Farmall Cub

Got a rusty gas tank on the inside off a six wheeler I am restoring. I built and have used my electrolysis tank with the help from all of you on this forum. The gas tank is about two feet long and maybe 10 inches in diameter with alot of rust on the inside. The tank is solid just needs a good inside cleaning. The question I have is can I submerge the gas tank in the electrolysis tank and clean it? If not what solution or "brew" can I put inside it to get it clean. Thanks!

There is no reason I know of why you can't submerge your tank in an electrolysis bath. It might work better if you carefully place an anode through the tank opening into the gas tank. Be sure to insulate the anode well at the neck to keep it from shorting out.

Bigdog, You hit the nail on the head which was my next question if the anode will work on the outside which could "possibly" clean the both inside and out. If the anode needs to be on the inside could I just fill the tank with water add the secret ingredient. The outide is pretty clean and it's not a concern at this point.

Dennis B wrote:Bigdog, You hit the nail on the head which was my next question if the anode will work on the outside which could "possibly" clean the both inside and out. If the anode needs to be on the inside could I just fill the tank with water add the secret ingredient. The outide is pretty clean and it's not a concern at this point.

Dennis,

It sounds like you're cooking up a good plan! The cleaning is best where the current has the shortest path. It's hard to imagine enough current flow through the small openings when the outside has so much area.

George and Bigdog, I'm thinking about fishing a anode (a piece of angle iron or steel bar through the opening and suspending midway inside the tank. Taking two pieces of hose that would slip just enough over the ends of the anode (say about an inch) in case it would turn inside the tank so it doesn't ground out. Filling the bugger and start brewing.

Dennis:

I would be thinking that if you had a large enough tank.. a 55 US Gal tank may not be the critter, but a larger one would where the tank could be totally immersed, sure would work well. I would think then that an auxillary anode inside the tank would not be necessary....

I see nothing wrong with doing that, as some of the gas tank repair shops uses a similar idea, but instead of electrolysis they use some other active prcedure.. possibly a light acid bath

Then they re-purge prior to sealing the tank with Red Kote..

I know my 1600litre tank will fill the bill

Rudi, Your thinking is that a submerged tank with the anode on the outside like a normal bath would clean the inside also (no inside anode required). Also tell me more about this Red Kote and where to get it.

Dennis:

Yup, that is what I think. Remember the tank itself is the anode.. and you want to clean the tank... so if the tank is the anode then the crud will be expelled and attracted to the electrodes... has to work.. not a doubt in me old drying up brain..


Red Kote is what most of the Rad and Gas Tank Repair Shops in my area use, and I know it is available south of the 49th..

I know a lot of people have been using POR-15, but I like the Red Kote a lot. I had my tank cleaned, purged and then sealed for $80.00 Cdn.. which to me is a real deal... especially since I did not have to do the work or buy a new respirator.. and I think I could not have done it as cheaply either.. seeing as it is $21.00 a quart from the manufacturer..

Check it out. It has been 3 years and not one leak.. not one.. and no crud in my sediment bowl either. Clean and seal properly, then use clean gas, provides pretty much a crud free environment for our Carbs...

The tank is the cathode. The process is really plating, except instead of nice shiney stuff we're plating the anode with crud. That's why the anodes have to be cleaned regularly. The anode inside the tank will be MUCH more effective. The current will then have a direct path for the required flow.

Just my $0.02 but.....

I used Muratic Acid to do my FCub Tank last year. Mixed it 1 qt acid to 3.5 gallons water. (~14:1 ratio). I just filled the tank with water then added the acid. I did it outside and let sit overnight. In the morning, I drained and rinsed the tank out and voila! A sparkling clean tank!!

The best part...2 qts of Muriatic acid was less than $5

Thanks Rudyo. I know there was other solutions or home brews out there. I like your recipe and will definitely consider trying it. I also know and have tried a can of Coca-Cola on a cement floor will clean just about anything off to a like new look again. Wonder how it would work inside a gas tank? What the heck a 2 liter bottle of Coca-Cola is about a buck.

George Willer wrote:The tank is the cathode. The process is really plating, except instead of nice shiney stuff we're plating the anode with crud. That's why the anodes have to be cleaned regularly. The anode inside the tank will be MUCH more effective. The current will then have a direct path for the required flow.

George:

I NEVER get that right..

An Electrode is the positive side of the mix, and in this case it would be the rebar?

An Anode is the negative side of the mix, and in this case it would be the tank?

That is what I thought..

So what is a Cathode.. aside from a CRT that is

I figured maybe I ought to try to find the answer to my own questions.. hence the links.. now I am still confused. However, I do know this.. if I put the Positive Leads from the Battery Charger on the Re-bar which are sacrificial and the Negative Lead on the Chain which is connected to the part being cleaned -- IT WORKS

This is WHY Mr. Gilianardo gave me a 3/100 on my Electrical Theory test An Electrical Whiz I am defintely NOT Now why am I an Advanced Amateur and why can I fix computers and even some radios but I am a dunce at basic theory.. even Ohm's Law is beyond my ken... and I have tried for years to understand it..

Rudi,

I know it's confusing. For whatever reason electrons were arbitrarily assigned a negative potential. The electrons (negative) flow from the cathode toward the positive (anode) terminal. That's counter intuitive, but that's the convention. In our electrolysis tanks the flow is from the work (negative: Cathode as in cathode ray tube) toward the anode (positive, with too few electrons)

I'll bet I just made it more confusing, sorry but it's been 56 years since I studied this stuff!

It does work well, I've done it. In fact I am doing one today. The link below is a good article on this very thing. I used this as ideas to set mine up. I used an old rattle can paint can top because it fit right down over my gas tank neck. I found an old carriage bolt 7/16 by about 8". I cut a hole in the rattle can top and just threaded the carriage bolt through it to hold it. That is the way I insulated it.


http://650rider.com/Content/pid=6.html

Dennis - I totally agree. Just use your gas tank as the tank. Fill it with the electrolyte solution and place the anode inside for best results. A direct path always works best.
RudyO's acid bath might be a good first step. If it works well enough, you may find that using the electrolyte tank is not necessary.