Fuel tank clean, paint/coat inside or leave well alone?

[Ben Hutchings]

I've just taken my fuel tank out. Needed to get to fuel pump bolts underneath it (grr). 

While it's out I wonder if I should so anything to it? I've seen various coatings from Frost and the like. Any good? Someone here had some flake-off and cause all sorts of problems if I recall. 

[richard w]

That was me, almost put us out of the 2018 RBRR. Luckily my co-driver was Dave Maton so we used his car instead.

Other people may have more success than me, but based on my experience I wouldn't try it again as it's very difficult to tell whether or not it's adhered properly.

Once the tank came out it was obvious that the stuff had peeled off like old wallpaper!

[FloydP]

I’d be worried that e10 would be even more likely to cause the coating to break down, have you had a look inside the tank? If it’s really bad new ones are available in aluminum, not cheap but good for peace of mind on epic road trips 😎

https://roosemotorsport.co.uk/roose-triumph-gt6mk1-2-aluminium-fuel-tank.html

[RobPearce]

3 hours ago, Ben Hutchings said:

Someone here had some flake-off and cause all sorts of problems

1 hour ago, richard w said:

That was me,

No, it was me!

(My Spitfire failed to make the 2018 RBRR because of it, and I had to use the GT6 instead)

[richard w]

Both of us Rob! I'm never going to touch the stuff again.

[Ben Hutchings]

Yikes, ok glad I asked. No it’s not too bad in the tank, reckon I’ll just give it a scrub out and refit. 

Those ally ones are lovely! £££ 

[Ed H]

IMO, internal tank coatings should be a last resort to save an unusable and otherwise unrepairable tank.  If the coating fails, and they sometimes do, you are left in worse shape than before the coating.

Ed

[ferny]

Had to braze a hole in my tank in 2020. Used the POR 15 stuff frosts sell to coat the inside at the same time. I've not noticed any issues yet.

[Clive]

As a "middle ground" you can give the tank a good clean out. I washed mine out, then some brick acid to do most of the de-rusting, finally phosphoric acid to convert any rust. All seems well. And no risk of any flaking.

I am tempted by an ali tank, as the intank pump I am using is proving difficult to seal, the viton ring seal I cut from a sheet is quite unforgiving. May b=need to investigate alternative seals though before forking out £500.

[Guppy916]

I used https://www.fueltanks.co.uk/services/fuel-tanks-renu/

on my GT6 mK3, I did clean the inside of the tank first, it was a bit noisy half a shovel of small pee shingle drop of water, then I sent it to Hartlepool Rads, I did check about the E10 fuel first, I have a filter next to the tank and ive never had to changed it 

 

[ferny]

16 hours ago, Clive said:

As a "middle ground" you can give the tank a good clean out. I washed mine out, then some brick acid to do most of the de-rusting, finally phosphoric acid to convert any rust. All seems well. And no risk of any flaking.

I am tempted by an ali tank, as the intank pump I am using is proving difficult to seal, the viton ring seal I cut from a sheet is quite unforgiving. May b=need to investigate alternative seals though before forking out £500.

For a long period my only gasket on my sender was a bit of paler with plenty of Slic Tite on either side. It probably still is but I can't remember any more.

[Clive]

3 hours ago, ferny said:

For a long period my only gasket on my sender was a bit of paler with plenty of Slic Tite on either side. It probably still is but I can't remember any more.

Just checked it out. It is more or less the same as teh tru-blu stuff I have in my toolbag. Which is apparently fine for use sealing pipes carrying "gasoline" as well as countless other fluids. This may be the answer.... Thank you.

On a similar note, all the fuel tanks use nitrile-bonded cork gaskets for the s=fuel senders, but no reports of ethanol isssues. I wonder if the amount of nitril is small compared to the cork, and the gasket is only exposed at a very thin edge, compressed and zero movement. It will be interesting to see the effects long term, but e5 has been around a long time.

I saw Viton sponge foam gasket sheet is available, but only in full sized rolls. That would be handy, I need to see if they will send me a sample...

[Martins Stag]

I have gone for a alloy tanks for the Stag and when I took the old one out it was weeping from the drain plug and was the cause of a "petrol smelling" boot. The new one has has more capacity, no drain plug to leak from and had a return feed too. Hopefully it is a fit and forget now with E10 issues.... 

Martin