Removing Rust In a Fuel Tank With Electrolysis - How To
Removing Rust In A Fuel Tank With Electrolysis How To! In this video I am using my CB750 fuel tank to show the process of using electrolysis to remove the rust from inside. This process works great for light to medium amounts of rust and is my go-to method more most cases. This process is very inexpensive, very easy, and far more safe that other rust rust removal options that use acid or more harsh chemicals.
Electrolysis per Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro...
"Electrolysis is the passing of a direct electric current through an electrolyte producing chemical reactions at the electrodes and decomposition of the materials."
"The main components required to achieve electrolysis are an electrolyte, electrodes, and an external power source."
"The electrolyte is a chemical substance which contains free ions and carries electric current (e.g. an ion-conducting polymer, solution, or a ionic liquid compound). If the ions are not mobile, as in most solid salts, then electrolysis cannot occur. A liquid electrolyte is produced by:
Solvation or reaction of an ionic compound with a solvent (such as water) to produce mobile ions
An ionic compound melted by heating
The electrodes are immersed separated by a distance such that a current flows between them through the electrolyte and are connected to the power source which completes the electrical circuit. A direct current supplied by the power source drives the reaction causing ions in the electrolyte to be attracted toward the respective oppositely charged electrode."
For the electrolyte I use hot water and sodium carbonate which is known in the pool industry as pH increaser and can be found at any pool store, Lowes, or even hardware stores.
www.lowes.com/pd/Clorox-Pool-...
For the anode I just use a piece of steel round bar and extend it into the tank as much as I can in a safe manner as any contact is bad. I keep them stable with a paint cap and tape.
Previous episode of the CB750 revival: • Barn Find CB750 Reviva...
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Definitely one of those saved videos that I will be able to keep going back to for a solid reference ! I have always understood the process, but never actually applied it in real life application ! Great job with the video ! Extremely easy to understand !
Glad you found it helpful! I have used this many times and it has always been consistent for me.
Excellent tutorial! Easy to do and not as intimidating as many people may think. An older fella near me would use this process with a plastic tote to clean up rusty parts. Well done young man
Thank ya much! Its a nice process I wish more would try
I really respect the way you make so many tools and items you need!!! You work with what you have. Broken side plate, fiberglass work. Love it!!!! New subscriber!!!!
🤘🤘
You never cease to increase my knowledge and confidence. I'll be a life-long fan of the channel because of that!
Well thank you Tony!
@@BrickHouseBuilds I use apple cider vinegar. works great!!!
@@mrseaweed5587 I've used that an other stuff but still prefer the electrolysis for being less aggressive and not needing to be neutralized
I did the same with my cx500 tank this weekend. I noticed that after the elektrolysis it increases the effect, if you fill in a mix of water and citratacid. I used 400ml of acid on the 17 liter of the tank and filled it up with boiling water.( Sorry I'm from Europe, we use metric units😅) let that mixture rest over night. The surface of the inner tank looks almost like new after that. After flushing the tank with water, use 94% ethanol (here that's called "spiritus") to neutralise the rest of the water that's left in the tank. 1 liter will be enough. Then you can use spray-oil or just fill the tank with gas.
Excellent video Thanks
What type/name of acid? What concentration? Thx
Doesn't matter. I use citrit acid, that's supposed for cleaning coffee machines. 300ml of it. Fill the tank with hot water. Let it rest over night.
Wow!!! CX 500 I still dream with that bike since the '80 s . Congrats Bro!!!!
In the USA we have Denatured alcohol which is like 90% Ethanol and 10% Methanol so you won't be tempted to drink it with no Federal Government Liquor tax on it . 1 Liter is slighter more than a quart and 4 quarts to a gallon .. so 3.78 Liters is one gallon .
The sodium carbonate is to lower the resistance of the water for better ionic flow. That’s all it’s for. Most water works well but adding this makes the process faster and uses less voltage to drive the current.
Great Video! I kinda forgot how easy this was, and I'm working on an old 1983 Suzuki 1100G and for sure I will do this, Thank You so much. That tank came off one of the very best over-all Bikes to ride, and work on, no time was ever wasted in the saddle, riding a CB!
Absolutely a great bike. I ride my 750 every chance I get and it makes me smile continuously
Getting ready to start on my CB900, this is very useful information. Well done and thank you
Thank ya! Glad you found it helpful
Thank you so much for the detailed process. I’ve been wanting to try this
Glad you found it informative. Give it a shot as its easy and cheap
Also did this same process and after I coated inside with Redcoats 5 yrs ago still perfect
I was always using electrolysis to clean things that I found with metal detector. Never thought to use it on a tank 😄 Great idea!
Nicely done video. Got my first virago tank over there cooking at the bench. Batteries, cables, chargers, like a science fair project. RighT up my alley. Thanks
Hope it does well for ya!
Thanks so much. You made this easy for me! Just finished my first CB 125s tank and it’s rust free inside.
Happy to hear that!!
I’m going a 1978 Honda CB125S
Great content. You mentioned the process works better with hot water. A general rule of thumb I learned from high school chemistry is: "The chemical reaction rate will double for every 10 degrees temperature rise". Also, for the light rust remaining after the electrolysis is done, rinse the tank and pour in a gallon of Evaporust. Let the tank sit for several days in various positions. I have had good results with this product restoring rusty tools.
Would you also recommend using a tank liner afterwards?
This is the best presentation of doing this I've found on 'Tube. Everything I needed to save my old GS tank. Many thanks, Bro, I'm subscribed 👍
Glad you liked it! Thank you
I think I'm going to give it a try. I'm going to step it up a notch see if this will work. My situation is I have an rd350 motor with a seized crank because it's rusted not because it ran low on oil for anything and the Pistons are awesome so I'm going to dip the whole thing in some water and see if I can use that electrolysis on Breaking Free these parts. Thank you for sharing
Well I hope you all enjoyed the video as it was intended to be a straightforward demo on the process I've been using for years now with 100% success. I see many questions online about how to do this and felt a video was much needed in order to help all those unfamiliar with the process. Unfortunately though it seems everyone has an issue with this whether it be potential for gasses building up, me using a battery, not using one the 10,000 other preferred rinsing menthods, not using a more expensive or dangerous method, not using harsh acids, you name it. I am simply showing my preferred method from doing this over the years. In regards to potential explosions here is a great video demonstrating what it takes to actually ignite. Not the volume of what he is doing as well. kzhead.info/sun/kr2Nh8-FiXaugqs/bejne.html
I'm wondering why you need to use a battery. Couldn't you just hook up a battery tender since it's putting out 13-14 VDC?
@@ohsoloco5113 I explained my reasoning in the video actually. I feel my sub 2 amp tender is not powerful enough to do the job
@@BrickHouseBuilds good to know. I apparently wasn't paying attention 😅
Hydrogen will be produced in small amounts but all you need to do is keep your work area well ventilated until you have completed the task.
@@xbbjdf8 this is such a tiny amount of gas there really is no danger
I dont know if anyone mentioned but if you put your towell in it then use compressed air to blow it around, it does a really good job of cleaning and dryin the whole tank
Nice tip 👍
Great video man. I just did this to an old car gas tank, worked awesome!
Its a handy method for sure!
Man, I learn a head-full of knowledge watching your channel!!!! I can feel myself getting smarter!!!
🤘🤘 thats my goal!
Thanks for the informative video BJ. I’ve always wanted to do this but my tanks have never been in as good of shape as that one. Mine typically look like absolute crap lol
Give it a shot anyway as you have nothing to lose here. This doesn't remove metal so a safer thing to try
Fogging oil is great to use with engines. It's used a lot and outboard and inboard motors on boats. When you winterize you can bring it through the throttle body or pull each plug and squeeze some of it into the cylinders being careful not to overdo it. I really loved your technique with using the old cap to hold your bar. I thought it was genius to make sure to cut holes into it. It definitely builds up gas. I enjoyed watching this so I made sure to give you a thumbs up and hit the subscribe button. Whenever I watch something and I like it I always want you make sure to subscribe and like. I figure that's the least I can do since you took your time to do all of this and share some knowledge. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.
I appreciate it David and am glad the video provided solid info
This just randomly popped up in my feed (at 1:30am😂) and i did NOT expect it to work that good. I don't really work on old bikes but i can certainly think of some other applications i wanna try it on. Thanks man👍
Well glad it showed up and appreciate you checking it out. This rust removal process can be used in endless ways so keep the idea in your back pocket for when you need it.
The other way i did it on my GL1000 tank was to get some thin rubber tube , like a bike tube and put a few holes in it , and put you steel electrode inside and this stops it earthing on the tank , worked good too . Cheers .
Yes this is a good idea to clean gas tanks. If you wanted to do this on an old custom, and make it last for a long time, You could then add Tank Sealer which comes in two or three colours. This is applied by poring the liquid into the tank and sealing both filler and tap holes, then sloshing it all around the inside until you have a nice even coat. Empty any excess and leave to dry. It looks best when it is done in white! Thanks for the Vid.
Liners are usually a good idea yes. I didn't do one in this due to the dents which I may repair. Doing so would ruin a liner
@@BrickHouseBuildspersonally I’m not a fan of tank sealers and if one must ever do a repair on a tank where sealer was used requiring welding you’ll know why. To me a tank sealer is the very last resort for fixing an otherwise useless tank.
Tank paint is right up there witb radiator stop leak. Crap that only lazy idiots use.
I once cleaned a tank using BBs. Couple hands full, wrapped in a sleeping bag taped up and threw it in the clothes drier. I’m about to undertake a French moped whose tank is part of the frame. This seems more practical. Thanks for the lesson.
Brilliant !!🤓
@@davepete8643 Clothes dryer. That's a great idea!
Followed this exactly, works better than I thought it would!!!
Been doing it for years. Many seem to doubt it but as you now know it works well!
Clever stuff - amazing to see all that rust clinging to that anode - ugghhhh! Thanks for sharing!
Its pretty grungy lol
I've actually been meaning to do this to my tank. This helps me figure out exactly what I need to do. Thanks BJ
Happy the video is helpful!
After the treatment, what about some small bbs in the tanks to get any material left.
@@stankrieger3598 use a length of linked chain or a home made necklace from some 8mm - 13mm nuts & heavy fishing line, then simply pull the lot out after use, I found some ball bearings were always pesky varmints to remove.
That was awesome man. I appreciate the tie you took to make this video and sharing your knowledge. I am surprised how well 12v did to help the electrolysis process. I will definitely keep this idea in mind. Thank you.
Thank ya Tony! Glad you found it helpful
I have a 71 yamaha sc3 tank to do. Great information
Very nice bringing back to use a tank that would be lost forever, well done.
This tank is actually in darn good shape but the old fuel in the bike made the worst of it
That tank colour combo is awesome....nice job
Thank ya, very simple process
Glad to see it work, when I tried it I had no access to hot water for the initial mix. Didn't work very well. I had luck saving 3 tanks with white vinegar, though. I will try it again.
Hot does indeed help. Ive used Vinegar on other tanks but again its more expensive and must be neutralized so I try not to
Thanks for the detailed and clearly presented tutorial! I had tried electrolysis on a tank years ago and wasn’t impressed. I see now I probably just didn’t give it enough time.
Im glad you found it helpful!
That was a very cool technique and I will definitely utilize it in the future. Thank you👍
Very Emmet Brown at the beginning...I'm taking notes from this one. 😉🏴🤘🙏
Was going to suggest cleaning up the anode a little to create some bare metal on it, but it turned out it still did the job just fine. Something I've used in the past to clean items you can't get a brush into is Shell Grit from pet stores. It works as an abrasive as you shake around with water, rather than use a chain like you said. Would obviously have to be confident you got it all rinsed out though and don't know if you'd be happy to use on a tank.
+1 Heat! Excellent demonstration and clear, useful explanations, amigo. I want to derust a baffled tank with electrolysis. Any idea if the line-of-sight effect will reach behind the baffles? Also: It's nice to see the Pinchy-Grabby in action. My grandfather invented that!
The baffles aren't designed to be liquid proof but rather slow the sloshing of the fuel as the vehicle moves. Filling it up to the brim will make it a non issue
Like this video, you make it look so simple, gonna be my go to reference vid, thanks for sharing 😃👍
This is brilliant. Beats filling with washers & nuts then having to shake.
Thats still a good move but yes this is the "easy" way to get some good results for sure
Methylated Spirits (Metho) will absorb any water instead of having to dry the tank out with heat gun. Metho mixes with water and once you pour it out you can use it again or burn it in an Alcohol burner or Metho stove. You can also use pre mix two stroke oil to coat the inside of the tanks - once you ready to fill then drain any excess as a bit of 2 stroke in the fuel even on a four stroke will have negligible effect on the plugs and cylinder of the 4 stroke. The residual oil on the inside possibly only resulting ratio something like 100 :1 once the fuel mixes with the oil. No issue in the burn and possibly not even any smoke
Super video; very informative. Thank you!
Thanks Keith, mission acomplished
My first street bike was my dad's 71 cb750. Looks like this is better than small chain, washers, and nuts with diesel. I'll give it a try on a 1200 sport tank.
Methylated spirits is really good for removing moisture from tanks. It joins with the water, then you drain it, then adding some gasoline, will mix with the remaining meths. Perhaps introducing citric acid water after the electrolysis to make iron citrate which is a protective layer, would stop the flash rusting, iron oxide because both can’t be there at the same time.
IPA may be better as it does the same but isn't as oily as Meths
Acetone is also a drying agent
Great video and yes this is the ONLY way to deduct a tank. Reverse the processes current and use a heavily galvanized cathode to cover the bare, interior, now clean tank with resulting black zinc oxide to prevent rerusting.
What is a "heavily galvanized" cathode? Where can I find that?!
@@XwpisONOMA I use large galvanized construction bolts from the hardware store
@@XwpisONOMA Hot dipped galvanized has a heavy zinc coating, electrogalvanized has a very thin coating. Hot dipped galvanized parts are rough, electrogalvanized parts are smooth.
Science!!!!!! Great job man!!
Yes sir and thank ya much!
Thank you so much to show this easy way to get away rust. I bought a cbr 600 F pc25 a few months ago and it's got nasty rust und particels inside the Tank, becaus the bike stood for three years with only a few liters of Gas inside, so the rust could made Party. Even two of four throttles from the carbs where stucking, so I had to put them in Diesel for a few weeks. Long Story short, my biggest issue was the rusty tank, but now I got a solution because of your Video, thanks a lot man 👍💪😊
Glad you found it helpful!
Not sure if mentioned (may have missed it) but this process does give off a nasty gas, so you should do this in a very well ventilated location or outside. Also, I found doing this over several days the best, clean the anode several times a day as it impacts the battery charger effectiveness if not.
In some KZhead videos you actually see somebody using one of those long cigarette lighters and they they pointed towards the bubbles and you watch them pop and give off a little bit of flame. It is very dangerous to do that. Most of the videos do it outside but there are some that do it right in their garage.
Leave it to Americans for whining that's why Great American Prophet Donal J Chump said that Putin is a genius
@@donniebunkerboi9975 wow, brain damage AND TDS, you poor soul.
it's because electrolysis generates also hydrogen gas from decomposing the water, hydrogen is VERY dangerous as it can get on fire extremely easily, that's also why when ou jump start a car with a dead battery, the negative cable from the donor battery should be attached to the car's frame and not straigh to the negative side of the dead battery
@@donniebunkerboi9975 you're an idiot.
Nicely demonstrated. What a difference to the tank, nice one. Thanks from george
Happy you found it helpful George!
Everytime l watch your channel l learn something new. That's why I watch.
Thats what I like to hear! 🤘
Great advice and great result, thanks a lot!
Glad you found it helpful and thank you!
I have to say this seems much better then what I have done to clean tanks, I am going to try this instead . A much simpler and cheaper option and I have a perfect candidate I just got to work on an old honda helix . Thanks for the video
Its not the only method but I like this the best personally
Thank you so much for the video! I am going through the process as I type cleaning my 56 year old Honda Scrambler tank. I'm using a six amp charger hooked directly and already have debris after 2 hours. Surprised how warm the tank is staying. I'm using in my detached garage as its 8 degrees outside and snowing. Thanks again!
Glad you found it helpful!
That is incredible! Great tutorial!!!
Thank you much!
Nice job Mr.! Thanks for this idea!
Should work well for you!
@@BrickHouseBuilds Curious again.. now I’m thinking this could work? Could I use a half 45gallon drum.. say as a basin to do bigger items like a rim.. truck fender or other metal rusted part? I know I’d need more of water and solution. 10gallons with 2cups ph up. It’s the connection I question? Ground on the outside of the basin. But the electrode. Would I just hang it so it floats the surface of the water. With no contact to rim or side of basin. Would that be correct? Moreover is that hockey stick rod you used in the tank as electrode. Was it copper? Or steel/iron Thinking I can use an old coil spring? Do I have enough power? Use a bus battery? Lol Thank you again! 👍🏻
@@dartalienguard This is a very common practice for large items. You can search many videos on it. The anode is just basic steel.
Really neato video. Very cool. I've got a few old Jerry cans to try this out on, and then I might try this on an old Radian I've got. Thanks.
Thanks for the break down on the process. I'm getting ready to do this to my generator gas tank. I'll probably use WD instead of fogging oil. Thanks for the upload
Glad you found it helpful!
Great information on the video, thanks.
Hi Tried your petrol tank cleaning using electrolysis and its worked great. I did a few checks and found that as the electrode gets dirty the current flow dropped for 10amps down to 0.5amps after 6 hour. I clean the electrode back to clean metal and the current flow was back up to 10+ amps. after two sessions the tank is looking good. I'm giving the tank one more session to remove some small spots. The tank is off a 1964 Honda CB77 which still had petrol in the from 1976 when it was last registered is Michigan USA. Its now in Scotland UK undergoing a complete refurbishment. So thankyou for the information.
Glad it worked well for you! The current drop and then picking back up after cleaning sounds just right.
Great video, going to use this method on a pair of HD split tanks , cheers man from Portugal!
Thanks! Should work well for ya
Hello boss, thanks for the info - im planning to do this on a Cd100 and hoping to get the tank cleaner. Thanks for this i informative video and straight to the point explanations.
Glad you found it helpful!
Fantastic I will try it 🙏 thanks
I've got my 76 CB750 tank up on the bench "cooking" right now. Hoping for good results. Rust in the tank left me stranded as you and the group rode by to your openhouse! Dont want a repeat of that. Got it on a motorcycle battery and a 10 amp car charger. See how that combo works.
Great tip !! Tank you very mich !😎🍻
That's pretty slick
Did this to a Yamaha tank years ago. When doing the final rinses I added a handful of small gravel into the tank. The gravel acted as an "abrasive" knocking off remaining rust. Interior of the tank was shiny steel when done
Yeah fishtank gravel does well. Just a pain to get out
Look like great use for all the crap car charges ppl keep giving me😊 Thank for the explanation Much appreciated😊
Super badass. Thanks
Thank ya!
Great video! I've found that electrolysis is the best way to clean lots of the rusty parts of cars I restore.
It's definitely been my go-to process
Excellent video thank you
Thank ya!
Super informative. I’m going to do this to my project car’s tank.
🤘🤘
This is absolutely brilliant. I didn't even know this was a thing lol
Definitely a thing and glad you now know about it!
now you know
Absolutelly fantastic, very informative, Thanks very much for sharing, I can use this process to clean out a harley that been sittings for years, Now i feel confident it can be brought back to life with a clean gas tank and gas, AGAIN, thanks very much for sharing your knowledge,
Happy you found it helpful! Thank you!
Fantastic video my friend. I’m just about to clean a tank from an old ZZR1100. Definitely going to give this a try. ✌️👍👍
It's a great process. Glad you found it helpful
@@BrickHouseBuilds I’m looking forward to giving it a go
Hot water helps to dissolve the electrolyte. This is a great way to do this.I always used a very large solder iron to patch any holes before using Cleaning Vinegar to get rid of rust.Patch all holes.Plug all holes.Fill with Cleaning Vinegar.Let sit for a couple of days.That usually does the trick. I follow with a tank liner.Damond Redcoat is the best I have used. Good luck!!
I've used vinegar as well but don't like the acidity and eating metal. It has its place for sure. I've never seen a redkote stick so my go to is por15 or caswells
when I do metal gas tank sometimes I'll use 2-stroke oil to coat the tank when finished if it's going to set awhile before use
Trick to clean up the crud. Put a rag inside the tank & use air pressure to blow into the tank. It will fly around in there & clean it out nicely.
I purchased a barn find 74 CB350F and I have no idea what the tank will look like but I can only imagine. I've only seen pictures of it so far and I need as much info to hopefully get it ready for a first start-up. Thanks for the great video! First project? GAS TANK
CB350f is a rad bike! Cleaning the tank is a very smart move before first start up so you are definitely on the right path here
Very informative, thanks 👍
Happy you found it so thank you
Great Video much to learn Your video shows how easy it is .
Definitely an easy hands-off process. Set it and work on other stuff while it does its thing
Awesome video - I’ve been waiting for someone to put up a video using electrolysis for this. One thing to know is that it’s a line-of-sight process, so your sacrificial part needs to have a direct line to all the surfaces you want clean.
Id like to test that theory as it doesn't seem to be the case with these tanks
I’ve done this to my motorcycle tank and it works an absolute treat.👌
Thanks you for sharing I’m going to try it
I hope it works well for ya Randy
If you want to know if it’s working and can’t see in the cap, put your ear against the tank you will hear it fizzing and bubbling. ❤
Nice job. Thanks for the explanation. I was also going to ask if you have used a tank sealer but Edward Kipp beat me to it.
Glad you found it helpful. I've done many sealers but this is not the right moment for one.
Very informative
Really nice video.
wow! thanks I will be doing that to my Hyosung tank
Glad it gave you some ideas!
Thank you sir, I shall try this
Hope it goes well!
I love your bare bones to the point , meat and potatoes type of approach on your video very well laid out and to the point my type of video very interesting thanks
Thanks so much 🙏
@@BrickHouseBuilds You are welcome ! I want to start my own youtube I am trying to learn how to edit I am working with Movovie 2022 sorry spelled that wrong , and my email settings is screwed up and Frontier wont help me. I do Marine repair and restore Muscle Cars. I got a bunch of raw videos for KZhead my last one I did is a restoration for a 425 hp Chevy 409 dual four intake and carbs . Spent months on it. I lack the confidence to start the channel I think it not sure on editing how to start another account and my email problem. But my videos will be laid out like yours very simple and to the point . Thanks for the reply
@@madmanmechanic8847 the biggest regret I have is just not starting sooner. Go watch my sv650 videos. They are pure garbage as they were the first videos I ever edited. Just start and figure it out. Do not focus on perfect but rather getting the info across. Audio is equally as if not more important than video so keep that in mind.
@@BrickHouseBuilds Interesting. How do I find that video? How long have you done this? I have so much fear and I dont know why? It took me over five years to get enough courage to start leaning to edit . I was so intimidated by it all I would watch youtube on it and it just went way over my head and I coudlnt even process it . But I will take on a Mercruiser Bravo drive tear it down and rebuild it no problem. I guess I am strange .I got another video in the works I am going to bring back from the dead 1985 Scarab that has been dead in my yard since 2014 I have all these ideas and the lay out for the camera in mind and the sequence but just afraid to make that first step
Good idea on using fogging oil. Thanks and take care.
It's the go-to for how it clings to the surfaces instead of running off. Glad you liked the video!
Clever and simple
🤘🤘
Thanks a lot buddy...
Heat tends to speed up chemical interactions, at least thats what I learned in chemistry in college. But if this is being left for 24 hours, it may not matter as much. Thanks for the video, hopefully getting my gas tank back soon so I can do this method instead of vinegar.
Vinegar does indeed work but must be neutralized quickly and is much more expensive
Wow, great job!
Thank ya
Nice job, I like to do a soke with CLR before I do my final wash.
Haven't tried CLR for this use actually
Excellent vid ,thanks
Glad you liked it!
I love how the anode looks like freaking davy Jones leg lol. I did this on a set of old wrangler steering knuckles that looked like they were pulled up from the titanic and it was just insane how clean they came up.
Hahaha another great reference lol
Never thought about electrolysis for fuel tanks. I was looking at about $400-$500 for my El Camino. I think I'll try this first. Thanks.
Its very simple and inexpensive so worth a try!
Result is awesome 👍👌👍
Agreed, simple/cheap/safe and consistent good results