• Hello Guest, welcome to the initial stages of our new platform!
    You can find some additional information about where we are in the process of migrating the board and setting up our new software here

    Thank you for being a part of our community!

240 fuel tank galvanizing, hot or cold dipped?

2turbotoys

Salaminizer
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Location
Reading pa
I'm looking into getting my 240 fuel tank powdercoated and the shop doing it wants to know if the tank was hot or cold dipped galvanized, anyone know?
 
Based on the rusted '81 tank I experienced the answer is neither.

Never heard of cold dipped.

Hot dipped is immersing in liquid zinc such as used on bolts and steel support pieces attached to pressure treated lumber. Electroplating with zinc is the more common automotive galvanizing method.
 
I will, the seller told me it was nice and I believe him, but looking is free haha. The outside looks perfect and shiny, I'm carefully removing the undercoating with a heat gun and plastic scraper.
 
No, but it aint a junkyard build either. This tank looks rust free inside but I don't know how I'm going to get the fuel residue out.
 
When I picked up my 81 coupe it had been sitting for a few years. I replaced the tank with one from a 92. The inside of the tank was nice and clean as the tank came from a running car. I cleaned the outside and gave it a few coats of paint and undercoating and called it a day.
old%20and%20new_zpsnvqulpze.jpg
 
Looks nice!

This is the problem for me:
w0Sr26gl.jpg


I want to powdercoat the tank, that residue is very dangerous in an oven. Also I have 3 brand new fuel pumps that don't need that crap traveling through them if it starts to come loose.
 
You could get some muriatic acid, dilute it and pour in the tank. Shake it around a bit, maybe let it sit 30 mins. on each side, pour it out and rinse. Should clean up nice. You can always drop a chain in there for agitation. It will be easier to remove one long chain than using nuts and bolts.
 
I stripped mine down with kerosene, painted it with Rust Bullet converter paint, then sprayed it with Rustoleum through a Harbor Freight HVLP gun. Good looking finish and it's held up really well. No rock chips or anything after a few years.

Just 2c

1FgUuDJ.jpg
 
^ That look great. I think the OP is more concerned about the INSIDE of the tank.
 
That does look really nice! Ya, originally I posted wondering what the metal treatment was, the tank is now stripped but I really need to get the inside clean. The muratic acid is a good idea but the powdercoater said no go, get a pro to clean it, which is proving difficult.
 
Based on my experience that is a very clean tank.

Flushing it with mineral spirits of some other low cost petroleum based spirits will get most of the junk out. The lift pump sock will take care of the chunks.

If you must, radiator restoration shops have internal coatings for tanks.

Us TurboBrickers just replace an original radiator with a $60 aluminum version but there are lots of heavy trucks and very heavy construction vehicles that economically warrant serious restoration. Same applies to their fuel tanks.
 
I wondered if a radiator tank shop would be able to do this, they have dip tanks too clean stuff, good idea, thanks! I've had radiators repaired in the past when you couldn't get cheap aluminum ones. We have a dump truck radiator at work we're saving as a spare, its worth over $800 used and ugly.
The concern was the fuel residue outgassing and explosions when heated in the oven.
 
I think once you get the inside reasonably clean you won't need the powder coating. Then just paint the outside.
 
Back
Top