Anyone ever tried the fuel tank coating?
I've a Farmall H tractor. Had it about 30 years. Mostly parked in shed, When used it was for mowing raking and running hay bales into the barn loft. Its sat for years. Even when I first bought it it had fuel problems. Rust. Now its time to get it running again. Rebuilt carb and got a new fuel filter. BUT the fuel tank is rusty. Scaley(sp) stuff. I bought the coating (X2) but not the kit. The kit was $40 bucks for enough for a motorcycle. Coating was $20 bucks each. If I follow the directions on the coating bottle it will cost me another $60. Metal wash ,muratic acid, rust remover acetone.
Anyone ever done this cheap?
I'm trying vinegar in an old jerry can as a trial, and its working, but I still can't get to the inside corners. The fuel tank has a baffle which makes it harder I'm thinking.
I'm wondering if all the rust needs to be removed.
just

Can you get a chain or some steel ball bearing balls down in there and shake the bejesus out of it?

Ever think about cutting the tank in half and rewelding it.

* It is never to early to register to Vote.*

i've never used but heard horror stories of it peeling and causing issues.I bought a new tank for my old Ford 3000.

A guy I know works at a metal fabrication place. A few years ago he took an old tractor gas tank, put some glass beads inside and had it tumbled on some machine where he works for a day or two. He was happy with the job it did getting rid of the rust.
I think he said he did coat coat the inside with something that cured to a ceramic like finish.

I used steel in case I got some that didn't want to come out and you can use a magnet, to each there own though. I would take off the fitting after the shake down take it to the car wash and blast it good and call it done.

I did a farmall cub tractor gas tank years ago. I was working in a body shop where we had a radiator repair/rebuild tank.

Anyway I took the tank apart cleaned it and re-soldered it. It wasn't that hard really.

The 57 ford 640 I am working on now I will probably do the same to.

I have used the ceramic coating stuff on lantern tanks and have had good luck with it. Just make sure you have something in every little valve or port you don't want it to get into.

Remove the tank. Put small link chain in the tank. Bungee the tank to the big wheel of another tractor and bush hog a field or plow some snow. You will break loose all of the scale. Hopefully you won't have a bunch of holes in it when you are done. If you do have a bunch of holes after this, the tank was not salvageable to begin with, but it didn't cost you anything.

I just had the tank on my 89 Dodge Ram 50 done. It was leaking at the seam between the upper and lower half and was in generally poor condition. I had it media blasted (outside), brazed, and cleaned and coated inside. It cost me $120.00. I could have probably bought a replacement tank for about that same price but they are not available for 2nd generation Ram 50's.

I have used "fuel tank kreem" in motorcycle tanks. It works ok but I have seen a lot other people did that just peels right off. I would only use that if u have holes in the tank. Like others said put something in the tank and shake for about 3 weeks. And buy a bunch of extra fuel filters but the small rust will still get through, looks like reddish junk in bottom of carb.

In the boat yards I worked at as a kid in the '50s we put drano in the tank with water, it violently bubbled and cleaned out the old 6 gallon outboard gas tanks. But most times we had to solder a new bottom on the tank anyway......jk

I've read great things about Red-Kote on a tractor forum I belong to. Lots of guys use it with good success.

I put washed pea gravel in my tractor tank, strapped it to the rear rack on my wheeler and took it for a long ride over rough terrain. Lye will chew up a lot of the gunk.

Thanks guys. I've already used pea gravel with vinegar in it. Looks like I've either got to use something else or do the vinegar thing again. I don't know how I'd rotate it so its just shake,shake,shake. That's a heavy tank .lol
The coating I've got is from Eastwood. They are a "Do it yourself " automotive products company.
I think I'll take it to the car wash and start again.
BTW I called a radiator shop and was told they don't do gas tanks because of the cost of insurance.
just

I'm trying to remember what I used in my old motorcycle tanks. It's an epoxy and you don't want to remove all the rust as that's part of what it adheres to. I've put on over 80K on one bike I did that to and never had a problem. Will see if I can find the can.

I had the same problem with my farmall H . I dumped several boxes of 1/4 inch square nuts inside tank , then strapped it to the inside of my cement mixer and let it rotate for an hour or so .. eventually added water to flush out dislodged rust and scale ...keep flushing and rotating.
Did this on and off , over a two day period ... tank rust problems gone ..
I did install inline fuel filters also . Hope this helps

I had a local radiator shop do mine, Eagle Auto Radiator Service in Reading, PA. He was recommended by my mechanic. He did a great job, the tank looks like a new one.

The guys on my tractor forum swear by this stuff. https://youtu.be/i5VemcQNrQg