Gas tank restoration
 

Any tips from those that have been there to cleaning up an original tank without damaging the original galvanized finish? Here's what I got....

This might help.



http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.p...7175#msg107175

That link doesnt work for me,,,,,,:dunno:

Link worked for me... thanks Darrell! Below is the highlight from that thread for those that are following along....I will likewise give this a try and provide some results.

These backing plates were not in all that bad of condition to start with. It was like the surface had oxidized and turned a dull flat gray in some areas. It was also rough in texture when you ran your finger over it.

Here's what didn't have any effect on them at all: powdered dishwashing soap....vinegar.....milk and baby powder.

Before buying any polish, I decided to try some Brasso that I already had. That worked! I also tried some fine grade bronze wool. That also worked. So I decided to try a combination of both. Applying the Brasso with the bronze wool. I think it worked about as good as anything could. It didn't make them pristine but it made the outside look like the areas inside that had been sealed up and never exposed.

Doing this did not leave any scratch marks unless you pressed really hard. Where I had tried Scotchbrite earlier in a hidden area, that definitely left scratch marks.

After the Brasso, I washed them and tried the suggested buffing with a plastic scrubbing pad. That added more shine to them. I was surprised by that. I didn't think it would do anything. I finished them with a coat paste wax inside and out.

Did a little work on the tank today using the above process.
Photo 1 - "as removed" surface
Photo 2 - cleaned with "purple power" cleaner mix
Photos 3,4,5 - Brasso applied with bronze (fine) wool and wiped clean with a damp cloth.
Long way to go, but it looks doable for saving the original tank finish. I have some evaporust on some of the rusted areas right now, will go back at it tomorrow.

Evaporust did a decent job of removing the rust, am now left with a stain to deal with. The evaporust process revealed a "3" on the rear end/driver side/top of the tank - anyone know what this is for?

That's not a stain....the rust that you removed had eaten away the factory "coating" (tern finish). It's pretty much bare steel in those areas once the rust is removed. Likely, anywhere you have that surface rust you are going to see the same thing if you remove it. It would take some sort of creative "painting" to make those areas look like the better, still coated, adjacent areas.

Eastwood makes a tank tone, is the finish any good?
On the sub gram on f body’s that had a Cat, there’s a galv heat shield, I tried cleaning it up a while ago, didn’t have any luck, once the galv finish is gone it’s gone I think. Tank tone would prob be a silver paint.


https://galvanizeit.org/designing-fo...ip-galvanizing



http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/Mus...ting-13-Oz.axd

Eastwood's tank paint looks like....well.....it looks like paint. Nothing out of a can, etc will give that original look if it matters. Paints just lay down a mono-color/mono-tone finish.

The original tern coating has a sort of hard-to-describe "inconsistent" appearance....variation of the color or look over the surface.

Also...the EWood paint tends to go on very dry and very flat. Typical "dry edge" look from using a spray can to paint a larger flatter piece like a tank.

It looks "OK" from a distance as all you see is a silver looking large part but if you know what an original tank (or new tank) looks like it's not very convincing.

On the Evapo---the stuff is really meant to be used on a part that can be completely submerged. Sure, they suggest laying towels, etc over larger parts like this but the results aren't very good....just not enough "exposure" to a pure Evapo-environment.

Also - I don't know the OP's circumstances exactly BUT......if you are using Evapo in the cooler winter temps...forget it....it won't do much of anything. The temps of the Evapo really need to be up there. It will work MUCH better the warmer it is but using the lay-a-towel-over-the-spot-and-saturate-with-Evapo technique with something like a heat lamp on it may just result in it evaporating off to the point where it's doing even less.

At lower temps the stuff barely works or does nothing at some point.

It is also VERY SLOW to remove heavier rust and really won't "pull" or remove the rust down in heavier pitted areas.

Galvanizing (zinc) turns duller and greyer over time.....that's the sacrificial nature (and purpose) of it to provide protection to the underlying metal. It can be "brightened" a bit BUT BARELY once it's "turned" (ie gone grey) and some of the brightening may just be the optical effect from making the surface glossier with any rubbing/polish, etc. You'll never get it to look like NEW galvanizing again.

The tanks aren't galvanized (which is a zinc type finish)...the flat steel sheets were coated (before rolling into rolls) with a "tern" finish which apparently was a lead/tin coating. Still, similar aging characteristics, etc.

Any tips for preserving a tank? I've got a Spectra Premium coming and was planning on at least a wipe down with Boeshield, but didn't know if anything was better-more durable and long lasting without changing the finish.