Sealing inside oil tank?

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DogT

DogT

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OK, now that my Rube Goldberg tank cleaner has been running for about 2 days now the tank is looking pretty clean, at least no more big rust spots coming off. I'm going to let it go a bit longer and see if I can get all the surface rust off. I tried putting some WD40 in with the drywall screws, but that just melted the duct tape I had on the holes and the screws all came out with a mess of dark rusty WD40. So I'm polishing it dry now. I notice the inside originally seemed to be painted black as near as I could tell. No way I am going to get any paint in it now, much less oil resistant paint. I suppose I should seal it with Caswell's which means plugging that vent tube and the breather tube so it doesn't seal up the tubes and drip out. Anyone seal an oil tank with Caswell's before?

Dave
69S
 
DogT said:
OK, now that my Rube Goldberg tank cleaner has been running for about 2 days now the tank is looking pretty clean, at least no more big rust spots coming off. I'm going to let it go a bit longer and see if I can get all the surface rust off. I tried putting some WD40 in with the drywall screws, but that just melted the duct tape I had on the holes and the screws all came out with a mess of dark rusty WD40. So I'm polishing it dry now. I notice the inside originally seemed to be painted black as near as I could tell. No way I am going to get any paint in it now, much less oil resistant paint. I suppose I should seal it with Caswell's which means plugging that vent tube and the breather tube so it doesn't seal up the tubes and drip out. Anyone seal an oil tank with Caswell's before?

Dave
69S
Click to expand...

I gave my oil tank to a guy who hot tanked it. The tank had been sandblasted a bit inside. The hot tank stripped the rest of the paint and surface rust off. I didn't worry about painting the inside as it'll be coated with oil. :mrgreen:

By putting the WD-40 in there you may have screwed any chances of getting Caswells to stick.
 
I would think carb cleaner/acetone/laquer thinner would remove WD40 enough to clean it, no? I have used WD40 on things, cleaned it with carb cleaner and then polished and plated it. If there were any WD40 left, the plating wouldn't stick.

Even if it has oil in it, there is always some residual water, especially with storage. That's what I worry about.

Dave
69S
 
The oil will preserve it, the water will be evaporated after your first long run along with the normal source of water from ring blowby.
 
Flush with acetone plus maybe some objects to knock off loose flakes, then can boil or just soak tank in Devils Lye or CRL to remove unsightly rust layer and use as is or apply Caswell 2 part epoxy. Silicon sealer may prevent anything else sticking but wd40 will leave the building completely all by itself over a few days of sunshine or in minutes if heated up some. Detergents work better than solvents if clear non oily surface sought. Solvents tend to drive oil deeper into Al pores, so beware there.

The real issue is the layer of metal and hydrocarbon ceramic matrix that collects in tank bottoms. No solvent will get that out in ones lifetime so mechanical assist needed.

hobot
 
I'm thinking I'll clean it the best I can, use it and see what it looks like next year. It's not that hard to get to.

Dave
69S
 
I'd be worried about the Caswell reacting to hot oil and gum drawn into the outlet mesh or through into the feeder line to the oil pump. If the inside is clean enough, just oil alone will preserve the metal.

Mick
 
If it don't leak mostly what ever insides look like is just cosmetic and ain't getting into oil, especially if you can't just rinse it all out with gasoline. If leaking just JBWeld it and refinish and leave interior raw above oil and clotted on bottom.
If you do get the crude off by boiling lye or acid methods then the raw surface can be pickled and stablized by phos acid for iffy lasting surface or by zine-stromium phos acid for permanent bonded layer. This what I'm treating inside of OIF with.
So tried it on rusted chain and axle head left outside and gives either white-ish or grey metal layer that don't rub off.
http://www.earlstation.com/es_info_page_chemprime.html
 
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