Re: rusty little gas tank
I repaired a few tanks in this manner: I bought some fuel tank sealer specifically made for sealing gas tanks from JC Whitney Co. It's called U.S. Standard POR-15 Fuel Tank Sealer. It's resistant to everything including alcohols. It seals pinholes and seams, locks in rust, and chemically bonds to the metal. If there's just light rust, you need by nothing else but the sealer (it says this on the can), but it can be a three-part system. If there is a lot of rust or varnish, then you should clean the tank. They suggest (on the can) using POR-15 Marine-Clean to clean the tank then POR-15 Metal-Ready (basically acid) to clean more rust. But you don't need the other two parts, just use the loose nuts method (lots of screws, nuts, bolts, etc. shaken real good around the tank to get the rust chunks out). Could use chain, too. I used a handfull of assorted hardware from a hardware can. If there's a lot of rust, no need to buy anything special, you can get a bottle of rust remover (acid, too) and pour that into your tank with some water, enough to cover well. Let that sit overnight. After you rinse out the tank, you must get it bone dry before the sealer goes in. You slosh the sealer around, covering all surfaces. Pour out the excess and save it for another project. It will air cure in 96 hours (4 days).<br />I used the POR-15 Fuel Tank Sealer on an AC generator, two tractors, a lawn edger, and I'm about to use it on my boat's tank too.
