How To Clean Your Vintage Honda Motorcycle Gas Tank

[@supersportimpalass]

One trick I leaned from a chemist is to use acetone first to clean the tank out as vinegar or any acid doesnt do a great job to remove the varnish. Acetone has the same chemical makeup as the varnish from the old gasoline which let's it easily remove the varnish. Acid has a different chemical makeup and does a poor job at removing varnish. Same concept as to why you can store acid in plastic containers and have it not eat through the container. Acetone is cheap just like vinegar and does an amazing job as a pre clean before removing the rust with the vinegar. Hope this helps anyone!

[@mathiesskovjeppesen3805]

i guess one does only need 1 liter acetone and shake it around in a few minutes before the vinegar right?

[@TestFilmProductions]

in my experience acetone seems to do a better job than vinegar and its somewhat faster at eating the rust and varnish off, I usually fill the gas tank up about halfway with acetone and throw some wood screws in too so the screws can scrape around in there. hope this helped!

[@awwnawmang]

@@TestFilmProductions probably works better than vinegar but waaay more toxic. vinegar is nice because you can dump it down the drain with no guilt.

[@dntlss]

That's what makes this great, everyone like yourself adding more and more good tips,it all helps,thank you.

[@reginaldbowls7180]

@@awwnawmang but aren’t you dumping a bunch of varnish down the drain too? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@Nolan491]

Great video. One tip I learned from a wise old mechanic who only works on vintage Japanese bikes: You can use a few feet of chain (like chandelier chain) instead of screws, nuts, bolts, gravel, etc. It all comes out easily and in one piece.

[@robertdivizio3489]

Elegant idea! Much easier than the screw/nails approach.

[@Common-motor]

Thats a great idea. I would be worried it wouldn't get all of those little corners of the tank though. Especially if its drive chain. Id still toss some screws in with it.

[@domsim63]

A mixture of screws, nuts, bolts, washers, small pebbles and a length of the finest ( smallest link) chain in a tank mounted in a lathe or drill set at slow rotation should do the trick

[@hectorgaldo5465]

That’s smart!

[@danieltx7066]

@@domsim63 Throw in some polish, and you’ve got a rock tumbler! :)

[@traditional85]

Exact same process I used for my CB200 tank (minus any screws or chain for agitating). Left mine to sit for nearly 5 days (with sloshing in between), and it came out working wonderful. You did overlook one important step at the end, however. Before either filling with gas or coating with an oil such as MMO or WD40, you should neutralize the acid with a very quick rinse of baking soda and water (water alone doesn't neutralize acid).

[@sachsgs2509]

I just screen shot your info here...great tip.

[@jamesgaudreau8315]

Got a suggestion for a baking soda ratio?

[@bigappa1862]

​@@jamesgaudreau8315 im sure a 1:8 would be good. Maybe 1:4 but that sounds pretty thick

[@bigal7561]

Hey my friend. I thought I give you a quick update. Used a ton of your vids on my 75 360t rebuild. Putting the tank on tomorrow and trying to get her started. Just got the petcock from you folks. As far as this video, I've got to tell the people watching. I had a medical thing that put me in hospitals for 2 years. During that time I had forgot my bike, and the tank. It had dried up and we live in a very humid state (Oklahoma). It more that flash rusted. It was bad. Used your video to clean it except I used small bolts and nuts (counted them) and used the vinegar process. Did it over two nights. It was unreal. I knew I was still a long way from using the tank because it needed painting and I had other things to rebuild on the bike first. Besides the cleaning process you describe, I also use the Mystery Oil as well. Put enough in I could feel it rolling around and coating everything. Drained out the excess to a bottle (Not the Mystery Oil bottle) that I knew was used so I know the other is pure. Anyway, months later, tank is still as clean as a hounds tooth. I think I have a shot of it on my yt page. It works and I suggest people use your process. Thanks.

[@farhadfatakia]

This video was gold. I have a 2002 Yamaha VSTAR 650 Silverado that I just bought that was having trouble idling without the choke pulled completely. The bike also would die immediately when any throttle was given. I was ready to give up on it and trade it in. I then saw this video and after trying almost everything else, realized it might just be the tank. I did the exact same procedure you mentioned, except after the vinegar step, instead of using just water to rinse the tank, I bought some baking soda for 99 cents a box and mixed a fair amount with water then used that to rinse the tank three times. The baking soda neutralized the acidity of the vinegar. I want to emphasize that I added the baking soda + water mix AFTER the tank was drained of the vinegar and there was just a bit of vinegar sloshing around. Adding baking soda any earlier would result in a violent reaction. When I pulled the petcock I realized it was missing a filter. That didn't bother me too much, but what really blew my mind was the amount of crap that came out of this tank. Holy hell. I put in 35 screws that were brand new and silver in color. They came out JET BLACK. They were so disgusting that I tossed them and didn't even attempt to salvage them. The color of the vinegar that came out of the tank was so dark I couldn't see through the liquid. I kept rinsing with that baking soda and water mix two or three times like I said, until the color didn't change much from what I was putting into the tank to rinse. I cleaned the carbs and installed new pilot jets as well, then put in new gas after adding the Marvel Mystery Oil (great product btw). The bike is now running perfectly. All the issues went poof. Thank you so much for creating this video, it is really well done. My only suggestion is to add that step with the baking soda. I think that's the difference between phenomenal and perfect. I appreciate you.

[@BreakingGravityPT]

This is my exact problem and why I am trying this with my 06 v star 1100! I will follow your additional step!

[@yyequipment6187]

I tried your method with about 100 self tapping screws and vinegar in a 1970 CT90 tank. I filled it to the top with pure vinegar put the screws in and shook the hell out of it for about a minute, repeated the shaking 5 or 6 more times in a 24 hour period and drained. The tank went from looking terrible to looking brand new in 24 hours without harsh chemicals. Thanks for the tip.

[@stockton350]

This method has worked for me on a handful of rusty tanks, although I use Apple cider vinegar. I've also noticed that it's much more effective if you can leave the tank outside over a couple hot, sunny days to help accelerate the chemical reaction.

[@CanadianMapleleaf]

I used these guys about 7 years ago to rebuild my 360T they had all I needed :) thanks guys....now working on a 85 Honda Shadow 500 with only 9000km what a find.

[@PeterSmith-or3pq]

Sweet little vt500c honda shadow. Got one as well .

[@richmiller304]

Just bought the same but 20,000mi. Any hints?

[@thetemplar8695]

Great video brother, thank you! It’s people like you who give us non-mechanics some of the basic know how. Being a soldier who had collected several (ok, 25) sport bikes over the years, then deploying back to back and many of them sitting for years, this is a great skill set to know. God bless! 🤙

[@andyhp61]

Just did this for my 73 CB350, it did a great job, very clean!! Great video. I didn’t shake it nearly as many times as they do, I didn’t do it every two hours. But I did do it probably six or eight times, and I let the tank be full of vinegar for probably a total of 48 hours, not 24 and then didn’t have to redo it, I just had to do a good job of getting all the crap out with multiple rinses and then the marvel mystery oil, and then the gasoline wash. It works!

[@jasonhatfield4747]

Going to be tackling my 1976 BMW R90/6 and this will be my first project on the bike. It's been sitting for close to 10 years now so the tank needs some help. So glad I found this!

[@carlwodele44]

Easily the best videos on the internet. Thanks for putting out all this content. Cash money all day

[@GrumpyUnkMillions]

Have you considered using two-stroke oil to leave a film inside the tank after de-rust and cleanup? It will leave an oil film behind when the fuel evaporates. Lengths of chain, nuts and bolts, and gravel have all been used as the 'abrasive' to knock the rust loose on the inner surface. They all work, and won't cause damage to the interior surface. I would have considered adding a tablespoon of baking soda to the water wash to neutralize any acid left behind. Alcohol will absorb water droplets, so using 'HEET" or other alcohols would help insure against the water causing any more rust. The alcohol could be added and sloshed around after draining the water rinse. One problem not mentioned is the 'balance tubes' used on Cx350s to allow fuel flow from one side to the petcock outlet. Those tubes would also have to be closed up to contain the vinegar. Vacuum fitting caps should be adequate,but I would suggest using a small clamp to insure the caps do not work their way loose. Very good videos... tom

[@Common-motor]

All great additions here! Thank you!

[@probochronicles3991]

I have an 83 Suzuki GS550L that someone didn't properly coat, so I had to remove the old coating before I could try this process. I finally gave it a try this past week (73 sheetrock screws, 3 gallons of vinegar, and three days of soaking) and I have to say it works and works well. The varniger smell really is unique and can't be described. I will post an update on the final results in a few days. Thank you for the instructions and suggestions.

[@weatherwalk5435]

How did you get the old coating out? Going through the same process myself currently

[@probochronicles3991]

@@weatherwalk5435 acetone. You have to make sure you seal off the opening for the petcock with something resistant to solvents, tape won't hold up. For mine I just used the petcock without the plastic screen (after making sure I can replace it). It has to sit at least 24 hours to dissolve the old coating. It's a tedious process but a necessary one. In fact I have to give my tank another treatment before I can have it resealed.

[@tango__mike]

im restoring a 1984 yamaha 1000. This is GOLD! the tank is rusted and just got the cap off with wd40. saw the muratic acid method, no beuno for me. "Tanks" Bruv!

[@carlydanyel5813]

Electro magnetic fields-Cool stuff! I will be using this process soon on my Dads CB750K1 Thank you for posting.

[@johnsbikesandblues7174]

Thank you for posting. I've used vinegar a few times and not only cheap, it does a very good job. When finished I poured the used vinegar back into the 1 gallon bottles and have reused it on at least two more tanks. I've also used plain white vinegar on those single and multi wire electrical connections to get them like new. Pour some vinegar into a small container and dunk the connector in and let it sit for 30 minutes or so. Rinsed them off with electrical contact cleaner and good to go. Another use is to remove pitting from chrome fenders and other chrome parts. I dip crumpled up aluminum foil into the vinegar and scrub the surface with the foil pad and vinegar. Spray some water on and wipe dry. The aluminum foil won't scratch the chrome surface but does a very good job on knocking down the rusted pitted parts. Follow up with water rinse and chrome polish.

[@jareddahlseid551]

This worked great! I took Mr. Nolan’s advice and used a few lengths of small rope chain instead of screws. My ‘92 Nighthawk has a sleeve extending about two inches below the filler opening that would have made removing small items extremely difficult. If you have a similar set-up I highly recommend this route. Thanks again for an amazing video!!

[@nite_driver_7895]

Was trying to figure out how to combat the same problem on my 85 Sabre, Thanks!

[@jaysonsetzer2287]

Does the vinegar hurt a gas cap that has rubber seals?

[@andrewgoss1682]

I'm restoring a 1971 Suzuki TS90 and I'm getting ready to do this. The quality of this video is amazing, super helpful. Thanks so much!

[@Common-motor]

Glad it helped

[@dade071]

Thank you so much for your videos. My next project on my CB750 build is the gas tank so this video comes at a perfect time for me.

[@jimakard2185]

Mine has had it full of vinegar for 6 days, empty it out today and took it to car wash and pressured wash, came home and took peacock and sending unit off from bottom 90 percent better, just have some garbage on top side of tank, I think it was a sealant someone put in tank at one time. Put vinegar back in and will continue to soak as needed and then repeat cleaning water, baking soda and soap. PROCEEDURE WORKS BUT TAKES PATIENTS. Don't want to have to clean carbs again. Finally hot here in Cali so warp tank in black trash bag and leave in sun. MAKE SURE YOU KEEP GAS CAP OUT OF VINGER. Sprayed cap and exterior of tank with wd 40,and closed gas cap with baggie on vinegar side. Thanks for a great video

[@Harley427]

Currently trying this method on a 1980 Suzuki GN400 tank the bike sat outside for years 5 to 10+ cleaned the spark plug used a little starting fluid and it fired up after 3 or 4 kicks so i decided it's worth fixing up. Got the bike for free unfortunately I can't get a title for it in my state so it's getting converted to a trail/back roads bike. Thanks for the info this is my first time cleaning a tank myself.

[@NoNonsenseKnowHow]

This is the first video I have watched on the subject, but I'm thinking I'm going to go with a touch of soapy water and a combination of nuts bolts and screws. Before moving to the acid. In either case, thanks for some tips

[@rookiebee8628]

You saved me $500 for a replacement fuel tank. Thank you so much!

[@davidrosen5137]

Wish I had seen this the first time I tried to clean my tank. This works; you just have to stay after it until you get it clean.

[@davidmiller5657]

I’m shocked at how well this works! My CL 350 had chunks of rust grossness but this cut through it!

[@CharlesNolanArt]

back in late 80s, my friend wanted to do a similar job, so we took an old motor added a small cam then a flat board we created an automatic "Slosher", haha it worked! Good video!

[@ItsChaef]

Just before I watched this video, I had emptied my CB750F’s tank, the previous owner had put aviation fuel in in before he parked it for 20 years. Surprisingly, the fuel was mostly liquid and partly varnished. Did pretty good!

[@randyandtheretreads3144]

In the past I tried muriatic acid. The acid is dangerous to work with (can burn hands, paint, and wherever you dispose of it) but being stronger than vinegar no need to shake old screws or nuts and bolts around in it. Once you dump it out you must fill it with water which creates flash rust (same as vinegar here) but I was told to add rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) as it absorbs excess water drops but I guess the Marvel Mystery oil works as well or better. As I recall I still had some rust after one application of the acid so like the vinegar here had to re-do. From now on I will use vinegar. Thanks for this useful video.

[@josephcivita1450]

He didn't mention the bonus. The bonus is you could use that vinegar to make some dressing and the rust makes great croutons.

[@randytrummer7825]

Great clip. Just last month I bought an old CL350 tank just covered inside with rust. Filled with vinegar (cheap walmart brand), waited four days - voila, no rust. After completing the outside paint removal I'll run the vinegar through it one more time. Perfect !

[@briansmith611]

Drop it off at your local radiator shop, pick it up the next day. It will look spotless inside and costs about 40 bucks.

[@zpbeats3938]

what is the process that they would do?

[@cafe100mph6]

40 bucks!! only....

[@MrLeviaFUN]

​@@cafe100mph6, $40? Too much?! 😂 That's 1/2 hr at my shop. I'd gladly pay $40 for someone to do the dirty work for me

[@jc-ke3ll]

Yeah but that ruins the fun, I want to do it all myself

[@yusef2610]

Also great video. However I wasn't sure I would get the screws to reach all the areas, so what I did was using a bottle brush inside the tank to scratch off any rust while the vinegar was inside it. Worked like a charm.

[@areteaudio]

Your videos have come a long way since the beginning years. Still just as informative. Appreciate ya'll!

[@Common-motor]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@brianbabicki5488]

This process works real good on your chain as well My chain went from junk to new I soaked it for 3 days then soaked it in motor oil and it looks like new . Thanks for you video .

[@MopedRich]

good stuff, I've been using evaporust for our mopeds but I'm going to give this a try.

[@Common-motor]

much cheaper than all that evaporust!

[@machine8834]

i love how he chose the smallest tank possible, if it’s a honda shadow tank, you’re gonna get a solid arm workout

[@jacobweibel2912]

This process worked great! Thanks for the video! Only thing that went wrong for me was the vinegar left streaks/stains on my paint. might have to try and buff it out or repaint it.

[@STBRetired1]

Note that "regular" white distilled vinegar as sold in supermarkets is 5% acidic. There is also a Cleaning vinegar sold in some supermarkets and at Wal Mart that is 6% acidic. If you've got a REALLY tough job then you may have to go over to Lowes and buy their 30% vinegar. Now THAT one you may have to be careful about the paint. It's also really pricey at $ 20 per gallon. But, if you need it.... Plus, you CAN dilute the 30% vinegar by adding distilled water. So, half water and half 30% vinegar and you've got a 15% vinegar solution.

[@mwest78734]

@Common-motor Thank you for another great repair tip. You and your company have been very helpful to me as I try to bring to life an old CB I recently bought. I do have a suggestion though. At the 3:49 mark in your video it would be hilarious if you put on a white Hooters tank top and some orange short shorts. Just a thought. Others may disagree. Cheers.

[@terrybirch239]

I always enjoy your videos, really useful. Here in Nottingham we usually put vinegar on our chips but that looks really effective. Thanks.

[@neilbaggett3186]

Great videos and channel. I'm learning a lot. My CL360 tank has some kind of latex? liner applied in it. It has been in there for about 30 years. How can I get that out? Is there a process to get any loose bits out and then re-coat it? I think it is flaking off a bit and clogging my carbs. Any help from anywhere is appreciated. Thanks

[@chadjames109]

Thanks heaps . That's how I'm going to clean my 1974 Honda K2 ATC90 trikes tank 👍👍👍

[@idlabi]

Thanks for all the information… Another method that works excellent is using molasses… You can usually buy feed grade molasses and any feed store… Takes a little bit longer than vinegar but the results are phenomenal.

[@Common-motor]

I've heard that as well. Never tried it. Good to know it's an option.

[@thelongboarddude95]

Cool! I bought a whole kit including tank sealer as I was having massive issues keeping the flash rust from appearing (only took seconds to show up really). I belive the kit used rust converter (not remover) at the end. It kind of tinted the whole tank a few shades darker. The rust never came back after that. I then put some sealer in it which has held up flawlessly for over 5 years now.

[@Serpico1152]

I cleaned my Honda 750 & Kawasaki 900 Z-1 tanks back in the day with small chip gravel found along tar & chip roadways and some diesel fuel. Wash the gravel free of dirt & dust first and put a couple handfuls of it in the tank with about a half to 1 gallon of diesel fuel, install the cap and plug the lines off and shake the hell out of it on and off for several days until your arms are ready to fall off, when you're done empty everything out and it will be shiny and clean inside again, you can use a epoxy coating afterwards but it probably will be good again for several years if you use some good fuel stabilizer.

[@williamgregory6684]

I've been using Marvel Mystery Oil in my oil and gas for about 50 years. It keeps your fuel system clean and lubricates your valves and top end. It also helps to keep your oil passages clean and helps to prevent sludge build up. You can pay a little now or a lot later

[@koendegroot5947]

Thank you! I'm going to use this on my Kawasaki ZL750 Eliminator!

[@John-vi5vb]

Same for my ZL1000!

[@Koji459]

Thanks for the vid! Awesome suggestions for the tank! Thoughts on using a tank sealer? Sounds like you intend to just leave it "oiled" for when it goes back on the bike. Clearly it didnt leak, but for longevity and piece of mind would you suggest sealing?

[@Common-motor]

We only use a sealer if the tank ends up having pin holes in it. Otherwise raw steel is best. For sealers we like Caswell.

[@Koji459]

@@Common-motor cool! Thanks!

[@VincentVagabond]

I am trying to get all the fuel out of my Father’s bike than he left me when he passed. 96 shadow ace 1100. I have 85% of it out but can’t seem to get the remainder sitting in the beveled corners of the tank. I have a syphon but it’s not working for the remainder of fuel sitting. I removed the petcock but there must be a lip that’s stopping it all from coming out. It’s going to be a vicious circle for me trying to get all the vinegar, mystery oil, etc out. There must be some way to remove it all completely. Any suggestions? I appreciate the feedback.

[@josephcurry4891]

Glad you guys are doing videos. I have a 2 cb750's and just did a tank wash, could have used this a few months back since I used denatured alcohol. Vinegar would have been cheaper. Super cool to see a collective like this. Wish I had one in my area.

[@lfcfan4557]

Hi, what do you think about using %30 viniger? Will it help to get a better result, or it'll harm the tank if left in it for 24 hours. Thanks.

[@yusef2610]

I followed all the steps until the gasoline rinse. Can I let my tank sit for some days before I get it rinsed with gasoline? I can see some rust forming in the Tank, however it's something I can easily smear off with my finger and it doesn't stick to the metal

[@garyhelfand4853]

Wish you guys covered a failing liner. It is mentioned in the text description above. I did three days in vinegar before switching to acetone to get the bulk of the liner out. Vinegar went back in today. Should look good tomorrow. Thanks for all your videos.

[@Common-motor]

Kreem was a popular liner in the 80's, however Yes it fails now. Acetone is the best way to remove it and go back to raw steel.

[@splendidprogress5221]

Great info expertly presented, many thanks from England...

[@oof1204]

I’m restoring my dads old 84 cb650Sc that sat for 15 years and 1 winter outside, I’m gonna try this because gas tanks are scarce to find

[@nickwren9570]

I have a 2003 harley, can I use the same process or is it a different material used for the tank

[@Mindcrime13]

would the vinegar damage the paint? I have a 74' CL200, the tank paint is pristine, but there's little rust on the inside.

[@talldrummer1]

Evaporust. Fill it to the top so the bottom of the cap is touching the solution. Close the cap. Walk away for a week or two. Dump it in a bucket (reuseable), and pressure wash it out. Inspect and blow dry. I use fogging oil for storage before use. I've cleaned a number of what looked to be non saveable tanks with this method. If you haven't tried Evaporust, you're missing out. Rust just dissolves. Great for bolts, nuts, anything rusted. Try it. Unbelievable.

[@talldrummer1]

Oh.. won't attack clean metal. Rinse with water. Non toxic.

[@cr500mike]

If you have a somewhat modern 'locking gas cap' tank , clean and lube inside & out after the vinegar soak.

[@timothypage3385]

Hey, found a Honda 1975 550/4 with only 4,000 miles. It was kept in my friends garage since 1979 and really beautiful condition. I'm faced with a technical problem that someone with experience will probably know what to do. The gas cap was never removed over the years and is some how sealed in a stuck position, won't twist-off for removal. Do you have any suggestions? T

[@concreteskydiver]

Thanks man save me some box I'm actually putting together a Honda cb200 as well definitely going to subscribe and like

[@PWRiggs]

I just empty the tank after 4 days and it looks like brand new, added mistry oil ,, how long do I need to leave it.

[@EdisonCollector]

Great video. Ugliest tank Honda ever made...

[@ruse2386]

Hey I like the video. Does this method work with more modern bikes too? I know the materials could have changed a bit and I'm working on my first bike. I recently got my dads old 05 Shadow Aero. It is all torn apart and I'm putting it back together.

[@Common-motor]

It should work with any steel gas tank!

[@Grace4all4ever]

So it’s ok if some the oil mixes with the gas when all done?

[@cb400fhonda6]

Sweet video as always Branden

[@Common-motor]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@chaprick0106]

Very good video. Much needed. You guys do great work!!

[@Common-motor]

Glad it was helpful!

[@gemajams]

Great video, going to do this for my yamaha virago!

[@NinpoZ]

I'm gonna cut an old honda tank in half so a friend can have it on the wall, any tips on how to do it without damaging the paint ?

[@donreed1133]

Brandon, I’m refinishing a CB175. I’m seeing what appears to be a little bit of seeping in one of the bottom seams where the tank was put together. The tank looks good otherwise. Do you know of a product I could seal the tank with? Thanks

[@Common-motor]

I'd use the caswell 2 part tank liner system. It's by far the best one we've used over here.

[@SuccessShared]

How about a 1976 Mk1 Gold Wing GL1000 with the tank under the seat? To get the tank out is a major job of removing the entire back end of the bike. My tank is not bad but I'd like to clean it (as a precautionary measure after just buying the bike) without removing it

[@nikkighorpade446]

Great video. Do you need to use dish soap or baking soda to neutralize the vinegar before putting the oil and gas?

[@Common-motor]

We don’t neutralize it and find things work well enough with emptying it, rinsing with water and then giving it an oil rinse but you can rinse with a baking soda/ water mixture to further neutralize if you desire to!

[@Krispy1011]

I don't know if the vinegar was strained before it went back into the tank for a 2nd cleaning but I would definitely strain the vinegar prior to putting it back into the tank! but great video

[@xs650abear6]

If as in my case after cleaning the inside of the tank you must store the tank for any length of time, spray Fluid Film inside the tank then just do a gasoline rinse before mounting the tank on the motorcycle.

[@billross7078]

As an old Honda Service Tech (since 1978), I noticed the CB200 tank has the original gas cap. There is a "Factory Recall" on that style cap. It is replaced with the key type.

[@peterstamiris1358]

Dis ypu dry water before applying pil aftwr rinsing out vinegar or oil will remove water when pil is drained

[@gregkiehl64]

Where can you buy the filter tube on the petcock that goes in the tank petcock is good but filter is junk 81 Honda xl250s

[@speedphreax]

Add a cup of table salt. Seriously, that amplifies the effect of the vinegar. I had great results with it. The only downside is that I found out that it eats through an aluminum petcock in exactly 6 days and then you have a wet garage floor.

[@speedphreax]

@J G mmmYeah?

[@kyledeacon412]

Just finished doing this and it worked like a charm on a Honda cb1100f. I used 4 gallons of white vinegar and 1 gallon of harris 30% vinegar. Only other note this tank had a lip on the inside so I ended up shaking the s**t out of it for the screws. Didnt have a long enough magnet.

[@Common-motor]

those lips are the worst! ended up trying to gets my fingers around one of those for like 30 minutes trying to get screws out.

[@manstersr]

I haven't tried it but I heard a tip for keeping paint from drying in the can. Since it oxidizes also to dry the tip is to take a can of the canned air (which is refrigerant) which has no oxygen in it so it won't oxidize and spray it into the paint can before sealing the lid. I don't know if it would work in the gas tank but it's heavier than air and would force it out and probably keep it from rusting again. Just fill the tank all the way up with gas when you get ready to ride to force it out that stuff is toxic when burned. Never using gas with ethanol in it again. Have you ever thought to blow the remaining water out with a high pressure air blower? Of course you'd have to have a good size shop air compressor 60gl. or better. I wonder if engine fogger like you use for watercraft would work well also to coat the bare metal and stop flash rust.

[@josephsnipes5168]

Hey, will this process get rid of old tank liner as well?

[@Common-motor]

No, you'll likely need to use acetone in a similar process to remove a bad liner but it can be difficult. Certain liners can almost never be removed. We've removed a bed redkote and kreem job with acetone though.

[@kansascityshuffle8526]

You can leave it partially empty for the initial shaking to get a more rigorous agitation. But once you walk away from it fill it up.

[@Burritosuupreme]

Will this video work for vintage Kawasaki tanks?

[@queenslander954]

Metho works pretty good as well , helps dissipate water.

[@unicornwizard6]

Ya think about using isopropyl alcohol instead of water for the rinse? After a minute or so it would evaporate clean w/o adding moisture.

[@finallyholdingontoletitgo1607]

Super helpful. Now if I could just find the knee pads or reproduction pads for my 68 K0 I’d be set.

[@billyabston4531]

Could you use baking soda during the rinse phase to help neutralize the vinegar?

[@Common-motor]

Definitely!

[@francoinvisser4058]

I used WD40 afterwards and the rust came back so quickly. Do you have any other ideas without epoxy coating that I can try?

[@scottk.8494]

This is awesome. My 71 CB350 gas tank is horrible and I have Red Kote ready to seal it up after I use this method the clean it.

[@Common-motor]

Be careful with Red Kote. The tank needs to be PERFECTLY prepped to their instructions to work well. I've seen more red kote coatings sink to the bottom of a tank and ruin a tank than I can remember. Its very unforgiving. We use the 2 part caswell epoxy tank liner over here at the shop when its needed. If you don't have any pin holes in your tank I'd highly recommend not coating at all. The tank won't rust back up as long as you're using it and if it sits just remember to fill it to the top with fresh gas.

[@John-vi5vb]

@@Common-motor Maybe fill it with non-ethanol gas would be best? That alcohol mix is hell on rubber and breaks down in a matter of weeks.

[@stevejones1318]

It's very difficult to get the vinegar out when filler neck protrudes inside tank inner surface, and the petcock hole is small (¼").

[@TravisDoesGames]

Just extra flush with water

[@farhadfatakia]

I followed all the steps meticulously. I used all the products you recommended. The interior of my tank was nasty beyond belief. The result was spectacular. I put in a new tank of gas and the bike has been sitting for a month or so. When I next peeked into the tank it's CAKED WITH RUST. What the heck happened. Any idea?

[@tortron]

You are left with bare metal inside. If there's moisture in the fuel or in the air inside the tank it will rust again. Normally the metal is electro galv to give it some protection, very difficult to replate the inside of a tank. You can run some 2 stroke oil or moreys/lucas super cyl lubricant, that will help. Or reline the tank, but I'm not so keen on those

[@b1lc1s]

"Metalprep" (phosphoric acid) will clean the tank. No neutralizing and no flash rust - treat the inside and after draining out and drying will be ready for coating with a good quality fuel tank internal preservative and you're done. Why aren't fuel tanks internally coated anyhow...? (dumb assed question!)

[@vegardpedersen8651]

Im having trouble coating the inside before it starts to flashrust, you recomment mystery miracle oil, are there any other substitutes that can work just as well? Wd-40 or engine oil perhaps?

[@Common-motor]

wd-40 or marvel mystery oil work great, don't use engine oil. As you can see in our video though there is always going to be some, but in the end you just want to make sure nothing heavy is forming. After time with using the bike the gas rids most of the flash rust. If the oil is not keeping the rust away once you're done I'd say fill the tank to the top with gas until you're ready to start using it.

[@vegardpedersen8651]

Common Motor Collective great! Thank’s for the help!

[@TN_HondaDad]

What about 2 stroke oil? Any small amounts remaining shouldn't be detrimental to the engine at that small percentage.

[@splittreemixers8952]

Is there a video on how to remove the tank?

[@jeffkraus1457]

I rented a small job site cement mixer...about 10 gallon size for home depot, wrapped it in blankets and let it spin away for 48 hrs. Came out like new!

[@robcarr-ty7jo]

Sounds like a LAZY mans way of doing things..

[@jeffkraus1457]

@@robcarr-ty7jo Wrong, smarter.

[@chadhanebrink8009]

The framed print on the left side, where did you get that?

[@Common-motor]

That is actually a CB350 black keys concert poster than someone sent into us YEARS ago. Its awesome.

[@chadhanebrink8009]

Common Motor Collective I found it on a website. Apparently it was from a concert in my hometown. I just missed out on it haha

[@FrederickIngraham-yq4sz]

Would you marvel if you were going to use tank kreem?

[@willd9739]

You rinse it with distilled water and baking soda and neutralizes it immediately no need to use gasoline. This way you're clean up doesn't involve dealing with smelly gasoline and recycling issues

[@Common-motor]

Good idea!

[@cb400fhonda6]

Ok so in a medium tank similar To the video How much sodA and distilled water Do I fill up with the mix or just enough to sloush around and rinse Thanks for gr8 tip Will D

[@Common-motor]

You would definitely be good with around a 1/3rd of a tank full to neutralize just be sure to shake it up well

[@leerjet1868]

Way easier to shake the tank before adding the vinegar, it's lighter and easier to shake. Then magnet out the screws and add the vinegar. I use 1/4 hex nuts for my shaking.