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Mail From: sosnaenergyconsulting <(email redacted)>

Hi:
I recall seeing threads on various occasions on gas tank cleaning. At
this time I have no vested interest in a particular method as my gas
tanks seem to be okay (knock on head/wood).
But today at lunch, Smitty mentioned his gas tank cleaning philosophy,
and I thought I'd share it with you.

Interestingly enough, he doesn't believe in the gas tank coatings sold
by a popular company--his thoughts are that with the type of gas out
there today, the gas tends to be really hard on the coatings. He had an
interesting thought: the alcohol in the fuel today will tend to keep a
bare metal tank from rusting, as it will absorb any moisture that might
accumulate in the tank (don't know the physics of this or the likelihood
of the alcohol introducing previously captured moisture to the tank when
the gas is pumped in)
1.He starts with muriatic acid. The tanks can be dipped, or partially
filled with acid, sealed, and then slosh the acid around. You can add
marbles or suchlike to knock off any rust.
2. Have some baking soda in HOT water handy. The hot water completely
dissolves the baking soda. After you've dumped the acid, add the mix of
hot water and baking soda to neutralize the muriatic acid and then rinse
with clear water.
3. pour in some phosphoric acid (metal prep) and slosh it around to
cover the inside of the tank. The phosphoric acid keeps the metal from
rusting. I didn't ask (if anybody is interested, I can follow up), but
I assume the phosphoric acid is rinsed off with water and the tank air
dried (compressed air is really helpful at this point).
4. That's pretty much it. Reinstall and fill with gasoline, no interior
coating.

I have a tendency to lose this kind of stuff, and my memory seems to get
worse daily so hopefully, *when* my gas tanks start to rust and I ask
the list for advice, someone could remind me of this recipe :-) along
with the other great gas tank ideas out there so that I can overload on
options :-)
Brakes, Engines, Transmissions--the great thing about this list is that
there's so many great ways to go. Sometimes I feel like the proverbial
kid in a candy store!

Best Regards
David Sosna