Pulled my fuel tank in preparation for new lines.

Although car is essentially rust free, I was surprised at how much visible rust was inside the tank.

I debated if I should have it sealed or just cleaned out. Seems that people have had mixed results with the various sealant kits, the problem being that some peel when exposed to ethanol fuels.

I took the tank to a radiator shop in NJ that is well respected. They also offer the gastank renu service. The plan was to just clean it out and then go from there.

While tank looked good, after cleaning we discovered that it does indeed have some small leaks. I guess that explains the fuel smell that I was never able to pinpoint.

So, it will now get the full gastank renu service. http://www.gastankrenu.com/ Most reviews are positive and I figure it will be better than any DIY kit I might buy. They will leave the exterior top of the tank in primer and I will paint that satin black (as the texture of the exterior gastankrenu treatment does not look factory).

I do try to avoid ethanol fuel but the nearest station that sells pure gas is 60 miles away (thanks to EPA rules created by the farm lobby). To date I have personally seen ethanol fuel destroy the fuel pumps in my Jaguar, gas tank in the Porsche, and carb parts in other vehicles.

I had that done on my '73 when restoring it in IA. They had a franchise not that far from me ( a couple blocks from the famous Knoxville Dirt Oval Racetrack).
They ended up doing the whole exterior with their process which I agree doesn't look OEM but he wouldn't guarantee it if he didn't do the exterior as well... in retrospect, should have asked him just to not do the part that shows from the top.
And yes, even coming from IA I hate ethanol too. Unfortunately the gas in AZ is also oxygenated I think usually with ethanol... I use the Stabil stuff made for ethanol fuels- hope it helps!

Jay Leno agrees.

http://autoweek.com/article/car-life/jay-leno-hates-ethanol

And it's made out of nutricious food - on a planet where more than 50% of the people don't have enough to eat on a daily basis.
That's one of the reasons why it's not big overhere in Holland. One hould not use food for a car. Therefore you have to really search for ethanol pumps. Most fuel companies have signs on the filling stations 'Ethanol Free'.

Even sturdy stuff like Viton cannot cope with this agressive fuel. I sometime think that it's all a scam, steering people towards electric cars so that they won't have the hassle of replacing fuel lines.

Although... electric cars have their own problems: for the first time in 3 years, it started to freeze overhere. Guess what: the power sockets on the electric cars were frozen solid! They wouldn't come off. And off course there's someone trying to free the socket with a kettle and hot water

Menno

I'm going through this now with my tank, the PO has it coated with POR-15 and I pulled the tank to replace the lines and found this...




my tank is currently with these guys getting striped and cleaned and they also have a coating process and I have chosen not to have it coated.

My Webpage

I assume you mean you are not having the inside coated? That was my original intention but given the pinhole leaks I did not really have a choice.

You can find ethanol free stations here.
http://www.pure-gas.org/

Some states do not have ethanol free gas at all. It is driven by EPA rules based on proximity to major metro areas. Ironically, it is available in almost all rural / agricultural areas as farmers who produce the stuff do not want it ruining their expensive farm equipment.

It is expensive, but for those who do not use their 914 often and can not get ethanol free pump gas, Lowes and Home Depot sell ethanol free in quart containers in the garden section.

So, earlier this evening I was preparing to send a letter to my state legislators to grumble about the ethanol fuel mandate here in Pennsylvania.

Turns out that a bill has already passed the house to eliminate the mandate, and is now is Senate Committee. Here is a notice from SEMA followed by the letter I sent to my own representative and each of the committee members. I would certainly encourage any PA based 914World members to do the same ...

===========================
URGENT LEGISLATIVE ALERT (UPDATE)


Pennsylvania Bill to Eliminate Ethanol Requirement in Gasoline Approved by House; Moves to Senate

Legislation (H.B. 471) to remove the requirement that gasoline offered for sale in the state contain a percentage of ethanol was approved by an overwhelming margin in the House of Representatives and will now be sent to the Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee for consideration. Currently, the state requires that “All gasoline sold or offered for sale to ultimate consumers in this Commonwealth must contain at least 10% cellulosic ethanol by volume . . .” .
Please Contact All Members of the Pennsylvania Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee (List Below) Immediately to Request Support for H.B. 471

H.B. 471 recognizes that ethanol fuels cause problems with fuel pumps, fuel gauges, as well as other engine performance issues, especially over a period of time when the vehicle is not used. Current high performance specialty parts along with pre-model year 2001 cars and parts may be most susceptible to corrosion.

H.B. 471 acknowledges that ethanol has been shown to decrease fuel mileage.

H.B. 471 recognizes that the life span of vehicles and equipment can be dramatically reduced with the wrong fuel and that owners could be confronted with break downs. Anti-corrosion additives are available for each purchase of gasoline but can become expensive, burdensome and require consumer education.

DON’T DELAY! Please contact all Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee members to request support for H.B. 471.

Please e-mail a copy of your letter to Steve McDonald at stevem@sema.org. Also, please forward this Alert to your fellow car enthusiasts. Urge them to join the SAN and help defend the hobby! Thank you for your assistance.

Pennsylvania Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee

Senator Gene Yaw - Majority Chairman
Phone: (717) 787-3280
Email: eyaw@pasen.gov

Senator John Yudichak - Minority Chairman
Phone: (717) 787-7105
Email: yudichak@pasenate.com

Senator Camera Bartolotta
Phone: (717) 787-1463
Email: bartolatta@pasen.gov

Senator Joseph Scarnati III
Phone: (717) 787-7084
Email: jscarnati@pasen.gov

Senator Elder Vogel Jr.
Phone: (717) 787-3076
Email: evogel@pasen.gov

Senator Kim Ward
Phone: (717) 787-6063
Email: kward@pasen.gov

Senator Donald White
Phone: (717) 787-8724
Email: dwhite@pasen.gov

Senator John Blake
Phone: (717) 787-6481
Email: senatorblake@pasenate.com

Senator Andrew Dinniman
Phone: (717) 787-5544
Email: adinniman@pasenate.com

Senator Daylin Leach
Phone: (717) 787-5544
Email: dleach@pasenate.com

Senator Scott Hutchison
Phone: (717) 787-9684
Email: shutchison@pasen.gov
==========================

The Honorable Senator John Refferty
Harrisburg, PA

22 January 2016

Dear Senator Rafferty,

I am writing you to request your support for House Bill 471 which removes the ethanol mandate for gasoline. I realize that this bill is currently in review by the Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee, I have already contacted all members of that committee via email.

As an owner of several antique and classic vehicles, I have experienced first hand the damages resulting from ethanol blend fuels. Fuel pumps, carburetors, sending units, and most recently a fuel tank have all been severely damaged or destroyed resulting in thousands of dollars in unnecessary repairs. To preserve some equipment, I now travel over 100 miles twice a year to fill fuel cans with ethanol free gasoline.

Of even greater significance are the ethical implications of turning food into fuel. Studies have shown that the claimed environmental benefits are based on unrealistic crop yields and thus, the environmental impact of producing ethanol actually exceeds the benefit. Clearly the introduction of ethanol into fuel was not based on good science but was designed to placate the farm lobby at the expense of the public.

I appreciate your help and ask that you support the passage of HB 471.

Thank you for your time and considering my request.

Sincerely,

I've always added a bottle of Seafoam or Lucas to my tank, not just for the carb cleaning, but also to absorb moisture, now for the ethanol. Techtron and many of the other cleaners are a bit to harsh on seals and such IMO. It has worked well so far. I've owned my 1979 Yamaha since 1986, and have never had to open the carbs other than to replace a float, and the tank still looks new. With metal tanks its always a battle with rust, so I try to keep the tank full, and use an additive. For storage, never use the red stabil, it causes more trouble than its worth. The blue Marine is much better.

Raby was pimping an additive last year, cant remember what it was, but it was similar to seafoam or lucas. Says its the 'best'...............

Its the only thing that treats the condition, rather than changing the balance of the fuel. Joe Gibbs Driven Carb Defender

Its has the same ingredient that the military uses when preserving vehicles for extended storage when on deployment.

I use it religiously, and worked with Gibbs for over two years gathering data from my own cars with it.

BG Products has 2 ethanol treatment products. One is a Ethanol Fuel System Drier (pn281), which could be similar to alcohol and the other is an ethanol corrosion preventer (pn212) . Not sure about how either of them work, but BG Products is a respected brand.