I had to restore a tank from a vintage Vespa we shipped from Italy. I dumped in about two pounds of screws, nuts and bolts. Then I wrapped the tank in several moving blankets and put in the the clothes dryer with no heat. After a couple of hours it was polished clean.

Tank cleaned, no leaks and preserved the paint. That’s a big win.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Was a total success 🤘

The 1979 CB750 I restored had a gas tank full of rust. I used chains and solvent to clean out the heavy rust and flakes. Then I used Ospho to neutralize all the rust. Lastly cleaned it out with some gasoline to flush. It came out good. Ospho is amazing stuff. It turns iron oxide into iron phosphate which is inert. The rust was gone and never came back.

I converted a cheap concrete mixer to agitate bits of chain and soapy water in the tank, I loved watching it with a beer in hand 😊

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Yeah a concrete mixer is on thr list for sure

As an older rider I have to find a less athletic method . The shaking chain method works great for those with the power of youth. What works for me is to jack up the rear of any car, truck, tractor or other vehicle and bungee the tank to the wheel, start the engine, and while in bottom gear just let the tank roll over and over for a half hour at a time until the chain or whatever medium I’m using has done its job the let it roll with the vinegar in it until it has done its job. Even leaving the chain in along with the vinegar will work too. The last tank I did had pin holes along the bottom along the pinch weld. Removed the paint in that area, used a blunt punch to create divots into the pinholes, the filled the divots with JB WELD ORIGINAL, it seals perfectly! Never have had issues with the jb weld ORIGINAL method. THE CLEAR 2 part epoxy not so much. I Don’t recommend it. All the best 🤠.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

The red cx tank I showed before that I stripped developed holes as well. Needed a liner

@edjay395

2 ай бұрын

Be nice if you have a cement mixer... wrap the tank towels

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

@@edjay395 I want to build one for tanks but just a lot of projects going on. It will happen eventually

many years ago I used some old brass keys for a BMW motorcycle tank and shook vigorously with vinegar - suddenly a key tip poked through the bottom of my tank! From that day forward, I only use vinegar and fairly light rounded chain, no sharp anything, - I often rinse and use Ospho to prevent flashing and then add two stroke mix as you did. I have never failed yet to bring back a tank from near rusty death -nice vid!

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Oh man that would suck! I have had some very thin tanks that developed holes

@FilosophicalPharmer

2 ай бұрын

Bought a ‘99 Ducati 900SS long ago. Previous owner poured tank liner in tank without removing *anything*, including the mesh prefilter and the fuel pump. The bike ran great until it warmed up. The guy he sold to took it to local Ducati dealership who said it needed an ECU! He sold bike to me without telling me any of this. Learned about bike after providing Duc shop the VIN. Sued him even after I signed “As-Is” statement. Why? Because he did not disclose condition. Long story longer … guy didn’t show up to court, I testified, default judgement to me and then, “It is clear to me that the seller did not represent the item accurately. Therefore, I am doubling judgment in plaintiff’s favor.” All this headache because someone installed tank liner solution incorrectly. So who is to blame?!? Italians, of course! 😂😂😂

@jamesthurber8807

2 ай бұрын

Thanks for detailed how to. Birds knew the storm was coming. Mean golf ball hail beat up your nice blue truck. Dang

@Errol.C-nz

Ай бұрын

​@BrickHouseBuilds a process I use for restorations.. soak with a strong caustic solution seems to soft the oxide bond but main focus to remove water resisting oils.. the acid I use is Oxalic.. it's used by dry cleaners & wood workers to remove metallic stains in clothes & wood g available from paint & woodwork suppliers & commercial cleaning suppliers.. it doesn't seem to harm them.. at all.. & I've not had any adverse effects handling the solution with bare hands other than it stings cuts.. Oxalic acid doesn't attack the inlaying bare steel either.. at least for a few days soaking dependent on strength I would think.. I've found an enhancing visual effect by scrubbing items with a stainless steel wire brush or stainless pot mit/scouring pad.. in the solution.. there seems to be a molecular exchange that deposits I think chromium to the base steel.. it brightens it quite noticeably with a minute or so right in front of your eyes.. AFTER.. the rust/oxide has been dissolved.. the solution goes green & remains effective for further jobs for several uses & a yellow partical sediment settles in the solution.. I drain off the usable green solution for further use & discard the yellow sediment.. until it starts turning brown at which point its lost all effect.. I sometimes finish with a phosphoric acid stainless wire brush scrub.. seems a little less susceptible to rerusting tools etc.. lookup phosphatising steel (gunsmithing).. cheers 🇳🇿🇳🇿 NZ 👌👍

@ericd7532

Ай бұрын

I'd rather find the weak spot like you did than riding down the road with a tank full of gas that starts dripping

Damn, that tank takes me back, my old GS1000 had a paint job just like it back in the 80s. Love it.

A cunning plan Baldrick, ordering a storm so we watch until the end. Spoiler alert , we would have watched until the end anyway.🤣

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

🤣

You put some work into it, but the result speaks for itself 👍🏻🙂

I had my rusted tank filled up completely with cleaning vinegar and left it for 24 hours. Worked really well. And did all the things you did of course.

Cool vid. I like evaporust better than vinegar but the chain is a great idea. I have several tanks to do. Thanks for posting.

This was really explained well BJ 👍🏻 I remember restoring my buddy’s 77 KZ1000 and that tank had so much rust inside 😳 I used pea gravel to knock around the innards with some kind of rust removing liquid I bought, it was a long time ago. Took me forever 😂 You have this down to a science. See you next week 👋🏻

Great video and nicely demonstrated, what a massive difference in the tank, and what i really liked was that the products that cleaned it are what most people have in their home, it's the first time that i have seen a tank getting cleaned and it now makes it less daunting to try it myself. Really nice down to earth guy doing the video, thankyou.

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed and feel it could be helpful!

Nice job on the tank. Hope the hail wasn't too bad on the truck. Look forward to seeing the bike on the road. RIDE SAFE OUT THERE BJ!

Well done. The Drywall screws work great.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

That they do

Nice job. I always put about 50ml of blue smoke oil in a full tank before a long ride. Wouldn't foul the plugs but did put a soot coating in the mufflers. Stopped worrying about rotting out with rust.

i landed here from a F9 Dr650 video; first 10 seconds on your channel and found this piece of art...rebuilding a Suzuki marauder and the fuel tank is crusty AF. thanks for all

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Heck yeah man! You should find lots of stuff on my page so enjoy!

Great job there my friend

Yes...baking soda is a critical step lol. Bike project i picked up last year the owner knew the tank was a little rusty so he threw vinegar in it while working on the bike and then it sat for a year. Needless to say worst rust ever. Took weeks of on and off cleaning it out. Even did your electrolysis method. I still need to seal it up for a few pinholes that popped up. I got the POR15 kit but you and a few friends of mine have recommended the Caswell, so rethinking it. I will say the POR15 degreaser did VERY well on taking out the dirt and old varnish. From what I read its about the same as a heavy duty marine cleaner. Might be worth trying next time. Excellent video as always!

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Oh that would be the worst by leaving it in there!!

A chain!!! Genius, I tried before with nails etc but getting them out past the lip took ages! Thanks for the video

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

Glad you found it helpful!

Seriously helpeful video mate ....I would say when the tank pressured up due to the baking soda was a great free pressure test for leaks. Again ,superb vid......Thank you from the UK.

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

Haha definitely a good leak test! Glad you enjoyed

Thank you. This is the 4th video I watched about cleaning a gas tank. Only 2 mention neutralizing the vinegar. Looks like I have to start over on my 1985 Yamaha. I will find some muscle for the shaking, though.

Nice job on the tank BJ 👍🏼. Nice storm, too. Ive found a couple of old army blankets spread out on the roof and hood prevent hail damage, unless the stones get stupidly big!

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Yeah I just had no warning about hail otherwise I would have taken my normal precautions

Helpful video BJ!! Sorry about the Mav😭😭

Am just now doing a CB650 Sport tank, filled it with evaporusts, it's re-usability is a plus. Will give it a few hours and see how it looks.

My zg1000 tank is 7.5 gallons so I ended up hanging the rear end from its bolt-on bracket -- imagine a trophy fish hanging from the tail. Then I hoisted it up my carport rafter with a ratchet strap to about belt height. I had already partially filled the tank with my choice of cleaners, such as vinegar, citric acid, oxalic acid, phosphoric acid, bolts, water rinses, etc. Then I picked up the other half of the tank and methodically pushed and rocked the tank to scour the inside of the tank with all the abrasives I could cram inside, like nuts, bolts, screws, and the acid tongue of my mother-in-law. It was much easier to hold up the tank and be 100% thorough this way. Hope that helps anyone. P.S. 90% Alcohol (pick your flavor) works well as a final rinse, followed by a hair dryer to elminate flash rusting.

Vinegar, a brass chain with very small links, gets into all the tiny crevices better.

T-shirt..shorts..birds are singing...Spring is finally here..let's ride..great video with excellent results..

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

I even wore shorts the other day so that was a big deal!

Great info..i will try it on my ninja 250r..

I feel for you. We had a bad hail storm back in '98. They were the size of baseballs. Busted every window out of my truck and totalled it out. I had two payments left. 😂

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

That suuuuucks!!

@jeramystephens74

2 ай бұрын

@@BrickHouseBuilds yeah but I ended up buying it back from the insurance company and driving the crap out of it. So it wasn't too bad. Didn't worry about scratches and dings after that 😂

@jeramystephens74

2 ай бұрын

Looks like you guys are going to get more of the same tomorrow. Might want to park the Maverick in the shop.

Hi BJ pretty good result with the tank ,worked really well man I felt for the truck at the end hope it didn’t cause too much damage I’d build a carport after that lol save a bit of damage then again if a tornado struck would it have been worth it take care and enjoy your week great video as always mate 🔧🔧🔧👌👍🏍️🏍️❤️

Nice job my friend .we put vinegar on are chips in the UK.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

That you do lol

@nigeltyrrell3952

2 ай бұрын

Great video another tank saved

@gcanaday1

2 ай бұрын

They use mayonnaise elsewhere (try it, it's not bad) but that stuff sucks for rust removal.

@richardpichan6916

Ай бұрын

Love vinegar....my mother is Scottish 😁

I will be using Caswell on my wife's cmx 450 tank

I am doing my Kawasaki VN2000 fuel injected bike. I am going to try Evaporust first, then possibly the toilet bowl cleaner method. This looks really gentle to the paint, though, and I will need to check this out. Loved the chain, I have used a bucket of various sized garbage nuts and a carton of BB's before. Never thought of drywall screws!

Wow that's amazing.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

A bit of elbow grease goes a long way

Thanks for your video

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed!

Nice tank

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Thank ya

cheap ball bearings or hex nuts (cleaned of galvanizing in vinegar) also work great for cleaning up the inside of a tank. You can use them with the vinegar to make less steps. Tank looks great!

Good job👏🏻

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

🤘🤘

Fantastic result with the tank, in regards to the storm when you knew it was approaching why didn't you rush inside and grab whatever blankets & donna's you could to protect your vehicle from possible hail damage as I do being uninsured for hail here in Sydney Australia! Maybe a thought for next time!

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Because I didn't know it was going to hail until you see that clip where I rushed out to find it hailing. Normally If I know in advance I get my vehicles parked inside or covered up.

Cool video. Poor truck. Another quality how to mister!

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Thanks Paul!

That was some wicked weather. Good video! I have a KBS coatings tank sealer kit I'm about to use on an 89 GSXR1100.

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

Be sure to prep it to perfection

vinegar works great!

About the baking soda and vinegar in a sealed container. We used to make rocket engines out vinegar and baking soda and baking powder, you would be surprised at the velocity and altitude we would get, Be careful with that combo.

Nice job

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Thank ya

I also had a issue with a chain in my tank. Where i come from we call it kidney stone. Anyway great video as always!

Very good video BJ, we didn't get any hail up my way. I pray that you didn't have too much damage.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Just some dings but still waiting on a roof inspection

Original tank saved 👌.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

🤘🤘

I've had great results with vinegar and a pack of BBs. Evaporust works great without the flash rust but more expensive.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Yeah that's why I love electrolysis as it works every bit as good, as fast, very safe, and much cheaper

Good job

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

I appreciate it

BJ - took your advice and did another round of vinegar and really make sure to neutralize well after. 48 hours later...beautiful result. Hopefully next time I'm in MO with this CB750 I won't get stuck on the side of the road with rust clogged filters again! Maybe make it to the shop on The Deuce.

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

🤘🤘

Good job deffi works.

Probably gunna have to restrip my tank. Having a project maxim i used hardware store lock nuts and it worked great, but i dont think i spent enough time trying to clean it out. Dent doctor also scheming watching that hail come down 😂. Good video man! Always good seeing your content.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

🤘🤘

rad. i was wondering how to plug an oval on my tank to do this - been using silicone plugs on tanks with circular petcock holes - nice to see your solution 🙏

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Yup just a simple plate with two holes and silicone!

Very nice I plan on using the vinegar trick on CBR. See you have one in the background @15:36. Mine is exactly the same, old owner neglected it and I've been trying to get her road worthy before I actually get to enjoy it. But good job on vids and explaining things.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 күн бұрын

Thank ya!

Surprised you didn’t go for electrolysis. Worked great on your CB750.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Just trying to show multiple methods for my audience. I need to test this stuff too

Used a similiar method before works good

Your method certainly worked, & also with it pressurising that much you know you have no leaks

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

That was definitely not intentional lol 😅

@gazgazist

2 ай бұрын

@@BrickHouseBuilds but handy to remember lol

II wonder what Bruce is up to now. He was painting tanks back in 1980. Hopefully he's still around and living his best life. I'm scared of vinegar because the one time I tried it the tank looked great... until after I did the rinse, then this thick rusty corrosion showed up. I did the whole baking soda step, but maybe I didn't use enough. You didn't seem to get much flash rusting. Evaporust works well, you just have to let it sit over night. And it's not as corrosive.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Thats why I prefer electrolysis. Much more stable

I cleaned out a rusty zx6rr fuel tank last year, I used vinegar and pea gravel, kept shaking it for about 12 hours, it turned out really clean.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

That would be a really good surface finish

I used small pebbles from sea and vinegar and works

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

I've actually made another video using fish tank gravel too

Add a cap full of 2 stroke oil to a full tank will help too.

Exactly what E10 does to every fuel system if left for a while

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Nasty stuff for sure

Hello B.J. You made a cracking job of that! I wondered if the dark persistent marking under the filler cap could have been overspray from the previous painting? I have had similar markings previously myself. I love that paint job, I smell the 1970’s! Cool! Cheers Kevin.

That worked awesome, the tank looks great! As for the hail, I think I would have tore the comforter off my bed and threw it over the hood and roof! Lol hopefully it didn’t ding her up on ya.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Yeah just had no warning!

Right when I'm de-rusting my tank... talk about good timing !

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Im on it like that!

@joachimboussoumah9994

2 ай бұрын

Omg the storm 😮 is your truck insured against this kind of damage ??

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

@@joachimboussoumah9994 it's insured luckily. I'm working on getting estimates and such

That hail brought back a bad memory of my 2 month old '83 Firebird getting pelted while I watched from the window.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Thats brutal!

Great job! I had a thought; the pressure build up from the baking soda and water could you do something like that to pop out dents from a tank? Or would that be too unstable/unpredictable? Take care, and Regards from Canada 🇨🇦

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

To me that's too unstable as you have no control.

This reminds me of the time I used to live in California for 7 years, and it only hailed ONCE out of the whole time I lived there, then it flooded once right after. Lol

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

We get hail but this time there was no warning for it unfortunately

Maybe build a carport for your next video. 😆

vinegar+rocks (chain) +shake= great! when it is dry off put some oil and keep it of rust again

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Thats what I did in this video yes

Good job BJ did you have to reline the tank or was it okay with just new petrol

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

No liner needed for this

I've seen videos on YT of people making a DIY "Ultrasonic cleaner" with an electric sander. Would that work with a project like this?

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Well I've seen that too but this isn't really the scenario you would use that. Potentially with some carbs but a tank doesn't need that type of cleaning

I’d done that, and after I cleaned it out I treated it with Kreem Fuel Tank Liner. I first got a gallon of mercuric acid from a swimming pool dealer. This was to remove the rust. You still get rust flashing when it dries out. Then you treat it with Kreem.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Yeah I'm not a fan of either of those methods personally. I've seen too many failed kreem and red kote liners. I avoid muriatic acid when possible

So the next video is about "How to remove dings created by a hail storm" :)

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

🤣🤣🤣 step 1 - take it to a professional

You should try the vinegar along with about 15 , 3/8" coarse thread steel bolts , the bolts have enough weight and sharp edges to scrape anything loose on the surface , your screw method is similar but the weight of the bolts is what really gets the job done , dry it out with a heat gun and the result is like new steel , have your tank sealing coating ready to go , but dont wait to coat the inside or you will get the flash rust on the fresh surface.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

I'm my last one everyone said try drywall screws and not to use a heat gun lol. I know there are 10,000,000 ways to skin a cat. This worked great. Maybe I'll make another video in the future of another method to go with my other ones

Usar pedras britadas com óleo diesel também funciona muito bem prá isso.

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

That would be a good mix

Chain is smooth and rounded, not the best choice. A jar full of bolts works best because of all the sharp edges and threads. They are also smaller and will get in crevices better. Make sure to use steel bolts only because sometimes the last couple of bolts are harder to get out and you use a magnet on a stick to fish them out.

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

Best I could find in the moment

I wonder if some brake cleaner would have helped break down that varnish...hmmm. That vinegar and baking soda may be a dent removal helper. Hmmm again. I have removed some dents with compressed air.

I have very heavily rusted tank and i use citric acid + hot water, wrap that tank in some blankets and let it sit couple days. After that it was like new but be careful dont use too much of citric acid.

Throw some blankets over the roof and hood, helps a lot...😮

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Didn't know we were getting hail until it hit. I'm not getting my noggin out there with golf balls coming down either!

Try Apple Cider Vinegar, its much stronger than white vinegar, doesnt harm the paint and is only a few bob more expensive. I also used a kilo of steel gunshot from a gunshop. It's smaller that tech screws and easily removed with a magnet. My result was perfectly rust free base metal and the gunshot was so small it got deep into the seam welds. Of course i had to use baking soda immediately just as you did to stop the flash rust. It's now been 21 years since I did my ZL1000 tank and it's still like new today.

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

This is 30% concentrate vinegar. Stronger than those others

I use alcohol to neutralize the vinegar. Works very well.

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

I wouldn't think that was possible lol

How did the Maverick make out in the hail?

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Luckily only two minor dings on the hood, 6-8 on the roof and nothing else. Covered by insurance so just going through the process

The vinegar works wonders I fill my tank full of vinegar and let it sit for a day or so, but first tossed some nuts and bolts in and shook it like the jailhouse rock. Poured out the vinegar and fill with water and baking soda, clean as new should have filmed it

I'd rather spend the money on Evapo-Rust, fill the tank and set it somewhere for a couple of days followed by a rinse. It's a lot less labor but cost more to do in chemicals.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Evaporust is expensive and not the best use for this. It needs a mechanical stripping method to break the varnish away. Electrolysis for rust removal is far cheaper, works just as fast, and is just as safe

I'm curious if you could use baking soda + water to pressurise a dented fuel tank and push out the dent..

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Avoid that. You have no control over it.

Out of curiosity, is it possible to use evaporust for the tank?

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

It is but I see no point as it's expensive. My electrolysis method is far cheaper and just as effective/fast and safe. This is between the two options cost wise but is more aggressive with more steps

I always used a bunch of nuts and bolts, chain is a better idea it’s easier to get back out.

You touch up the small areas of rust with Phosphoric Acid, which is the active ingredient of Jenolite. Get a gallon of 99.9% Phosphoric Acid, as it is relatively cheap. You can either use the acid neat for heavy rust or dilute it to 50% or 33% concentration with tap water. Brush it on with an acid brush (Nylon brushes tend to dissolve slowly, but will last for a few jobs). Let the acid dry out and it will convert the rust to a black ferrous phosphate layer, which can then be abraded of with a wire brush.

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

Can't wire brush the inside of the tank though

@RichPober

Ай бұрын

@@BrickHouseBuilds You can wire brush the inside of the filler neck and cap, which were still left rusty after the vinegar treatment. The rest of than can only be cleaned as you did it - with loose screws.

Nice job! Just need a some 'elbow grease.'

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Exactly

Sorry about your nice new truck, looks like you need a carport.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Weather happens. Can't have a carport or expand my garage due to zoning stuff either

Ive used gravel but a chain is a good idea.

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

Yeah gravel was ok. Here is a video I did showing my results with that method kzread.info/dash/bejne/nIyTktqzZZPcfZs.html

Is your gas cap not venting? The baking soda and water built up a lot of pressure in there. I'd make sure it's venting properly.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

It's venting but that mix was creating a TON of volume. Far more than the cap is designed to flow

Acetone will cut that varnish quickly.

how was it now? is the rust keep coming back?

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

Fine now. The rust was stopped here. When tanks sit exposed for decades is when they rust.

I've used river sand and petrol.

@BrickHouseBuilds

Ай бұрын

So normal fuel from a questionable station?! 😅

citric acid and water has always worked wonder for me

Citric acid and vinegar

You can use hydrochloric acid diluted as well. Just neutralize it when done. It will clean it even without the chain. How rust is removed in heavy industry. You can buy it at any big box store.

@BrickHouseBuilds

2 ай бұрын

Yup, I have some but I don't like how dangerous it is. The fumes alone rust things nearby