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Any good tips for cleaning my Strada tank? Lots of tiny particles coming through.

White vinegar is OK for light rust, electrolysis for heavier rust.
Rinse well afterwards. I use acetone as a final rinse (and as a pre-wash if any goo in the tank). Lots of stuff on the web.

Lewes96 wrote:Any good tips for cleaning my Strada tank? Lots of tiny particles coming through.

Tried and true methods are the way to go:

1. Alkaline clean - sodium hydroxide to remove internal scum, etc
2. Phosphoric acid based rust conversion solution.

Of course, use appropriate protection for painted surfaces, not to mention personal protection (gloves, etc).

I'm not getting into the 'coatings' argument, other than to say that if the coating peels, the prep ain't done properly (same with all coatings).

I cleaned both my tanks before getting them painted. One had light rust. The other was pretty rusty. Both tanks were off the bikes.I connected a piece of fuel hose to the bottom of the tanks and then filled them to the top with apple cider vinegar. Let them sit for a week and rinsed them out. Both tanks were clean to bare metal. The final rinse used water and baking soda to neutralize the vinegar. I then sloshed some marvel mystery oil in the tank to keep it from rusting.

*You do need to be careful with the vinegar because it will soften and loosen the paint. This was not a problem for me since both tanks were getting repainted.

Use a solution of "Spirits of Salt" (Hydrochloric acid) to remove rust before stabilizing it with Phosphoric acid.

I've found that a coil of transparent hose to catch the particles works pretty well. Burn through a few tanks of fuel, emptying the 'trap' regularly and you'll stop gettin rust through.

Thanks for these replies. I will follow up at least one of them!

wot, no mention of filling the tank with gravel and shaking it, like we did in the old days?

they still do so at StarTwin in the netherlands.. they build a special contraption to hold any tank and shake it down for a day or so to remove all junk
DIY solution: blanket in a (rental) cement mixer and tank tucked within. let it roll at different angles for a day
Some say old bearing balls are better then gravel...

Vinegar seems to have done the trick so far. Am going to fit coil of clear fuel pipe to see if any more comes through though

when you're done, fit an inline fuel filter with a brass mesh. the plastic mesh ones melt. here's some: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5x-Inline-Fue ... 6a806bf7me:

To get a tank clean depends on what is wrong with it. If it is rusty inside and visibly has particles of rust that can be picked off then you will need to remove this by abrasion. Stones could be used but I used around 20 old M10 nuts and used these to rattle and scrape the inside as free of rust as possible. Then they were easily removed by using a magnet to pick them up and count them on the way out.

An off the shelf solution to use to clean the inside is Hammerite Rust Remover, mixed with water and fill the tank for a day or so. Then clean with soapy warm water and rinse really well before allowing to dry inside the house.

If the tank is like mine you will now discover several pin holes typically along the seam edge on the bottom of the tank. I used liquid metal weld to fill these and also strengthen any weak looking areas like around the tabs for holding on the chrome trim.

I made the decision then to also seal my tank with the Caswell kit which I have to report worked like a dream and game me a stronger and perfectly strong tank.

The following is info passed on from others before me; my added suggestions are in brackets.

Removing rust with molasses. Mix one part molasses with four parts water in a plastic container. Immerse rusty items in the solution for a week, then take them out and wash them. Hot weather will shorten the time required.

Petrol tank: remove the tap and block the outlet with either a steel plate screwed on or plug it with a piece of cork or dowell. Mix laundry detergent with hot water and tip into the tank. Shake the tank vigorously and tip the water out. This removes fuel remnants and sludge from the tank. Next fill the tank with the molasses and water mix and leave for a week. Do not seal the top of the tank. Empty the tank and rinse with detergent and hot water until clean. Next, rinse with methylated spirits. Finally rinse with diesel, making sure all the inside surface is coated. This will prevent flash rust from forming. If you intend to put a liner into the tank there is no need for the diesel.

(If you are removing rust from only the interior of the tank and if you fill the tank to the brim with the mix – and if you want to protect the exterior paint finish – keep an eye on the tank opening as the mix can froth up and possibly overflow onto the exterior of the tank.)

Molasses (at least here in Oz) can be bought from farm supply outlets as it is (apparently) used to feed livestock. It’s probably best to buy the smallest amount possible, perhaps 5 or 10 litres; it will probably last you a long time. Do not leave anything in the mix for too long as the acid will damage the part.

(I have had mixed results with this rust removal method; some things come up almost like new, others don’t.)