This past weekend I pulled the tank on my old 37 Hudson sedan to fix a broken pick up tube & put in a new sending unit. However, the Tank Renu service I paid for in 2004 had failed! It was literally separating & braking apart inside the tank! One of the main selling points to me back when I had the Tank Renu service done by their dealer was their Nation wide “Lifetime Warranty”. Thus I emailed pictures of the failing liner to their corporate office for help. A few days later I received a call from “Dan” in their corporate office. The bottom line.... THEY WOULD NOT UPHOLD THEIR LIFETIME WARRANTY & DIDN’T CARE THAT THEIR PRODUCT FAILED! This guy could not have been more of a JACKASS if he tried! So be warned about this company and their product, it will fail like mine & their “lifetime warranty” isn’t even worth a dime! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I don't think any of those products last 16 years without breaking down. I had a tank do that also. I have read that the older version of tank sealers will not withstand the new ethanol fuels.
I installed a new tank on a truck that was restored in the 80's with some sort of silver stuff that was all falling off inside the tank. different than your picture. it was coming off in sheets I like new tanks. I'd rather put that money in a new tank that in a tow bill home someday.... or even a Saturday afternoon dicking around on the side of the road instead of driving.
I have had less than acceptable results with various tank sealers over the years. No more--new tanks for me.
I did my Lincoln and my farm tractor both 4-5 years ago with REDKOTE. Both still look like they did when I did them.
I've done a couple car tanks and several motorcycle tanks with Red-Kote and have had no issues with any of them. I've also thinned Red-Kote with acetone and dipped corroded carburetor floats in it with good success. It adds a small bit of weight to the float so you need to compensate for that with the float setting.
Knock on wood, l have also used RedKote with good success. I’ve only used it once, on a Farmall A, but so far, so good. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
You may want to contact your state Attorney General. Here in Minnesota they are very good about helping in such cases.
In 1988 4 members of our club traveled to the Street Rod Nationals, we spent a lot of time on the side of the interstate changing filters on Gary's '34 Ford, I believe we stopped 7 times, ehrn we got to the motel parking lot we dropped the tank and found a old time radiator shop that vatted the tank over night, the next day we bought a new filter and he hasn't had a problem since. There is no way I would ever use any kind of sealer in a gas tank. HRP
By the looks of the photo that coating is way too thick causing it to mud crack. Looks like it was more in the application than the product. The 1st gas tank sealer was 3M adhesive. Then came the alcohol resistant formula which was vinyl primer. Then came the clear concrete and wood floor primer. After that it's the silver moisture cured. Sealing a gas tank requires a thorough cleaning and etching. This sealer should always go in thin coats to avoid puddling. The only time you seal a tank is when you have no choice. And then follow the directions to the letter.
Unfortunately the guy at Tank Renu never said it was put on too thick so I’ve got no idea why it failed but subsequently I’ve heard from quite a few other people who have seen similar outcomes. I did their Tank Renu service as I was a newbie in all of this rust in gas tank stuff but there were no holes in the tank to begin with. Their their “Lifetime Warranty” appealed greatly to me until I needed it. The thing is I drained the tank back in 2006 as the engine broke a spider gear to run the oil pump so I didn’t have gas in it since then. It’s also been in the climate controlled garage which doesn’t fluctuate outside of 60F-85F year round and I never used any ethanol gas so it’s really disappointing. I will obviously never do another gas tank sealer, I’ve seen too many failures. The diy kits definitely can have issues with poor prep, which is what I wanted to avoid that by taking it to Tank Renu to have them do it. I’ve been looking around for replacement tanks but no reproduction tanks are made for my old 37 Hudson. Tanks Inc has a few universal tanks and I’ve found one that will work just by moving the filler neck. They have a block off plate for the existing hole so they’ve done this before & at $225 it’s a no brainer! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Another thumbs up for Redcote...no problems after 10 years in a 1924 fuel tank, even with ethanol the whole time. In the beginning, the gas had a red tinge to it, but no ill effects.
Never tried sealer in a tank, on the few I had a leak in I'd till try to save them, count out 25 SS nuts and go after agitating the tank, blow it out, repeat. I always just brazed the holes up from the outside. If I couldn't scrub the tank out, then I looked for another.
At the shop I worked at in the 1980’s we had had dozens of rusty, leaking gas tanks Renu’ed in customers cars. We never had a single problem with any of them to my knowledge. It’s pretty disappointing to hear they will not stand behind their “lifetime warranty” today.
If you had a tank that is not reproduced and no source for a replacement I bet you would! Nobody makes tanks for my Lincoln or my IH tractor, so I didn't have much choice, especially on the tractor. I could have probably modded a tank and made it work in the Lincoln, but the tractor tank is an odd size and shape, and the sheet metal fits around it. I searched for a long time and compared products, the REDKOTE was the only one that said it would work with ethanol gas, so that's what I used. It may bite me in the butt later on, but I've been happy with it so far....
My 58 Yeoman wagon has a U shaped tank, and when I redid the car in the early 90's, replacement tanks weren't available. IIRC, I used Eastwoods tank cleaner and sealer, and have never had a problem, and I did it my self.
Oh boy I’m gonna be up all night thinking about my ‘64 98 gas tank rebuilt by local Gas Tank Renu Shop $450 Needed entire bottom welded in No new ones available But only use non ethanol when possible Used them 10 years ago for 2 customer cars(‘68 Cadillac and ‘60 Olds 88) Neither one, to best of my knowledge, has any problems. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
One thing I started to do some years ago on a bare metal custom made steel tank was to use Marvel Mystery Oil in the gas. I was really surprised at how it helps keep surface from rusting. Just an FYI if you haven’t tried it, ya might take a look at it. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Be warned... Gas Tank Renu will eventually fail & the cost of a tow & repairs will far exceed any extra cost there maybe in a new metal, aluminum or stainless tank, even if one has it custom made. The company won’t uphold their lifetime warranty so be warned! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Have you thought about checking with a commercial aircraft maintenance facility at your local airport? They may be able to help you. My $.02.
Thanks for the idea but the only thing I will do going forward is buy a universal tank from Tanks Inc. They have one which will work quite well! Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.