swinging arms to fuds who put them on home built rat bikes/choppers etc makes me heart bleed to see one fitted to a turkey mobile :lol:

Re: Best way to clean inside of petrol tank?

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:14 am
by mattUKNC
davethetrucker wrote:fish tank gravel and deagreaser :idea: this was an article in practical sportsbikes magazine a month or so back . btw if your breaking nc30/35s for spares please dont sell the swinging arms to fuds who put them on home built rat bikes/choppers etc makes me heart bleed to see one fitted to a turkey mobile :lol:
I saved one of those advertised as a 'great for streetfighter build' and that'll be going on my nc very soon.
I too need to clean out a tank and these ideas are very helpful. :up:

Re: Best way to clean inside of petrol tank?

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 10:57 am
by Neosophist
an old pushbike chain is a lot easier than gravel *used both*... lot quicker to fish a chain out than thousands of tiny pieces of gravel.

Get one of those stuck in a seam somewhere and disloge it later and can be running out of fuel if it gets past the tank filter

Re: Best way to clean inside of petrol tank?

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 4:47 pm
by uber pikey
leave about a litre of fuel in there and drop a match in!






















This is not recommended and was meant as a joke, please do not drop a match in the tank.

Re: Best way to clean inside of petrol tank?

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 6:02 pm
by ibby4585
I used Jizer and a bag of stainless nuts and bolts plugged both ends and shook it for half an hour 2 mins at a time. Then used petseal to line it.

It looks mint now

Re: Best way to clean inside of petrol tank?

Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 9:40 pm
by spanky
So it's Jizer/Gunk plus something to rattle around then. I've heard mixed things about Petseal, but I've also heard that tanks can rust very quickly once you start monkeying with the inner surface. Once I've got it clean I'll give it a week and see if it stays shiny.

And as far as the swingarm goes, if someone wants to take it off my hands and attach it to half a GT550 or the front end of a beetle then then who am I to argue. In fact I spot a 400gb money making opportunity - pay up or the swingarm gets it....

Re: Best way to clean inside of petrol tank?

Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2011 7:27 pm
by brmoore
spanky wrote:In fact I spot a 400gb money making opportunity - pay up or the swingarm gets it....
:shock: