Clean out the tank well with solvent. Fill with water and drain 2-3
times. Provide plugs for the nipples and filler pipe, and take the tank
to a sandblaster. Have the exterior blasted to bare metal. After
cleaning, blow off all the blasting residue from the seams, wipe it down
with solvent, and paint the tank with marine epoxy, adding colorant if
desired. A nice thick coat. Let it cure for a week or more. The epoxy
will seal any small perforations or seam leaks, and if you can keep
water out of your fuel, the tank will last pretty much forever. There
are products to etch and seal the interior, but their performance is
dubious.
JR
Dweller in the cellar

Al wrote:
I have on old pickup, dodge-200 1962, that someone has added saddle
tanks to. I have not used these tanks so the gas in them is atleast
15yrs old.

I have used the main tank for all these years so everything from the
main tank through the 3-way switch and to the engine is OK.

What is the best way to clean the tanks up so I can use them?

The tanks are well-build thick gauge galvizined steel, brass fittings
and copper tubing runs to a 3way switch.

More details:
When I removed the gas cap it has sealed itself with varnish and there
was a lot of creamy colored residue inside the filler neck. When I
removed the gas line no gas came out. It too was sealed with varnish. I
had to poke a hole through the varnish with a wire to get the old gas to
run out.

The gas is a deep reddish color.

Any help or advise would be welcome.
Al


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Home Page: http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
If you're not the lead dog, the view never changes
Doubt yourself, and the real world will eat you alive
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No skeletons in the closet; just decomposing corpses
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Dependence is Vulnerability:
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"Open the Pod Bay Doors please, Hal"
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