Citric acid de-rust

Electrolysis won't affect down near the seams.

Electrostatic fields do not like corners and crevices.

Running wires along each lower side of the cavity near seams helps but not completely effective.

If using stainless steel wire then do not accidentally get the battery polarity wrong. You will poison yourself with chromate products.
 
Oxalic acid from the hardware shop is good at reversing rust to a limited extent. It also works in the seams.

Then clean up and use phosphoric acid to passivate.

Don't get oxalic acid on the skin, even though it is only sold quite dilute. Permeates through the skin, dissolves the calcium in your bones which then blocks your kidneys.

You should avoid all acid treatments for high tensile or case hardened components unless you want to spend a day heat treating to remove hydrogen.
 
Not an advert, just passing on an idea...
I used this:

https://www.kbs-coatings.com.au/product/motorcycle-fuel-tank-sealer-kit/
(About $70AUD)
on a Jota tank that had sat in a shed idle for over 20 years. Plenty of rust inside. After silver-soldering the holes I used this 3-stage, de-rust, clean, and 2-part mix sealer product, using a real long piece of bicycle chain inside to do the abrasion. ( Easier to pull out one long chain than a bunch of nuts and bolts.)

That was 3 years ago and still perfectly clean and sealed inside.



 
We had a number of ducks when we had a farm that use to drink from a old drum I had cut into a trough. Being ducks that had to swim and crap in it, when cleaning it one day I noticed the underwater section war bright rust free metal. Next time it needed cleaning I threw a piece of rusty metal into the drum and a week later it was rust free. So if you have ducks and rusty parts through them in.
 
A good way to get rid of the water inside the tank after rinsing off the acid is flushing it with alcohol. It doesn't matter if methanol, ethanol or propanol. The advantage of using alcohol vs. petrol is the fact that alcohol will mix with water. Petrol will not (organic fluid vs. an-organic).

Been using this as well when parking the bike over winter. Filled the tank with petrol and added some alcohol to it. Condensate usually forms water drops on the bottom of the tank (heavier than petrol). This is where most of the corrosion is happening under these circumstances.) At the start of the new season I drain the whole lot. Job done.

Cheers,
Alex
 
I used Citric Acid on my tank earlier this year, also included a fish tank heater for the three days it was in there soaking. Worked well and I drain the tank every winter now too.
 
I tend to ride in winter.
Best anti rust there is.

Otherwise, there's two schools of thought: empty it or fill it to the brim.

Best ride.

Paul
 
Full is the overwhelming consensus for Norwegian winters, and yes there are a few hardies who fit studs and ride all year, letting their bike dissolve in the chemical slush used to keep water from freezing on the roads.
 
Tippie said:
Full is the overwhelming consensus for Norwegian winters, and yes there are a few hardies who fit studs and ride all year, letting their bike dissolve in the chemical slush used to keep water from freezing on the roads.
Click to expand...

That's what BMWs were invented for.
They sent loads of them on operation Barbarossa.

Paul
 
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