OK I am PORing a tank ... yea I know ... shocker ...
But this has been patched and has lead and brass and what not and muriatic acid will eat all of it ... so I have to get somehting else ...
OK so the petcock and fuel level sending unit etc ... can I leave it in the tank while acid treating it. Or do I need to find a different way of sealing it.
Also will That cid take off old coating like kreem. Its been mostly removed but just checking if that last bit will get removed.
Cool.
Srinath.

Srinath to take the Kreem out you will have to have MEK or Methyl Ethyl Ketone.As far as cleaning it Afterwards if it does have Rust go to your Local Auto Zone to the paint Department and Pick up some Evapo-Rust.It will be around $8.00 a Quart but right now they have a $3.00 Rebate per Quart.One Quart should be enough to clean one tank as long as you cap it off Completely and Slosh it Around for a Few Days. the best part About Evapo rust is that it won't Harm the Existing paint or Seals.

You want to remove everything that isn't just tank or the acid will wreck it. I know it is a hassle, but not being able to see what is happening with the devices is a bad idea.

If they are mucked up, you can use the muriatic in a plastic or glass bowl to clean up the sending unit and petcock, but soaking aluminum in muriatic rings some bad bells in my mind.

You sure don't want to leave the gadgets in the tank while doing the POR-15 to it.

Starwalt - POR 15 does not have muriatic acid in it. Muriatic acid is so cool, it works fast and its really really forgiving and powerful and what not. POR does not use it.
They use some sorta gentler safer and better acid. What it is - no clue. I am thinking I can use more paint stripper but was wondering if anythign was better. I believe Jared (or someone else said they leave the fittings in when doing the acid step with POR. I wasn;t going to leave anyhitng in when doing the coating step with POR. That = disaster.
Jughead - In any case MEK may be an option for me. But the derusting step I will do with the acid supplied with the POR kit. I am worried about not getting 100% with the MEK, it basically thins out the coating. Stripping is where it gets it softened and ready to come off. I was hoping to find a stripper, not just a thinner.
Cool.
Srinath.

Jughead has some good advice, I'd recomend removing your petcock though. You could make a little wooden plug to screw over the petcock hole or something. And you have a sending unit?    I'd recomend throwing some small nuts and bolts or rocks in the tank and then put in the MEK and shake it up. The nuts will nock the crud loose. You'll probally need to do this a few times to get all the old tank liner out but it should work. I've never lined a tank, but I have cleaned rust out of them and it helps to have stuff rattling arround to knock it loose.

Be carefull with the MEK though, it's harsh stuff and will screw up and melt plastic and paint, but it won't dammage the lead or brass. Wear safety glasses too, you don't want that stuff in your eyes.
Good luck 

Nuts and stuff with MEK are a bad idea. The coating will get into them, then they will promptly leave track like coating sheite back on the walls, and it will be so thin you cant see it. I have pretty much thought up the course of action ... I need to buy more paint stripper, and use it all in 2 lots and I believe I have just enough left in the other old can to run a third time and hope that it doesn't find any paint to strip.
MEK can get it loose, but the problem is getting it out.
Kreem coat is great, but people that do it have not a clue ... and the instructions on the kreem package are the worst.
Cool.
Srinath.

Nope... I always remove the fittings... wasn't me that said leave them in.

I use closed cell foam and stuff it in the holes-seals up tight....for the bolt holes I run bolts in then take them out before it all sets hard.


Srinath I'm so proud of you.....

Yup ... however its just a 1 time dealio.
BTW ... for the acid step, they say its safe for all metals ... and we know it wont eat plastic or rubber ... so why not leave it in ...
Maybe I should do kreem ... heck ... I could weld it all up, then acid etch it, and after its nicely etched, weld up anything that comes loose ... then it should stay OK, then we put oil in it and slosh it about and then give to powder guy. He's prolly gonna get the oil out but prolly will leave the thing with just a thin coating till the oven cooks it out. then of course I'll pick it back up without too much environmental exposure.
Then I can MEK it, then coat it. Prolly do that over POR ... That weird crap that may or may not do this or that is a PITA ... what is in the acid ... mystery, what is the coating ... again mystery ... hate that.
Cool.
Srinath.

I figure since it all has to come out for the sealer part of it I remove it all (and just in case the cleaner/etch stuff will screw somethng up....).

You'll like the POR's finish...

What's the tank off of...?

Quote from: seshadri_srinath on October 02, 2006, 09:12:38 PM... Prolly do that over POR ... That weird crap that may or may not do this or that is a PITA ... what is in the acid ... mystery, what is the coating ... again mystery ... hate that...

POR Metal Ready used Phosphoric acid rather than HCl acid. CLICK HERE for the MSDS page.

When I did my tank, I used both. The Metal Ready cleaned it nicely, but the Muriatic just blasted through the crap pocket rust. In retrospect, I should have left well enough alone and let the crap pocket rust act as a lattice/mesh. The POR sealant would have encapsulated it.

I've got pictures of the inside of my tank -- never published -- that I took at the dentists office with one of his mouth cameras.  What do you see? Painted tank stuff. Did get some interesting ones after installing the tank pickup and the support creases in the bottom.

Oh yea, muriatic acid is almost too rough on the thing. Good thing the GS tank is a lot thicker than it needs to be. I am almost certain I have eaten up 1/2 the wall in places in some tanks I did. Of course in other tanks I have eaten through all of the wall ...  ...
If I was using muriatic acid ... I'll use it first, then use the POR15 acid. the POR 15 acid just takes forever to do anything. Anyway this tank probably might be best left to the POR acid. Now let me look up what Phosphoric acid will eat and how rapidly.
Cool.
Srinath.

Heck man, if we had planned this better, you could have come down here and did the deed.  I'm on vacation this week...so far.

Yea, but I dont plan ...  ...
Anyway I have 3 tanks - they all are getting powdercoated and inside coated all in the span of the next week.
Cool.
Srinath.