The Hodaka Club Forum

I remember reading here about the rust treatment for the inside of tanks. I was able to acquire the original tank for my Ace! Used it on my nephew’s Red Toad while doing the new tank, & there were significant signs of rust in the fuel line. So I’d like to do more than shake it with metal objects in the tank. What was the name of the anti rust product folks like to use? Thanks! Victor

Caswell

Metal Ready is a similar product. Both are kind of expensive. I have had amazing luck using vinegar (Walmart) and water solution. Under $10 to clean a tank.

Gary, do you do the dry wall screws and agitation with the vinegar and water approach or is that more of a chemical-only process?

I just fill with vinegar, or vinegar/water mix, and let it for 3-7 days. Seems to work faster if you cannot it in the sunshine (heat?)

Nothing else. I usually use a standard pressure washer through the filler first to knockdown any scale, and again after the vinegar. Sometimes it has taken two applications of the vinegar to get it shiney. Might be faster with the application of the screws too.

Cool Gary. I have a fleet of one-dent wonders (and worse) that I'd like to prep for return to service for rider builds. Thanks.

Gary. At what ratio do you mix the vinager & water? Stronger or weaker than :1? Victor

Straight vinegar down to 50:50

More vinegar, faster results.

Hi Victor,

I have used POR-15 twice with excellent results. Good prep is key to any of these products working. I strapped my tank to the wheel of a raised riding mower and let it spin with nuts and screws and POR-15 metal prep like it was in a washer.

I agree with Gary. I use white vinegar to clean up rusted parts and it works great. On small parts, I just dunk them in a container of vinegar and the rust is gone in a couple of days. You will see a "foam" of rust on the surface of the vinegar that has come off the parts. The great thing is it is totally bio-degradable. I usually remove the rust "foam", but the rest can be poured down the drain.

I know we're talking tanks here, but would vinegar work on rusty crankshaft as well? Or tranny gears?

The vinegar will work on any iron/metal that is rusting. As for the crankshaft, I would set it in the vinegar and remove any rust before I had it re-built. After treatment, I would probably have it rebuilt, at least a new bottom end bearing (too much iron/rust particles could gather in the bearings causing problems later). The gears shouldn't be any problem at all, just dunk for a couple of days then clean off. Don't forget to treat items with some type of oil afterwards to avoid flash rust forming.

yep vinegar, i put the rusty parts in and let it sit over night take it out and and scrub it with a tooth brush or some other fine wire brush drop it in marvel mystery oil wipe clean works very well. my tank was very rusty, smelled really bad to. 6.00 dollars of white vinegar and some patients came out pretty clean then i put about 2 cups of wd 4d in and coated it when it came time to put it to use after about 4 months i did some electrolysis after that it looked brand new... albert

Thanks Gary Bashor for the tip. I used 1/2 cup washing soda on a full tank of water. Used a power wheels charger with negative on petcock and positive on 3/8 bolt set in a 2" pvc cap. Washers on bottom of bolt hanging in solution. This is after 4 hours.

Amazing. I've always been a bit intimidated (if that's the word) about getting into the electrolysis game. I get the physical chemistry involved and have studied multiple set-ups which I get and can reproduce easily. I guess it is the combination of the successfulness of Evaporust in my experience and the "ordeal" of the electrolysis set-up that has disallowed my involvement beyond the "Diddling phase". I do admire the result with electrolysis though. Perhaps someone with the experience and theory behind the process could present a pictorial "how-to" here on the forum or maybe more beneficially, in The Resonator. That would be really great.

I believe someone did a photo essay on the process approx. 12-15 years ago on the OLD site. Don't know if it is still out there in computer land, but it was a good presentation. Maybe someone still has it or can access it (the original poster perhaps)?

I did the electrolysis treatment before, then I learned that it gives off hydrogen gas .

I don't want a Hindenburg repeat in my garage so I went back to vinegar. There are also cleaning and pickling vinegars available which are slightly more acidic than plain vinegar.

It does give off hydrogen gas. So you need a well ventilated area. Also care must be taken to not cause any sparks.
I was impressed with the first test so of course the to scale up. I used 2 giant nails and a 20 amps charger. Left running overnight.