Whats the best way to keep a gas tank from rusting

[Sledhead]

I recently picked up two more quads that I am going to rebuild but wont be starting on them for a while. I have to finish my lt250r first or my wife will kill me. The fuel tank on one bike is already starting to rust inside and I was wondering what would be the best way to store the tank for a few months and not letting it get any worse. Drain the old shit and leave open? Drain and fill with new? Let me know

[Foshezy]

well hmm, i dont konw if thers much you could do,, id just put a little gas in there, and put it in a corner untill your ready for it.... obviously they dont rust when theres gas in them so id just follow that same consept..
bry

[SAVAGE420]

Originally Posted by Foshezy

well hmm, i dont konw if thers much you could do,, id just put a little gas in there, and put it in a corner untill your ready for it.... obviously they dont rust when theres gas in them so id just follow that same consept..
bry

I wouldnt wanna run a tank that had rust in it....take it to a fabricator and see what he says mabey he could cut it in half ...fix it then weld it back up ....?

[tecateboy]

well there is some type of tank coating that you can put inside thats supposed to stop the rust, you would just have to somehow remove the majority of the rust thats in there and put that stuff in it.

[Sledhead]

I'm going to bead blast the inside of the tank if it gets too bad. I ve always done that on other bikes I've rebuilt that had alot of rust in them, Just wanted to know if their was a beter way to store them. I've always drained all the gas and left them open so they would dry but I dont know if this is the best thing to do or not.

[Foshezy]

yip, but like i was saying above i think your best bet is puting soem gas in it and closing her up to preserve it... gas is petrolium based and as you know petrolium is an anti corosive. alot of people preserve engins and cylinders using WD-40, just putting a think layer of it on there, but that'll jsut be a pain in the ass for a gas tank. Gas is what keeps it from rusting in the first place, if you havent noticed, now that they have the new E85 fuel for cars they are havign problems with gaslines coroding because there is little to no petro in the new fuel.
bry

[clutchcargo]

I have always stored my steel tank street bikes with the tanks topped off. The less air space inside the tank, the less chance for corrosion. I have also found that some radiator repair shops can clean and or blast the inside of a rusting fuel tank and then seal the inside for a reasonable cost. Maybe 50 bucks. There is a product called Kreem for sealing gas tanks also.

Kreem is awesome, or what I just do, FILL the tank FULL, and add stabilizer (which has rust inhibitors in it, and store your tank that way. Then drain at the begining of the season, fill her up completely with some fresh fuel, and you should be good to go.

As for already have rust, what I just said will do nothing... in that situation, if you are really gung-hoe about keeping that tank, I would fill it up with water, rinse it out real well, and cut a decent size hole in the bottom.... Blast the tank, then flush with water until ALL the sand is out, then fit the piece back in, and weld it up.... Then follow the steps above.

[Sledhead]

Thanks guys! I think I'll rinse her out good with gas then fill it up and add some stabalizer till I get time to start working on the bike. It might be a few months yet.

[bobeaser]

If you are not experienced in welding fuel tanks I strongly advise you to not do it!!
You may think its clean and no fumes but when it heats up the pores in the metal will enlarge and put out vapors then.....BOOM!

To do it right which is the best way is to get a bottle of argon and pump a line into the tank with it taped shut. Argon is an inert gas and will not alow anything to burn..it pushes out all of the oxygen. Then carfully weld it.
personally I refuse to weld GAS tanks. I weld deisel tanks with deisel still in them. Whole different situation there.