Gas tank restoration

[cook_dw]

This might help.



http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.p...7175#msg107175

[Niblet]

That link doesnt work for me,,,,,,

[R68GTO]

Link worked for me... thanks Darrell! Below is the highlight from that thread for those that are following along....I will likewise give this a try and provide some results.

These backing plates were not in all that bad of condition to start with. It was like the surface had oxidized and turned a dull flat gray in some areas. It was also rough in texture when you ran your finger over it.

Here's what didn't have any effect on them at all: powdered dishwashing soap....vinegar.....milk and baby powder.

Before buying any polish, I decided to try some Brasso that I already had. That worked! I also tried some fine grade bronze wool. That also worked. So I decided to try a combination of both. Applying the Brasso with the bronze wool. I think it worked about as good as anything could. It didn't make them pristine but it made the outside look like the areas inside that had been sealed up and never exposed.

Doing this did not leave any scratch marks unless you pressed really hard. Where I had tried Scotchbrite earlier in a hidden area, that definitely left scratch marks.

After the Brasso, I washed them and tried the suggested buffing with a plastic scrubbing pad. That added more shine to them. I was surprised by that. I didn't think it would do anything. I finished them with a coat paste wax inside and out.

[R68GTO]

Did a little work on the tank today using the above process.
Photo 1 - "as removed" surface
Photo 2 - cleaned with "purple power" cleaner mix
Photos 3,4,5 - Brasso applied with bronze (fine) wool and wiped clean with a damp cloth.
Long way to go, but it looks doable for saving the original tank finish. I have some evaporust on some of the rusted areas right now, will go back at it tomorrow.

[R68GTO]

Evaporust did a decent job of removing the rust, am now left with a stain to deal with. The evaporust process revealed a "3" on the rear end/driver side/top of the tank - anyone know what this is for?

[70post]

That's not a stain....the rust that you removed had eaten away the factory "coating" (tern finish). It's pretty much bare steel in those areas once the rust is removed. Likely, anywhere you have that surface rust you are going to see the same thing if you remove it. It would take some sort of creative "painting" to make those areas look like the better, still coated, adjacent areas.