Fuel tank rust

[Morpheus Cane]

Hi all,

Looking for some advice on the inside of my fuel tank off my "004 Honda CBR600RR which has some surface rush, this has happened as the tank has been off the bike a while after the fuel pump failed

Some of it seems to rub off but I was wondering what peoples opinion is, Do i need to worry about it? Should I try to clean it out with something?

Sorry if image to big I could not work out how to shrink it

Many Thanks

https://i775.photobucket.com/albums/yy40/CptDave/IMG_20190502_185233.jpg

[MarJay]

We really need a picture.

Copy the pic from your phone to a PC and save it in 'pictures' or somewhere.
Open the picture in MSpaint. Right click and click 'resize'. Set the value to something like 25 or 30%

Save-as - Picname_small.jpg

Upload the pic by attaching it to the post.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[MarJay]

Ok got the pic. It's surface rust but ideally it needs to be dealt with. Vinegar is one option.

Here's another option:

https://www.frost.co.uk/brands/por15/por15-prep-metal-ready-946ml.html

Or you could just fill up with fuel and hope it doesn't get any worse... but it's on the edge of being able to do that IMO.
____________________
British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Morpheus Cane]

Thanks MarJay, was looking at the vinegar option as come across a few videos.

[Riejufixing]

Leave it, make sure it stays dry inside, look to your fuel filter every so often to check. Vacuum out whatever silt's in it at the moment.

[Grubscrew]

Get some clean 10mm shingle, about two cup fulls, about, put a cup full of diesel in and shake as if you are making a mixer drink, trust me it works brilliantly. The longer you shake it the cleaner it gets.
Oh and remove level float before hand.
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FJR1300/CBR1000F

[Morpheus Cane]

[-]

Molasses apparently is the dogs nads for this.

I’m sure if you Google it there will be info.
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Jaguar S Type 3.0 V6 Sport R, VW Transporter T5 GP LWB Shuttle 140ps DSG.

[Teflon-Mike]

On resto/rebovation, I tend to do a full POR 15 treatment, these days, as a matter of course.... saves stupid later on!

To aid the de-gunking chemicals at the beginning, I will wash the tank repeatedly with plain water, to try and get out as much loose-ish crud and silt; then I will do a couple of vinegar soaks, to get rid of a bit of heavier rust, before I chuck in the 'expensive' POR 15 stuff.

It works a treat, BUT, you have to be assiduously diligent to the instructions, vis turning the tank every so-many minutes to get it to cover the while inside area, on each 'bath'... and final treatment is the 'paint' or fuel-proof lining, which takes about a day to dry, but a week or so to properly cure and become petrol-proof.

Once 'done' it's pretty much fill-and-forget, the tank dont rust inside, and it saves faff with in-line filters, especially after-market ones that have a habbit of causing an air-lock and lag in the flow, giving running issues.

Plus, doing before anything else, gives time to get on and do everything and anything else, whilst you are letting chemicals 'soak' or the the tank lining cures properly, before putting petrol in it.

The full process, is only maybe a couple of hours 'hands-on' work, but its in five or ten minute taskes between leaving the dang tank to soak or dry or cure, stretching it out to over a week or more, IF you follow the instructions properly.... it is NOT a ten minute trick!

But, cold hard experience says its a dang site easier to do the inside treatment at the beginning, and not have the hassles later, when the tank starts to re-silt up, or pin-hole and leak, especially if it happens to leak through nice new external paint and decals, ruining them in the doing!

On something not-so-old, and not so derelict, it probably isn't so crucial, B-U-T.... I did it about a decade ago to my Seven-Fifty, which had about as much surface rust at the time, mainly 'cos I could... and it saved silly questions later.... and whats £50 in the grander scheme, when the brakes need 6 new pistons or whatever,and the carbs an ultrasonic swill!?!

As shown? POR15 then may be a bit of over-kill.... but your call.

For the surface rust in the pictures, I would probably do the full monty on it, and be damned... or leave it as is, and be damned....

If it gonna dissolve and clog, it gonna dissolve and clog, you will have to clean petcock gauzes and probably carbs... but you probably should anyway; so it would point you towards doing a bit of worthy preventative along the way, and you wouldn't waste so much time and effort up-front doing a 'half' job, sort of cleaning the tank.... but never really getting it all that clean, or putting the petrol-proof lining on the metal to stop it coming back again.

So, in for a penny, in for a pound... you either do it all, and do it pukka... or you do nothing at all.... that's my sort of reasoning on the matter.... but as said, your call.
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[Easy-X]

So I take it from cursory examination of the POR 15 website this is rust treatment followed by coating the internal surfaces with a petrol-proof plastic film?

If it's such a great thing how come manufacturers don't apply such a coating from the off? Seems like it would be much easier to do at the factory
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[MarJay]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Easy-X]

As ever, consider me educated, thanx tef!
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Royal Enfield Continental GT 535, Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Teflon-Mike]

[BTTD]

I've done a fuel tank on a petrol generator using electrolysis to remove the rust and then a POR15 kit. It's been in place 5+yrs and is still holding up.
The electrolysis is simple and cheap if you have an old fashioned battery charger or an old laptop power supply. It also seems a lot less physical work than shaking a tank full of gravel and less mess than vinegar or molasses.

[Robby]

I use phosphoric acid for fuel tanks. It does a nice job on steel, but attacks aluminium and rubber. You would want to remove the sender and make a plate to cover the hole, with a homemade gasket.

Pour a couple of litres of 40% phosphoric acid, top up with hot water. Let it sit for an hour or so.

Drain it all out. Rinse with water several times.

Put the fuel tap and sender back on, pour in 500ml of methylated spirits, fuel cap back on, shake it a bit so the inside is all coated with meths.

Drain out as much meths as possible. Fill with fresh petrol. All done.


The meths step is important. Meths will bind with water, but also go through you fuel system in low enough concentrations. Otherwise the residual water will just sit at the lowest point in the tank and rust away.

[Easy-X]

[Robby]

Fuel will go off anyway. The concern with petrol containing ethanol, from some people, is that it will absorb water into the fuel and that will cause a problem.

I look at it the other way around. The ethanol in the fuel should absorb any traces of water in the tank, so the water can't pool and let the steel rust.

[temeluchus]

[Islander]

[Morpheus Cane]

Many thanks for all the help😊

[Riejufixing]

[Robby]