Several years ago I asked for some suggestions on cleaning a rusty gas tank. This was for an old dirt bike that I rode as a kid and I wanted to get it running for my kids. I tried several "metal restorer" products but I wasn't getting anywhere with it and I ended up letting it sit for years. Well this past year I decided to finally get this sorted out. What worked best was simply filling it with vinegar (Jim B nailed it) which is cheap in a 2-pack from Costco or Sams. I'd let it sit for a day or two, dump out the nasty brown mess and start over. Eventually it cleaned up really well. After neutralizing it with some baking soda and water it was ready to go back on the bike. Checked the spark, changed the oil, and this weekend I fired it up!
Pic of the tank before I started cleaning it:
Video of it running:
I thought I took a photo of the tank after cleaning it but now I can't find it. I'll get a pic and add it later.
Hearing that thing run brought back a lot of memories. I wish I had finished this earlier though. My daughter could have ridden it when my parents first brought it out to me, but after 7 years of procrastination now even my son is too big for it. But he'll still get to ride it. I even took it for a spin. I need to fix the shift lever, the bolt that clamps it to the gearbox shaft is stripped out.
Next summer I'll be shopping for some used bikes, and figuring out what to do with this one...
70's Indian dirt bike
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Eric
- Posts: 892
- Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2001 11:00 am
- Location: Gilpin County
70's Indian dirt bike
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