Fuel tank recovery?

[mowogg]

I have just removed the tank from my van restoration project- it's Been off the road for 15 years+. It looks fine from the outside but when shaken contains loose rust particles. I suspect it would hold fuel but this would contain fine rust particles.

I assume this is scrap? I can obviously tip out the loose rust but cannot stop the rest if the tank from rusting unless there is any magical solutions I can add to the tank.

Is my pessimism correct about scraping?

[philthehill]

Whilst you can get kits to resurrect the inside of fuel tanks I personally would scrap the tank and fit a new 9.5 gallon one from ESM.
http://morrisminorspares.co.uk/shop/pro ... 2f97eed227

The tank is not going to get better and may start leaking at the most inopportune moment.
Better safe than sorry.
Phil

[mogbob]

It may be savable.
Options ... you can buy a Petrol Tank sealant. Once the tank is clean , you can seal the inside with a coating.

First things first. Safety ....don't attempt welding an empty untreated ( for petrol vapour removal ) tank , or applying any naked heat.
Are there any obvious holes ? If filled with water , do any damp patches appear on the outside of the dry exterior of the tank.
You can throw small gravel /stones into the tank and shake it all about , to dislodge the rust. Then rinse out with hot soapy water. Dry and apply the Tank sealant.
A radiator repair shop might offer a steam clean and repair service. This might ( ? ) be cheaper than a new tank. You'll need a
new sender gasket and tank external seal ( where it sits in the boot floor ) when re-fitting.

Way up the cost / time / hassle factors for the options.
Bob

[bmcecosse]

I definitely go with Phil on this one -scrap it. Messing about with stones/sealant etc is just not worth the hassle and risk. Paint the new one with good chassis black before fitting!