http://www.morrowmarsh.ca/concours/techpages/rustout.htm
If it works... 8th grade chemistry says it wil...
Cool.
Srinath.

So...who is going to be the first volunteer to try this???

Sounds very promising

If you are going to do this make sure you do a couple of things.

1) Use distiled water! Why? because if you are puting salt in it anyway it will conduct electricity just the same, but wont have the chlorine and iodine aditives that tap has.

2) I would put a couple of small stones into the tank so you can slush it around and get the rust lose.

3) Rinse Rinse and Rinse some more... I would also pour in some rubing alcohal after I drain the tank, slush it around and drain that too. (It evaporates quicker then water.

That's what you get when you put a Chemistry GeeK and GSTwin.com together... a ranting voice with no actual experience.  :mrgreen:
-Denis S.

That seems like a really awesome idea.  Luckily I have no problems with rust right now, but the idea of electroplating the rebar is quite interesting.

ASLAM.

Awesome idea.  I just had my Katana tank repaired ... acid dip and epoxy coat.

Here is a more comprehensive website.

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/andyspatch/rust.htm

Rob

I just did the tank electrolysis thing today.  It worked pretty well, for something that is basically free  Removed or converted about 90% of the red rust I would say...  My little battery charger was a pain in the butt though!  :guns: Lots of manual labor involved as well.

OK You know we want pics... please tell me you have them...
Cool.
Srinath.

I will try it as well....with pics.

Now, can this be done to remove chrome? or aluminum oxide?

Yes yes, I got pics... I'm beat all to hell though.

Let me upload them tomorrow.

Cautionary tips to be put in the writeup:
-I've found the best place to put the negative lead is on the lip of the gas tank.
-Count the number of nuts and bolts you put in the tank to loosen rust, and have a magnetic pointer to fish them out of the tank.
-No, it doesn't work 100%.  Well, it could, but it takes time
-The limiting factor, and the main PITA is getting a good contact with the tank and the anode.  My battery charger would go nuts after 20-30 secs, as the connection would go bad.
-The anode doesn't really get 'plated' with rust, but it definitely lifts rust out, and converts whatever is left on the tank surface with the black iron oxide.
-I'd definitely suggest going with a 2 amp charger rather than the 10 amp setup.  Takes longer but you're not driving so much current through, and won't generate much hydrogen gas.

Unfortunately, while this technique will remove the rust it will not replace the thickness of metal that has been converted to rust, so eventually your tank will still rust through.

OK a GS tank is the damn thickest walled one I have ever seen, OK a 89-00 GS. The tank could use aweight loss plan, then you also have to coat it after the rust is gone... you now that. Its just a nicer alternative to muriatic (Hydro chloric) acid.
Cool.
Srinath.