Technical How to clean inside of gas tank?

When I was young and still knew everything I came up with a plan for repairing M/C gas tanks - do the pebbles/nuts and bolts shake to knock the rust and scale loose, multiple hot water and soap washes, multiple water rinses, fill to just below the repair area, and finally passing the torch over the open filler with my back turned. Some times I'd get a little pop, some times not, either way figured nothing left to create a blow. Worked well for many jobs with no unwanted side effects. ~30 years ago I ran the drill, had a tank propped up with the open petcock holes pointed towards me, brazed away for a few mins happier than a cat in a fish store and suddenly woo woo whosh whosh with 2 little torches headed towards me......... Haven't tried it since and won't again, have spent, and will continue to spend, the bucks for tanks in usable shape as is even if it means high buck custom built one off's.

Ed

 

Kinda like finding something you are looking for and its always found in the last place you looked. We might have success with a hundred tanks and number 101 would be a disaster? Reminds me of Don Knotts who played Mr Ferely on Threes Company. He was in the basement with a lighter checking for gas leaks? He Stated I haven't found any so far!

 

Way back when I had mine cleaned, repaired, and coated by a local shop (maybe re-nu?). Also had another one's neck repaired by an experienced welder which he filled with water during the process to help with fumes. Even with that he was scared to do it. This was done back before all the re-pop tanks so today a new one would be the route I would be going.


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The hose from a running car was from the exhaust . The carbon monoxide replaces the oxygen in the tank that way it won't ignite. The first time I welded on a gas tank I was so scared I put the tank on one side of a bulldozer blade and reached around with a torch and waived it over the tank to see if it was going explode. After a few minutes and I wasn't dead. I welded up the tank and have been doing it for 30 years.

 

Read any of the hundred or so threads on the subject that already covered this.

 

Had a welder buddy of mine put a sump in a used tank once. He had the exhaust from his pit scooter going into the tank. First time I saw anything like that. But according to him, he had done it many times.