Robert in NC
09-23-2004 14:46:38
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Re: A FIX TO YOUR PROBLEM in reply to steve willingham, 09-22-2004 19:45:54
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Muriatic acid is the best route that I know of. I read through all the replies and I have done most of them with car, tractor, and even one holding tank. They all work well but Acid really gets it all. Chains and rock will work but not in tight places like the folds near baffles. Sealers that you just pour in over the rust work but will leave un-even/un-level spaces. Muriatic acid gets it all. True that you have to be careful with it. Here are some of the precautions. Do this with plenty of ventilation. The chemical reaction of acid to rust produces harmful gases. Make sure to have some baking soda or vinegar near by. This way you have something to neutralize the acid if you spill it on you. Wear you PPE! Personal Protective Equipment. Gloves, eye shield, apron ect.. Make you that you do not have anything aluminum near by or on the tank. IE Sediment bowl, gas cap, ect.. Muriatic acid as well as other acids will eat aluminum very quickly. If you shop has a concrete floor that is dirty or has been treated with a sealer, do not use the acid where it may spill or drip on the floor. Dirty floors will more than likely have many chemicals and particles on it. Acid spilling or dripping on this floor will cause a reaction and could produce dangerous gases. If you have a treated or sealed floor, muriatic acid will eat the sealer off faster than you can put a neutralizer (base) on it. In both cases though, your floor will be bright and clean. LOL.. When you go to treat the tank, you do not have to slosh the tank around. Rather, let it soak on all sides rotating it every 15-20 minutes or so. When you have completed the soaking, drain all the acid out into a clean plastic bucket. Before the tank can dry out, place 1 gallon of white vinegar inside the tank and rotate around for about another 20 minutes making sure that once again all sides are treated. This will neutralized the remaining acid and give you a better bond for you tank sealer. Once you have treated all sides drain the vinegar out into your collected acid. This will neutralize the acid and make it safe to discard. Take your treated and clean tank and run some hot water through it and slosh it around. Drain the water out and dry it with a blow dryer on low heat. Once dry, your tank is now ready for sealant. There about 20 good sealants out there. I personally like POR gas tank sealer. It puts a heavy seal on your tank and has yet to crack or flake off. I have treated all my tanks here on the farm with it and it has always done good. It's kind of pricey, but it's worth it if you think about the damage a bad or cheap sealer could do. Hope this help you and if you have any questions please let me know.
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