I have recently taken my bike out of storage, been there for 17 years only to be surprised that my tank is rusted bad.😪😪😪 Any ideas if I could have it fixed by removing the rust and having it resealed, or do I just try to find a replacement one. Tia for all recommendations.

 

If the tank is in good shape otherwise, if it were me I would attempt to get the rust out.

there are bazillions of videos out there using different methods to remove the rust. Personally I have had decent luck with the “put a handful of nuts, bolts and washers in your tank, tape it off and shove it in the dryer on no heat while wrapped in a blanket” method. Your tank might be a bit big for that depending on your dryer size.

Also there are several kits out there to Seurat and then line the tank.

I have a spare tank that I am going to experiment with the vinegar and electrolysis method whenI get some free time.

 

Thanks for your reply. The tank is in mint condition other than the rust. I'm the original owner of the bike, but as we all know sometimes life takes over, and things get forgotten.I do believe that the dryer idea will put me in the dog house with the wifey.
I have also watched a bunch of You tube videos, was going to try the vinegar one first for the rust and if that didn't work out, electrolysis will be the second step then reline the tank. Here are a few photos of the tank.




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If the tank is is great shape otherwise I would definitely try to save it.

instead of the dryer approach you can do the same method but just strong arm it and shake the fire out of it. I’ve done that also.

As to the tank lining products, I have tried Kreem with good but not great results.

 

Hey hamlin6
Just wanted to give you an update on my bike. I have it back together, decided not to "line" the tank going to run it this year and see how it goes. I put a good used fuel pump sending unit I got off eBay in it, cleaned the fuel injectors, and new battery.I still need to top off tank and add some Sea Foam. I wanted to thank you for your advice and input on the bike. Sending you some pics of it and notice the mileage, wow thanks again for your help.

 

Thanks fork the update! The inside of the tanks looks like you did a thorough job. I like the yellow and black color scheme. Looks great all the way around.

 

Looks really good, great job

 

So, what method did you use?

Beauty of a bike, btw!

 

Thanks hamlin6 my phone camera doesn't give the tank justice, it looks alot better than my pic. I think most of what you see is still the old fuel varnish.

@Al1040 Thanks!!!

@Doc Samson I used just regular vinegar but only let it sit for a few hours because my hose's were leaking. After draining the tank I put distilled water and baking soda to neutralize the vinegar. Then put some small chains in and shook like hell, then rinse and repeat until I could see no rust come out in my rinse.

 

That's great!

I'd heard about vinegar and rust from my neighbor when I was working on my trunk bumper. I should've listened because now, despite using "rust stop and preventative", it's leaching through...