Fuel tank slosh sealant

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Fuel tanks should be tinned, so far as I know.

[Hedd_Jones]

The Bill Hirsch slosh has been in my RL 20 years now. It's still super in there as I regularly peer through the hole.

Looks to me someone's just slashed round some paint in a rusty tank.

I have to say that I've also used the POR product, actually in a oil lamp tank. It pretty much did what your photos show. Bubbled and didn't stick

[AllAlloyCup]

Hi Ruairidh
I’ve seen your post on tank sealing. Neil and I wondered how you stop the Sealant fouling the internal pickup pipe / outlet in the tank? I wondered about blowing air in from a tyre pump while orienting the tank to cover all the sides etc?

Another job to do as well as the steering and charging.

Bill

[Ruairidh Dunford]

Keep rotating it to get full coverage and then sit it up so the tap is higher than the base of the tank. You could also poke wire through a few times, whilst it cures. I've not had one block up, so far as I can remember...

[Duncan Grimmond]

"Fuel tanks should be tinned, so far as I know." I agree but it is very difficult to tin mild steel. I have tried...
Using a copper bit in a roofer's soldering butt to tin one face of sheet steel. However as soon as you start the material starts to warp and flex as it is heating locally. Very difficult to flatten out again in sheet-rolls as the solder is not a perfect thickness. The flux residue also stains the rollers meaning a major cleaning operation.
I even tried painting the surface with a flux/powdered solder mixture spread like grease over the surface and the results are patchy.
I buy tinplate from one of the few remaining suppliers and they can only obtain 0.5mm thick material which is totally inadequate for anything bigger than a gallon can. Thicker material is available but only in huge quantities (half a container) and while I plan to carry on working till I drop I cannot imagine using that much in what time I have left!
The mild steel tanks I have made I lined with POR which seems to be a good product on new, clean metal, so far, so good. Never had a problem with a brass one but the material is pricey.
If only Terne plate was still available...

[Ruairidh Dunford]

I have had around 8 or 9 fuel tanks repaired and tinned in the last couple of years, by Dave Campbell at Lincolnshire Radiators, Duncan.

[Old Dave]

Blimey! Reading this thread through I am glad I have gone for aluminium (powder-coated black) for my new tank.

[Henry Harris]

Aluminium is not a good choice for ethanol laced fuel.

[Duncan Grimmond]

Hi Ruairidh, that sounds interesting. Is the outside tinned as well when you get them back or is it just internal? Does he have a bath of molten tin/solder to do his radiators in? I have a lot of scrap pewter which is almost pure tin but I can't see how I could exploit it without serious investment in melting/handling equipment.
I'm jealous! Obviously much more specialised than my attempts.
There is always an answer...

[Ruairidh Dunford]

It’s just the inside.

I don’t ask them how, just pleased they can and do.