Fuel tank rust removal

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NAM VET
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Re: Fuel tank rust removal

Post by NAM VET »

I have a friend with a shop for a garage. I used to work on my Cobra there. He has parked in the corner a perfect '68 Z28, with a pile of OEM parts, all from long ago. Just needs some TLC. But since his wife died about four years ago, he just doesn't seem to have much energy for restoring it. I haven't had the time to try to get him going again.

When I was installing a driver's side mirror mount, I managed to drop my stubby German ratchet down in the the recess inside the cab side. I could't fish it out with an assortment of wire hooks, then decided to see if I could get it out from below, by removing the jump plate at the bottom. So sure enough, I got my prized wrench out with some wiggling. And then stuck a magnet down in there, and removed an assortment of rusty nuts and bolts from long ago. Which is why it is essential to plug the inside top of the panel before doing anything there. If a tool or fastener goes down you may never retrieve it, especially on the passenger side.

The cold chisel, who knows......

NV
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Re: Fuel tank rust removal

Post by jim lee »

'68 Z28, Enough to make me drool. My favorite flavor! Always wanted but never got a '68.

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Re: Fuel tank rust removal

Post by Marmalute »

I suppose there is the possibility that the outfit that will eventually coat the inside of this tank my have the ability to clean it first. I'm not sure exactly as they are north of the border (Canada) and only speak French. The extent of my French speaking skills is about enough to get me slapped in the face!
Plus I'm a hands on kinda guy, and have been twisting wrenches for 40+ years so it just makes sense that I derust it myself. The last fuel tank I cleaned was one from a M38A1, and for that I used the pieces of chain and ball bearing etc trick. It took a long time and the results were only ok. I'm still leaning to the electrolysis idea, I just need to come up with some sacrificial anodes that I can suspend in the tank. Maybe this weekend.
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Re: Fuel tank rust removal

Post by NAM VET »

A few months before I was set to graduate from Nebraska, via ROTC, and was going to Germany after my infantry officer, airborne, and Ranger school, spring of '69, I decided to sell my '65 MGB, (my first wife had done a 360 in the air, landing back on the wheels, tearing the top off, with me asleep and our infant riding on the back shelf), and get a Dart 340. So went down to the Lincoln Dodge dealer, and to my surprise a Charger R/T was only some hundreds more. So ordered up a dark green R/T with white stripes on the trunk. Paid $3,275, only option was power steering. 727 Torqueflight trans. The salesman asked if I wanted to upgrade to the Hemi, for another $770. I asked if the 440 came in a box, or how I was to have both motors if I went for the 426. He asked if I had ever bought a new car before, and told me I didn't get two motors. I dropped by the dealer lot one Sunday morning, to find the car transporter there, and no one there to help the driver take it off. So he asked me to help guide him, so when I got it, it had all of .3 miles on the odo.

Came with small 14 inch iron wheels, which I promptly replaced with 15 inch alloy's, with Michelin Radials. Took it to Germany, where it was a huge powerful car among the small cars the recovering Germans had to drive. Before I shipped it to Germany, I put on an an Offenhauser intake manifold, and since I could't get new gaskets to the heads, I cut them out of a cardboard shoe box, and it was running strong when I sold it in Germany a year later to a SGT. He later went off the road in it. To this day, I don't know why I sold it to get a '71 VW Type III Squareback, which I later modded relentlessly, and drove for over a quarter million miles. The VW got me thru the rest of my first active tour, pre-med, and then my residency.

On our recent Bavarian vacation, we went to Rothenburg, the historic small walled city. It was sacked in the 30 years war, and never was able to "modernize" for the next 300 years, so it is just like it was back in the 1600's. Very famous, the only one like it. If you look it up, the most famous painting/etching or picture of the city is where one town road veers down hill from the main road. When we were there two weeks ago, I had to walk down the sloping road to where it passes thru a small wall gate. And recalled how 47 years ago, when I drove that magnificent R/T down to leave, it could not fit thru the gate. And I had to carefully back up all the way to the main road to leave. Brought back a lot of distant memories.

By the way, even with the unlimited Autobahn speeds, I would cruise at 90 mph, on 18 cent a gallon Army Quartermaster gas, but because the R/T with its drum brakes would not make one complete stop from anything faster, I never once held the pedal to the floor to see what it would do.

I have always had one high performance car or another, even that little Type III was quicker when I got done with it.

All the best....

NV
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m-37Bruce
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Re: Fuel tank rust removal

Post by m-37Bruce »

Great story NV, we all have a couple of few, but yours are outstanding!
Bruce,

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Re: Fuel tank rust removal

Post by vinnytruck »

Has anyone tryed vinagar and some (alot of) copper pennies, works great on rusted tools...VT
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Re: Fuel tank rust removal

Post by jim lee »

Never tried vinegar & pennies. But I wonder if vinegar & zinc would work? Zinc is what people use on boats.

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m-37Bruce
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Re: Fuel tank rust removal

Post by m-37Bruce »

Something akin to sacrificial anodes?
Bruce,

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Keep Em Rollin'

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jim lee
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Re: Fuel tank rust removal

Post by jim lee »

That's what I was thinking. I think the chemistry is the same. The old who's who on the ionic nobility chart thing.

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Re: Fuel tank rust removal

Post by jim lee »

Well, now I don't know.

Image

Looking at the chart, I'd say you'd end up with really rusty tools and very shiny pennies. Must be some other chemical reaction going on that I don't know about.

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Re: Fuel tank rust removal

Post by vinnytruck »

When cleaning tools only vinagar should be used. When cleaning tanks use the pennies to ruff it up. I clean my tools for years in vinagar, just soak em but you have to watch them. rust moves to the top of solution. Try it you will see. VT
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