Scooterotica

Hi all, what’s the best way to clean a gummed up tank? I’ve had a scooter sitting for a few years and the oil has sunk to the bottom and gummed it up. It’s an Oiltek aluminium long range so rust isn’t an issue. What’s the best method to clean it out. Thanks in advance Pete.

Rosti tank cleaner

Frosts do an engine degreaser which should do the trick or if you need something more heavy duty they do a tank strip that is strong enough to remove old sealant

Ideally you need to find somewhere with a large ultrasonic cleaning bath but you could try a pressure washer or steam cleaner, Careful with cleaning solvents make sure they are not corrosive.

I sasw a guy on You Tube clean an old tank by putting a kilo of nuts and bolts inside it and then cable tying it to one of the driven wheels of his car which was jacked up on that side. He pt in gear and let it rotate for a while, seemed to do the trick and that was rusty.

I recently did an old tank that was rusty. Put in some old nuts and bolts and shook it. Lots of rust flakes came out. I shot in some brake cleaner to get rid of any grease and oil. Then I filled it half full of “evapo-rust”. It’s non toxic and dissolves rust. I let it sit for 24 hrs then rotate the tank so the entire thing gets exposed. I know people who have had good results with cleaning strength vinegar. This gave me a clean tank. Inspecting afterwards I found 3 pin holes. I used POR-15 tank liner, which I have in another scooter and after 20 years still no issues.

Be very careful with any of the tank lining products to follow the instructions and safety stuff. They are nasty.

David