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Fuel tank info MEP003

Sturgis7754

Member
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4
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Location
Powhatan, Va.
MEP -003 fuel tank has rust in side, along with Alge . I have seen how electrolysis will get the rust out, hoping that it will kill and remove alge as well. If I do the electrolysis, will it damage the float and electric components inside tank, as I suspect? There’s rust on threads , if I need to get them off the tank, should I heat threads with acetylene torch or is there a better way? Thanks for any help.
 

Ray70

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Hello, Don't heat the threads, the fittings are riveted and soldered to the tank, you'll melt the solder out. I've always been able to get them unscrewed despite the rust. Sometimes they are pretty tight and need a few wacks with a dead blow hammer on the wrench, but they have always come out.
I always remove everything then do the electrolysis process for at least 24 - 48 hours. It works very well. If you end up with any pinholes in the bottom of the tank, the Caswell Plating 2 part tank sealer is the best product I have used to recoat the inside of the tanks. I've done 3 mep-003A tanks and 4 Mep-002A tanks and always had perfect success.
 

Sturgis7754

Member
34
4
8
Location
Powhatan, Va.
Have a MEP -003 generator, fuel take has rust and alge, I cannot get the float and electronic out of tank due to rusty threads. Can I heat with acetylene without causing damage? Can I just use electrolysis without removing and not cause damage to afore mentioned parts?
 

Sturgis7754

Member
34
4
8
Location
Powhatan, Va.
Unscrew it.... Probably tight but both of them are just screwed in to fittings that are soldered and riveted to the tank.
Tried to unscrew could not budge. Tried to heat with propane, tapping with hammer. Looks like the float is made of aluminum, afraid to put to much pressure on it.
 

Guyfang

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You put a BFW, or BF Pipe wrench on it and use a cheater. This happened several times to me, and I thought I was going to have heart failure. But it WILL come out.
 

Guyfang

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You should have put this in your other thread. Starting two threads for the same problem is not good. A Mod will probably let you know that.
 

Guyfang

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Dude,
Put all this in the same thread. That way you do not have to look at three threads to fix one fuel tank. Get a Mod to delete all your threads but one.
 

Sturgis7754

Member
34
4
8
Location
Powhatan, Va.
Hello, Don't heat the threads, the fittings are riveted and soldered to the tank, you'll melt the solder out. I've always been able to get them unscrewed despite the rust. Sometimes they are pretty tight and need a few wacks with a dead blow hammer on the wrench, but they have always come out.
I always remove everything then do the electrolysis process for at least 24 - 48 hours. It works very well. If you end up with any pinholes in the bottom of the tank, the Caswell Plating 2 part tank sealer is the best product I have used to recoat the inside of the tanks. I've done 3 mep-003A tanks and 4 Mep-002A tanks and always had perfect success.
Hello, Don't heat the threads, the fittings are riveted and soldered to the tank, you'll melt the solder out. I've always been able to get them unscrewed despite the rust. Sometimes they are pretty tight and need a few wacks with a dead blow hammer on the wrench, but they have always come out.
I always remove everything then do the electrolysis process for at least 24 - 48 hours. It works very well. If you end up with any pinholes in the bottom of the tank, the Caswell Plating 2 part tank sealer is the best product I have used to recoat the inside of the tanks. I've done 3 mep-003A tanks and 4 Mep-002A tanks and always had perfect success.
Hello, Don't heat the threads, the fittings are riveted and soldered to the tank, you'll melt the solder out. I've always been able to get them unscrewed despite the rust. Sometimes they are pretty tight and need a few wacks with a dead blow hammer on the wrench, but they have always come out.
I always remove everything then do the electrolysis process for at least 24 - 48 hours. It works very well. If you end up with any pinholes in the bottom of the tank, the Caswell Plating 2 part tank sealer is the best product I have used to recoat the inside of the tanks. I've done 3 mep-003A tanks and 4 Mep-002A tanks and always had perfect success.
Thank you for your information! Don’t know if this is what happens all the time, but when I hit reply all that shows up is “post reply” box and “preview “ boxes, so if this does not get back , I am sorry. Thank you for the helpful information, I will go take a wack at it!!!!!!
 

doghead

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I have merged the 3 threads you have started for this issue.

Please continue with this thread.

It is against the site rule to post multiple threads for the same issue.

Thank you
 

doghead

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Worst case,, if it breaks, replace it.


 

Sturgis7754

Member
34
4
8
Location
Powhatan, Va.
You put a BFW, or BF Pipe wrench on it and use a cheater. This happened several times to me, and I thought I was going to have heart failure. But it WILL come out.
Thank you for your reply, big old wrench did the job, heart was in my throat, but they came out. Thanks again. Sturgis7754
 

Sturgis7754

Member
34
4
8
Location
Powhatan, Va.
Hello, Don't heat the threads, the fittings are riveted and soldered to the tank, you'll melt the solder out. I've always been able to get them unscrewed despite the rust. Sometimes they are pretty tight and need a few wacks with a dead blow hammer on the wrench, but they have always come out.
I always remove everything then do the electrolysis process for at least 24 - 48 hours. It works very well. If you end up with any pinholes in the bottom of the tank, the Caswell Plating 2 part tank sealer is the best product I have used to recoat the inside of the tanks. I've done 3 mep-003A tanks and 4 Mep-002A tanks and always had perfect success.
Thanks for your reply. I had planned on using red-Kote to line the tank, but going to manufactures web site it states that “ diesel tanks must be sand blasted”, to remove paraffin wax. I don’t see how that is possible. Could I possibly boil the tank and remove wax and alge? Does the Cassell require this Sand blast before using? The tank has dried up alge in it and other than rolling it with nuts and the like in it, the only other method of removing this alge , seems to be fill tank with diesel and fuel treatment that is supposed to kill alge. Any thoughts?
 

Ray70

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,632
6,057
113
Location
West greenwich/RI
The Caswell epoxy does not require sand blasting. Just wash it out good with degreaser and hot water. Then I use a metal treating acid, same as you would use to etch metal prior to painting. You could also use muriatic acid and water to etch it a little.
If there's loose rust in it you can throw in a bunch of screws and nuts etc. and shake it around to loosen up the rust.
On the 003A tanks I usually add a little bit of acetone to the epoxy ( per the directions ) to dilute it slightly. This is helpful because there is a dividing wall in the center of the 003A tank with 3 small holes at the bottom.
I pour in all the epoxy and let it all flow into the far end of the tank and coat that half first, then let the remainder flow back into the first half and coat that part. continue tipping the tank around letting the epoxy go all around both halves of the tank until it really begins to thicken up and stop moving.
Keep everything at room temp if possible.
The process can take over an hour, but be patient and keep tipping it around and around letting it slowly run over all surfaces.
I have tanks coated about 8 years ago that are still as good as new.
I've also found that the clear epoxy flows better than the colored ones, and it's a little cheaper.
If you want to use the colored ones, I think thinning with acetone is an absolute must! Without the acetone the colored epoxy is too thick to flow out good.
 

Sturgis7754

Member
34
4
8
Location
Powhatan, Va.
The Caswell epoxy does not require sand blasting. Just wash it out good with degreaser and hot water. Then I use a metal treating acid, same as you would use to etch metal prior to painting. You could also use muriatic acid and water to etch it a little.
If there's loose rust in it you can throw in a bunch of screws and nuts etc. and shake it around to loosen up the rust.
On the 003A tanks I usually add a little bit of acetone to the epoxy ( per the directions ) to dilute it slightly. This is helpful because there is a dividing wall in the center of the 003A tank with 3 small holes at the bottom.
I pour in all the epoxy and let it all flow into the far end of the tank and coat that half first, then let the remainder flow back into the first half and coat that part. continue tipping the tank around letting the epoxy go all around both halves of the tank until it really begins to thicken up and stop moving.
Keep everything at room temp if possible.
The process can take over an hour, but be patient and keep tipping it around and around letting it slowly run over all surfaces.
I have tanks coated about 8 years ago that are still as good as new.
I've also found that the clear epoxy flows better than the colored ones, and it's a little cheaper.
If you want to use the colored ones, I think thinning with acetone is an absolute must! Without the acetone the colored epoxy is too thick to flow out good.
Thanks for your reply, I will work on tank as instructed. Thanks again to you and all the fine members of SS. Sturgis7754
 
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