Electroplating fuel tank?

[fv1609]

Has anyone got their fuel tank electroplated? I know that one could buy a new tank but this is for a Shorland & is not a normal tank, so I want to preserve what I have got.

 

About 20 years ago the bottom was rusted out & I had it replaced professionally. An inch of height was lost but this was a good thing as it meant the tank could now be removed from the vehicle rear hatch. (On manufacture the tank is fitted then the armoured body lowered on)

 

It is about to be steam cleaned the lower half is good as it has been preserved by petrol goo that has formed over 12 years. But the upper half internally has rust. I know there are sealer fluids that can be rolled around inside to stop leaks but that isn't the problem here.

 

So are there treatments chemical or electrical that can remove or deactivate the rust that permit electroplating? What led me to think on these lines was that the filler tube/filter is fairly rusted. Wire brushing it would be of short lived value I can't cover that in gunge preservative. So I thought about electroplating then I thought why not the tank as well?

[Degsy]

Clive have a look at www.caswelleurope.co .uk then look at the rusty vice bit it leads on to fuel tanks.

[fv1609]

Degsy thanks, I had a look there. It seemed interesting until it got to the Fertan bit. I used it when it was first launched & recall it had a pleasant sweet aromatic flavour. Whether it worked or not I didn't know. But it was a major point in advertising that the product had been used to preserve the submarine Holland 1. But that turned out not to be successful:

 

http://www.rnsubmus.co.uk/holland/conservation.htm

 

There was a thread on MLU about using electrolysis to remove rust. I must revisit that, but I was hoping there was a plating company around that might remove the rust & then reverse the process by sending metal back into the surface of the tank again!

[Degsy]

Degsy thanks, I had a look there. It seemed interesting until it got to the Fertan bit. I used it when it was first launched & recall it had a pleasant sweet aromatic flavour.

 

 

 

Now I see where you got it wrong Clive....... you're supposed to put it in the tank not drink it:shocked::rofl:

[fv1609]

Now I see where you got it wrong Clive....... you're supposed to put it in the tank not drink it:shocked::rofl:

 

Now you know why I haven't gone rusty - despite rumours to the contrary.

[ackack]

Don't galvanise or zinc plate the tank if it is for diesel as it will react over a period of time. It is ok for petrol though.

[HotBed]

clive,

give medway galvanizers of kent a ring they may be too far away from you but they do quality work and their tech. people may be able to help you in your quest

 

regards

[fv1609]

Don't galvanise or zinc plate the tank if it is for diesel as it will react over a period of time. It is ok for petrol though.

 

It's petrol

[fv1609]

clive,

give medway galvanizers of kent a ring they may be too far away from you but they do quality work and their tech. people may be able to help you in your quest regards

 

Graham, they are quite a way from me. But if all else fails they might indicate if its possible at all.

[Richard Farrant]

Graham, they are quite a way from me. But if all else fails they might indicate if its possible at all.

 

You have to be careful with galvanisers, anything of thin material, like your tank, can distort in the heat from the galv process. I once saw some new gates come back from being done, there was some fancy sheet metal work on them, totally ruined as it had buckled.

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Get a marine flexi tank,can be inserted thro all sorts of holes.fill it up takes the shape.

Clive whats so special about this tank,if its underseat type as on military L/r i wouldnt of thought it would be difficult to replace.

[fv1609]

Get a marine flexi tank,can be inserted thro all sorts of holes.fill it up takes the shape.

Clive whats so special about this tank,if its underseat type as on military L/r i wouldnt of thought it would be difficult to replace.

 

It’s not a military Land Rover it was a Police one, although no doubt the tank has been constructed from components used for military contracts. Even if a new tank appeared I would prefer to use the present one. The bottom rotted out & I had to cut it off in order to extract the tank through the rear boot hatch. An owner of a Mk3 has said he dropped his tank down through the chassis, but this is not quite feasable on my Mk1.

 

So the replacement base, which is still in good condition, was fitted to allow an inch height reduction to allow easy removal. In manufacture the tank was fitted to the chassis then the armoured body fitted over. But the way things are going I think I might use Metal Ready then PO15

 

http://www.frost.co.uk/productList.asp?catID=25&frostCat=Tanks

 

Not sure what to do about the filler tube. I’ve degunged the worst, now I need to wire brush it but not sure if there is a problem with bare unplated steel in contact with petrol? I don’t know if this is a standard part or not?

 

[sirhc]

Clive,

 

The filler tube looks like the one on my Lightweight, and not too different to the one on the Wolf. I expect it's a standard part.

 

Chris

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Clive,

 

The filler tube looks like the one on my Lightweight, and not too different to the one on the Wolf. I expect it's a standard part.

 

Chris

i would agree with that.

[fv1609]

Found my Shorland parts books civilian & military.

 

The filler tube is 277261 (LtWt is 231188, 90/110 is 504656) but of course they will keep changing part numbers.

 

It corresponds to 2910-99-850-1767 & was only used by UK & Malaysia. However it does have a RAF Vocab No 61RV40909. But also a VAOS no LV7RU27761, that means it was around before NSNs were fully implemented in 1965. So this points to early Rover.

 

In both IPCs the fuel tank only has a Shorts number 552301-1. There is no mil no. of any type, nor a Rover no. I have no doubt that the tank was based on a Rover part to start with!

 

I'll take some pics to see if anyone recognises what it was before modification. Then see if its within my scope to modify it although I have to remember to lose an inch in height to get it back in again!

[sirhc]

Clive,

 

277261 has been replaced by STC1141, but they are £35+Vat from Craddocks!

 

Part Number : STC1141

FUEL FILLER TUBE ASSY 1958-84

 

Chris

[fv1609]

OK Chris that's worth knowing. Although with p&p + VAT it'll be pretty close to £50. There is a small-job plater a friend uses where it would attract the £18 min charge, so might do that.

 

I don't know what models would use it but what variation there is probably is length which isn't a critical thing.

[fv1609]

277261 has been replaced by STC1141, but they are £35+Vat from Craddocks!

 

Or only £18.77 + VAT from Blanchards. Trouble is the site wants me to buy a quantity of 8, but when you correct that I can't find the true P&P. I'll ring I think is best.

[Chrisg]

277261 listed in IIA parts book for a 6 cyl with ball valve in filler cap

[fv1609]

277261 listed in IIA parts book for a 6 cyl with ball valve in filler cap

 

OK Chris yes I can see that now, all seems the right sort of era.

[fv1609]

Going back to the tank itself. Anybody got any experience of shot blasting & powder coating a petrol tank? These people are not far away.

 

http://www.shotblastingpowdercoating.co.uk/

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Going back to the tank itself. Anybody got any experience of shot blasting & powder coating a petrol tank? These people are not far away.

 

http://www.shotblastingpowdercoating.co.uk/

Small world clive ,i know a man living on a boat in Brighton who worked for this company years ago,They were a big name in pumps etc.

The only exp i have of p/coat is if it gets chipped its not long before moisture gets under it and it falls off,normally after the steel has rusted away,ask all the L/rover owners with bull bars ,side steps etc.of course it could be these things were of poor quality,I remain suspicious of it.Are they suggesting they can do the inside of the tank.cw.

[Degsy]

Got to agree with CW on this one Clive, never seen anything that passed the test of time.

[fv1609]

Ah yes I only have to look at the black flakey bits on the Wolf!

 

I thought I was onto a winner when I saw a treated fuel tank in their advert. But there was no mention of the inside & besides any berk can paint a fuel tank exterior when it's off the vehicle. Or at least to standard that looks ok when it's back on the vehicle!

 

Looks like the interior gunge treatment is the only practical way to go.

[Espressodude]

There is a coating intended for use inside of motorcycle fuel tanks that is a sealer. Some of the custom Harley tanks and (even factory ones) are welded up formed sections. To close up pin-hole leaks, the coating is poured into the tank and the tanked tuned every which way to coat the inside.

 

Something to look into.

 

Also keeping the tank full minimizes air and thus condensation. There is an additive for diesel to prevent the moisture from settling out and rusting out the tanks from the inside.

 

Now if you are mud-bogging all the time, there's outside rust issues. There is a marine coal-tar epoxy that is used for steel hulls and iron keels that is somewhat compliant and doesn't chip/flake. It would work well on the outside, but fuel resistance would need to be explored for inside use.

[fv1609]

Yes I was thinking of using Metal Ready then PO15, which sounds similar.

 

http://www.frost.co.uk/productList.a...frostCat=Tanks

 

Yes full tank good idea, although the downside is money locked up in fuel that won't be at its best, for what is for most of us, an 8-month lay up.

 

External protection not a problem really as its fairly well tucked away inside the boot.