Electrolysis info

[fcurrier]

Allen: I did that on purpose, just to cause confusion. It stemmed from an email between Wayne and I today about using electrolysis to clean the inside of a gas tank.

Thanks for helping me cause confusion by starting a new page!!!

 

[wshytle]

Frank-

That makes sense but I think I'd like to clean the outside as well so it would need to be submerged too. There always seems to be rust where the straps were rubbing and fuel loosened the paint through the years. I was thinking about using the outlet hole of the tank with an old fuel shut-off to be the negative connection and use a piece of hose around the anode going into the tank. Maybe a piece of steel bent at a 90* angle to cover enough area on the inside to create some serious electrolysis. The only problem with this idea is the negative lead will have to be submerged which I try not to do. I could connect the negative to the lip of the fill hole but that would be very close to the anode so I don't know how that would work.

What do you think??? It might just be time for some more trial and error.

 

[aschumacher]

Frank, glad to help the confusion.
<font size="-2">OOOps, sorry if I screwed things up.</font>
Maybe it could be done in 2 steps, inside first,fill it up and bend an electrode to go in the tank. Remember there is a baffle in there somewhere. Then do the outside in a tank. Ya I know extra work, but maybe the only practical approach. As Wayne said, youre going on trial, get a good lawyer so there are no errors !

 

[fcurrier]

Allen, you just did a perfect job of describing the way I'm picturing it being done. I think I'd just hang a bolt into the filler opening, hooked to the positive wire. It wouldn't help with any rust that's behind the baffle, because, as someone put it, electrolysis is a "line of sight" process.

 

[wshytle]

Frank-

That's one reason I want to use a bad shut-off plug in the drain hole for the neg cathode attachment. That way that way the "bolt" or whatever is used will (should) get action behind at least the baffle on that end. Maybe soldering a piece of wire to the other end for the other baffle...I don't know about that or how submerged copper would work. If these methods were used and work satisfactory then the "line if fire" would be IN the tank as much as around it I would think.

I may work on one today if yard work allows time. The leaves are crazy here and I've already taken 23 loads to the woods. I'm settin' records left and right.

 

[fcurrier]

<font color="aa00aa">Wayne - we're gaining. Your mention of another baffle rang a bell, lit a lightbulb, and made me go check the 4 tanks I have readily available. There's just 1 baffle and it's on the opposite end from the outlet.

</font>

 

[kide]

Frank - And I'd be suspicious of the area where the baffle joins the tank.... Your anode could be a "J" shape or whatever, so that it extends laterally into the tank, even, if you're careful, to extend beyond the baffle...

 

[wshytle]

I think you're correct about the baffle on one side thing. I know the tank I'm doing now only has the one opposite the drain hole. It was a little breezy this am so I decided to clean the electrolysis tank, connections, and terminals and get started. It took me about an hour but I soldered a piece of heavy copper to a bad drain shut-off and made the anode out of a curved piece of 3/4" rebar which I have plenty of. I insulated it at the fill hole with three split pieces of garden hose and mounted a piece if wood for a stop to keep it off of the bottom. Here's a pic and you might be able to see the bubbling out of the fill hole...it's crankin'!

I used some romex for straps to suspend the tank completely under water. I also use a battery for a more constant flow of electricity and the charger is hooked to the battery. I'll give it at least 24 hours then the fun should start...how to get the rust out of the tank. I'm guessing I'll have to flush and flush for a while then I might do the "nuts in the tank thing".

 

[dfrisk]

Until you take one of those tanks apart you'd be surprised how they're made. They're actually three similar pieces all deep drawn and then some minor forming/punching operations done, then soldered together. The three sections are very similar in size and shape. The "Baffle" is actually the end of the middle section with just a few holes or slots stamped into it.

Once you have one apart (like I did pressure testing a brazing repair of a crack, one end flew over 20 feet) and see how they're made you might not be as keen on salvaging an old rusty tank. I was lucky I could still get a replacement 8 quart plastic tank when I had my old tank apart 10-11 yrs ago. It needed a new lower profile cap and some minor reworking of the filler neck but works great now.

Next tank will be a slightly modified 3 gallon deep sump tank like I had on my tractor before the 8 qt plastic tank.

 

[fcurrier]

Dennis: I, also, have seen the inside. Not pressure testing, but propane torch soldering one with fumes in it. Thankfully, I was standing off to the side (working on a pickup tailgate) or I'd probably be speaking in a much higher voice today. 20 feet is a fair estimate!

That's when I went to the dealer and bought a new tank. About 12 years ago and I think $75. Amazed to see a $336 price tag on one now.