7 years later this video is still making the world a better place

"I'm an American, I like instant gratification just as anyone else." Best statement ever.

Just took your advice and in less than 5 min all the rust was gone. My tank wasn't that bad but holy crap this stuff works! No dilution just make sure you have baking soda diluted with some water on hand in case you get some on your self you can neutralize it. I used an empty 2 liter bottle of soda with water about a 1/4 cup of baking soda mixed in.

you are a freaking genius! Solved my tank issues after 10 minutes with just watching this video. We have been so conditioned to just go the "purchase a solution" route that I have actually spent quite a bit of money, probably hundreds throughout the years on "rust reformers" and "tank liners" and this shit works just fine. You just saved me a crap load of money. Thanks for posting this buddy.

We did this today on a badly corroded DL650 fuel tank and it worked a treat. Tank is almost like new. Thanks for the video, you inspired us to give it a go and we are very glad we did.

Brought back fond memories of my Dad ,since he used to use Muriatic Acid for tackling cleaning /renewing jobs a lot ! Yet this hadn’t rekindled in my memory till I watched your video !Peace brother .

Years later still is a great how to. Just got done with a KLR tank, perhaps fifteen minutes total sloshing a gallon around in that big tank and it now looks new. Rinsed with water to dilute the acid, then rinsed with Baking Soda solution to make sure it was neutralized, drained as best I could, and then WD40 in their "Big Blast" can which is seemingly made for the purpose. After sloshing the WD40 around for a while what drained was a milky liquid that I'm thinking is the remaining water emulsified by the WD40, I suspect not much water left to worry about. Then poured in a half of a quart bottle of Marvel Mystery Oil and sloshed that around...hopefully no flash rust as it will be a few days before I can fill the tank with gas. THANKS, RM!

God richly bless you for sharing this corrosion removal hack !Was on my way to Publix to purchase White Vinegar,Lemons,Salt,Coca Cola and whip up a brew for tackling some rust in my DEK 5000 Generator fuel tank and decided to look at some KZfaq videos .Your video was heaven sent and that statement lol was awesome ! Didn’t have to go to the store since we had Muriatic Acid for the swimming pool !Double thumbs up from me to you sir !

This video is great! I used your method to clean the gas tank in my 1983 Honda 200x and it worked like a charm!

I just did this on a 1964 chevy van gas tank. The van was last registered 1983. I pulled it out of a field where it was buried up to the axles in mud. The tank was disgusting -- full of scale and nasty rust. I actually poured chunks and flakes of dried rust out of the tank. I used straight muriatic acid like in the video. I let it sit in there about half hour and sloshed it around every now and then. It got it clean! You can look in there and see clean metal, where previously it was all scaly nasty rust and crud. I was amazed. It really worked well. Thanks alot for the video. Very helpful.

This is an awesome video. Just got my XL250 slightly rusty tank. I was thinking coating the inside might cause problems later on if I did not do it right. Then I thought about the slosh of oil and you did just what I thought. Your whole method on cleaning the tank is what I am going to do. Thank You.

Just did this and it seriously worked..I had a spot inside my outboard tank that had a thick layer of rust and its bare metal now.

Thank you very much I had great results tank looks like brand new

Great video man. Thanks for the tip. Gonna try this on my R6 tank. It rusted while doing engine race mods and a rebuild.

Awesome vid. Doing this on my rototiller tomorrow. Thanks.

This is the best way to clean a gas tank and no it won't harm the paint in a metal tank. I used it on a motorcycle tank after trying just about everything from rust remover to Apple cider vinegar, but in 7 minutes with this stuff clean as new

Thanks I'm going to try this tonight after work on a chopper tank I just purchased.

Just did today after watching this video on my 1985 Honda ATC 250SX and it worked great. I definitely used gloves and glasses though. After rinsing out with water, I followed what you said and used some of my pre-mix gas since it has oil in it. Worked perfect. Showed me the leaks too, lol. I've used Por15 before but gonna try the Kreem this time around. Thanks for the video.

thanks for taking the time to do that. My buddy does it but he adds water with his.

Awesome! I just cleaned, etched and coated a tank this morning. The muriatic acid made the cleaning part so much easier and quicker. I used POR15 Metal Prep and Tank Sealer after cleaning and drying. Glad I found this video!

instant gratification...i came to the right place

thank u so very much. iwork on old harleys and u know i've never thoughjt of using pool acid well never had a pool

about a min in i already love this dude

I tell you I had no time to wait for all the "products" to clean out tanks that take anywhere from hours to days... I had one day & this worked better than I could of ever hoped for! I wish I would have taken a video of it. i wasn't even going to worry about the outside of the tank but this worked so well & was so easy I did the outside of the tank as well!! the before & after photos are almost non believable. Not sure how to post them here but this is a must know for anyone who works on "old things" oh ya, love the tee shirt slogan!

Amazing result and so fast. I used hydrochloric acid (basically the same thing). For those about to try this though, wear gloves, and watch the fumes.... phewee!!

Great video, thanks for posting it. My tank is larger and more awkwardly shaped, the motorbike started to have poor performance I found water in the fuel filter, I suspected it was from the gas station, we just had hurricane Ian come through, I replaced the gas, it worked fine for the five minutes and went back to starving, I changed the filter, same thing. I ran it without the filter, same thing, I cleaned the carbs, ran okay for 5 minute and started to starve again. When looking through the gas we noticed a spot of rust in one of the bends at the bottom of the tank, it was not big at all. I did the vinegar clean first, tons of rust came out along with flakes, it looked like someone crushed a cigarette inside, also some mold looking stuff that was at the top inside of the tank, it came loose because i filled the entire tank with vinegar. after removing the vinegar i rinsed it with baking soda and water, then water along, then i dried it with the heat gun. It was all rusty worst than before. That was when i came across this video. I watched it, I read all the comments. I got me a gallon of muriatic acid, plugged up holes with rubber and makeshift caps that i made, I put the acid in, shook the tank, got a timer, turned it as needed. Then I dumped the acid, immediately dumped inside a 1/2 a gallon of gas (from a different gas station) mixed with 10w40 synthetic oil, shook the tank around all possible ways and got rid of the gas, which came out black, I repeated this rinse one more time. I reinstalled the float with sensor and petcock, added about 2 gallons of new premium gas, fired up the thing. it sucked so bad, worse than before. I disconnected the tank and run it on gas from a separate container, it ran better. The inside of the tank was completely rusted, even worse than the first time it flashed. I had done some rusty tools that i had around, used the same process, they are okay, no rust on them. Even with the humidity brought by the next storm, Nicole. Now I have 2 gallons of muriatic acid diluted in 3 gallons of water, my tank hold 5 gallons, it is filled to the top, I figure that the last time as I was turning it I must to have missed a side. it already removed the rust that was on the tanks cap hole neck. What do you recommend, I do different this time, after I remove the acid wash?

Muriatic Acid is the KING! Been trying to tell people for years!........my personal favorite is Naval Jelly, good balance of Power and slower burn rate(maybe 1 or 2 hours)....good for thinner, or higher end tanks, No risk of burning holes.....also leaves Lots of chalky Residue, so won't flash rust...and it stops eating once you drain water! Great stuff also.

I just tried this and it worked very well for my needs. Before the acid I filled the tank with drywall screws and made each of my 3 kids take turns shaking it for 5 minutes to break up the rust first. I then flushed it out with distilled water and added some gas mixed with oil to hopefully help coat the surface from rusting again. All in all it worked very well, thanks for the video!

You should neutralize the acid when done by soaking the tank in a solution of baking SODA and water for 10 or 15 minutes right away. Then get it dry quick.

Just did this over the weekend on a 40L/10gal Acura Integra tank. Took 12L/3gal worth of Acid but it worked flawlessly. Thanks for saving me a ton of time and headache, not to mention MONEY!!

Thanks for this video: I was wondering how best to clean the rust of my newly acquired 1978 Kawasaki KZ750: its been left sitting in a damp garage for the past 18 years so the inside of the tank was thick with rust. As you promised, this stuff did the job in 10 minutes, so thanks - you have saved me a trip to a specialist. If anyone is watching this in the UK and is wondering where to get the chemical mentioned, well it can be found in Homebase for £3 and is called 'Spirits of Salt'.

Boutta try this on my sportster tank. Thankyou much!

Hello, the bottle of acid I have reads 20 degrees baume commercial [31.45%]. On the bottle it says to dilute acid with 4 parts water to remove rust from steel, followed by a thorough water rinse. What are your thoughts on diluting? It seems that you were using undiluted from the bottle but maybe your acid was not as concentrated as mine. I have approx 2 cups of acid in a very old bottle. Given the fact that you left it in a very short time in the tank maybe undiluted followed by a flush is the way to go. Also, I have an old kitchen scrub brush (pole style with metal stem and plastic brushes) which is near the end of its life cycle so I am using that to loosen/remove rust as much as possible before trying acid. I also am using a narrow beam flashlight to see down into the tank. That way I can see the before and after. Many thanks, David.

OK you safety guys out there, YES you should wear safety equipment. Secondly, if you let air into anything that is "clean metal", it is going to rust. This video is great and I beleive intended to clean a tank that will be used very soon. The oil coating he puts in will slow down the corrosion process but will not stop it. I have filled mine with ETHANOL FREE GAS after cleaning the way this gentleman states and have HAD NO PROBLEMS !!!. Also I would recommend (no I don't have any investment in this product) using Yamaha Ring Free in all your engines. Check it out on You Tube. I have had amazing results. No I don't work for any associated companies wit this product .... It just works. Keep the air out of those tanks and they won't rust. Thank you again for this helpful video. PS to the guy who used the drywall screws ... Good idea, I used BB's lol

This is awesome, thank you so much, just what I was looking for a way to fix my tank fast.

Hi, random mechanic is that a batavus? My dad and me had long time ago a Horex and he cleaned his tank , someway like yours. Only he used small grind ftom the garden and gaz, My job was to shake the tank and ik worked! Nice to see someone not using fancy stuff but American brain.

Bro! Thanks for the info! Tried this on my rusty gas tank and it worked flawlessly! When you shook my tank, it sounded like a salt shaker! That's how bad mine was. Now it's like a new tank! Thanks again.

I'm restoring an old Honda and had some hydrochloric acid in my shed. I just tried this process with a 40yo Honda tank and it cleaned up 99.9% of the rust within 20mins. I'll leave it to sit another 30mins and it will probably dissolve the rest to look perfect. It did however expose two pin holes which I'll lead solder. Use both sides of your brain, be careful, wear gloves and don't drink the stuff.

Good stuff man, I'm going to try it if I can find any place that sells it.

Thanks man i have project bike im going to try this on

I’ve got to try this! I have an old 1958 David Bradley Roto Spader with a Briggs model 8B engine and the tank looks like it’s had old gas left in it for 60 yrs. Full of rust and the usual suspects. I tried vinegar and added some nuts and bolts to shake it around and got a lot of the chunks and rust out, but it takes too long and I can’t shake the thing for hours to get it done. A paint shaker would be great though. There’s still a lot of “surface” rust in the tank and it’s gotta go! Hope this does the trick because I’m ready to put this thing back together and see if it’ll run after it appears it’s not ran in at least 20 yrs!

Thanks for that tip... that’s Fantastic. I’m going to try that tomorrow on a rusty tank o have off my generator 👍

This worked perfectly. Mine ended up nearly spotless. All I did was tip the tank around to wash it in acid.

I'm about to do this with my son's '71 Honda with gas that has been in there for a very long time! Thanks fo rposting your video!! Will update after we do it.

Thank you for getting to the point

dude that was a great video works great !!!!! i used it to clean my ceptic tank looked brand new ,, the next morning i pumped it out of the tank on the fence line and it got rid of all the field mice in 2 hrs

Great Instant "G" Solution Thanks Very Much...!!!

Nicely done!

Hi, I have a Harley 2 piece gas tank that is partially rusted inside. I shook loose the stuff that was jingling around inside and see that one of the half tank has substantial rust. The material which fell out was like a very thin film, almost like jelatine. I know these gas tanks come coated inside with some kinda material. I am worried perhaps the muriatic acid may destroy the rest of the lining? Any comments? Seems your process is fantastic way of cleaning out the tanks, just not sure if it can apply for me in this case. Cheers, Greg . . .

thank you for sharing this is a money saver, you da man.

I tried this cleaning technique on a really nasty rusty Harley-Davidson Sportster fuel tank, I filled it to the brim with the acid, I actually had to let it sit for four days before all the rust was dissolved, that’s how bad it was. However the result was spectacular! My advice is to siphon all the acid back into its original plastic jug with a cheap plastic siphon then flush with a garden hose. Just coating the inside with oil won’t prevent rust from returning. I recommend following up with a tank liner product immediately! Then your good to go. Word of caution: you need a good respirator because the fumes carry out to about a 15 foot radius. Also, you need good wrap around eye protection goggles and rubber gloves plus your garden hose handy! The reason why I used a siphon was to protect the paint job on the fuel tank and it’s much safer and cleaner transferring the acid back into the original container. Of course all of this is done OUTDOORS! Away from kids or critters.

Just wanted to give an update on my old Briggs and Stratton fuel tank, I used the stuff from Walmart which is weaker and I went 50/50 and soaked it for about 3 1/2 hours and it worked great. Thanks for this video.

Would "Petseal" be good to treat it with afterwards to seal the tank and stop it from re rusting ?

I'm going to try this on my 82 Kz 1000ltd!

Lol can't beilive how well it worked....tysm... amazing

I got my tank full of white vinegar right now yours was still very usable the tank I got is from a motorcycle that was sitting in the rain for a year and a half with no gas cap on talk about rust it is full it's been one day now tomorrow I'm going to clean it out and it still doesn't look new I'm going to do this

I've got an old Jeep Gladiator pickup truck that has been sitting for a long time. I'm going to clean out the gas tank using one fo these methods but do I need to be worried about anything in my gas lines? I really don't want to screw up this motor.

I've used acid before to clean out my 1947 Ford 2N"s tank, it works quite well. But, first things first, safety equipment is a must. Chemical gloves, eye protection and preferably a respirator. Not using safety equipment is asking for it... Also if you have really bad deposits in your tank like some of mine, I recommend using bolts, nuts etc. to remove the big junk first. Then once that is done use the acid to remove the rest.

thanks for posting this...

Thank you.

You absolutely do not want to breathe any of the fumes from this thing. Or get any of the smoke from it in your eyes.

Gonna give this a go on a 70's Motobecane Moped

11-4-17. Used this method on a Yamaha XT 600 gas tank, worked Great! I made a metal block off plate for the petcock, diluted the acid slightly with water, took about 1 hour to get it all out. Wear Gloves, Eye protection and don't breathe it at all. Poured the left over acid out in the backyard in the gravel, hosed it all down for 15 minutes, all good.

Muratic acid is what we use to clean driveways for those wondering what to do with it.. Dilute it with water and pour it on your driveway and scrub it with a pushbroom. Hose it off after ten minutes. BTW, it is also found in your stomach. It is what digests your food.

Hey Random! I want to thank you for this video! I just happened to have a bottle of muriatic acid handy and never thought of it! I had a fuel tank on a Rototiller that was just drowning in rust and crap! Cleaned it like a whistle! Appreciate your efforts in this video!

Dude, killer. Thank you!

Good video buddy - thanks!

I just tried this technique today on my Honda Nighthawk tank. It worked great! Awesome results! Thanks for posting.

I was about to spend 360 at the shot to get my rusted tank fixed. Im definitely gonna try this. Seems legit. I got 2008 honda CBR600RR, just gotta figure out its its an aluminum tank. 🤔

Does it stuff the paint?

What concentration is the acid? I found no more than 18%. Is that going to to the job? Thanks

What oil do I put it in after I rinse it with the gas? I just bought my first bike, need to clean out tank and learn how to wrench on it.

what kind of oil should i use once its cleaned out? and for how long? and after the oil is dumped out do i rinse it with gasoline once again?

I have an old 1982 xj1100 that I need to do this bad How would I go about the petcocks being that there are 2 just take them off and find a way to close them off could I use maybe a piece of plastic and tape or what would you recommend? thank you for this VID!

very impressive thanks

Gonna try it on my '72 SL 100 can't stop the rust I may coat it after

Works Great thank you

I put nuts and bolts in mine with some diesel and seal it all up and stick it in the dryer. Shove comforters around it to keep it from moving. Then put on air fluff (no heat) for 30min. Comes out spotless clean. Best done when wife is away.

Do it need to remove the peacock and use something else to plug the hole or just leave it on?

How can you tell if your tank is chrome or aluminum - I have a 97 Suzuki marauder tank I need to clean and fix a couple pinholes

Cool Video! When you said "put some oil in it then you're ready to go" were you referring to starting it up regarding a 2 stroke? or does the oil have to do with the cleaning process? just making sure, thanks.

Good video. Once I recover from my case of Vertigo, I'll follow these steps.

thank you

I want to let you know that this really works ur amazing bro great video

Great vid! I'll use this info on my 10 gallon '70 CJ5 with an old rusty gas tank.

Worked a charm on my Honda cx500 tank. Where I'm from it's sold from the local hardware shop as "Spirit of Salts" and is hydrochloric acid

Had me sold that instant gratification

I cleaned my tiller gas tank with that acid, but I have a same problem t in a month, do you know what happened?

i have a question i have a big tank that someone put diesel and let it sit for at lest 10 years and i have a major build up of rust and a tar like sludge will the acid git rid of that

So...what about neutralizing the metal w/a mixture of baking soda and water prior to oiling (diesel fuel works good) and then rinsing w/gasoline. Not necessary?

What was that stuff that you used? I dont think we have that here in the UK

Thank you great video but what was the last step after you poured out the gass? Is there any steps or should i just dry it and use it?

What type of oil did you use for the inside of tank? just regular motor oil, or does it not really matter a whole lot?

Thanks for the tip on getting rid of rust in a tank! Planning to restore an old Puch VZ50 and it has rust in the tank. It also has dents. Do you got a way of getting rid of the dents to?:)

Great vid. How do you you get rid of all the cruddy acid afterwards?

I’m needing to do this to my tank very badly. But once I take out the acid. What kind of oil do I need to put into the tank to prevent flash rusting. That was the only vague info of the video. And I really need that info

I was wondering what kind of oil you are putting in the tank after the gas before its ready for use

how long do you leave the oil in for or do you just coat the tank and add gas after that ?

Wonder what the acid % was? I have been trying to get Lime Away to work, but it's not strong enough. It has sulfamic acid in it.

Will this break up metal chunks in the tank? I was going to use acetone in my tank to break up the first failed sealer I used, but this might work better than that.