The power of "The Works" vs rust

[CodyRosa]

Hey guys, I was thinking as I was cleaning my gas tank tonight that.. nobody seems to go for my "The works" method. I decided to show some people my results. I have had better results on my other gas tank. This gas tank sat for literately 30 seconds and the picture is the result of it. Look at how rusty that rim is compared to the other part. Not bad for 30 seconds. Let it sit for 5 minutes and i bet it'll be silver like new.
161224161225161226 Look at that rust as I poured it out into my bathtub lol. There was about 3x that after I put more water in and shook it. Tomorrow i'll throw some washers and what not in there.

Now onto the gas cap. The piece where I actually took my time with. I didn't get a pic of what it was before but I'm sure you could guess.. RUSTY lol
161227161228161229

Well I let it sit for 10 seconds and most the rust just fell off. After 5minutes the last picture was the result.

I know there are a lot of good ways .. i.e. coke, vinegar and im sure more than that but I thought i'd show my favorite way. I only used one bottle for everything you saw there. Inside the gas tank most of the rust came off and most is weak enough to come off with a splash of water. One bottle is like $1.27 at walmart. I was in my bathroom for maybe 20 25minutes working on those.

If anyone has any pictures of their "The Works" working great please post pics! =D

Thanks for reading and hope some more try this solution to your rust problems!!

Cody R,

[DasUberKraut]

I may try that.

[CodyRosa]

It works great on bolts to but if you do it TO long for things like that it WILL take off the paint or whatever it is and it'll be a weird dark grey color and rust after awhile. My gas cap, tank will be fine though so don't worry about things like those.

MAKE SURE YOU RINSE WITH WATER right after so it stops the reaction. Don't let it touch any rubber seals. It didn't even take the paint off my gas cap to my surprise so that's good.

[DasUberKraut]

Do you dilute it or just pour in the bottle full strength?

[CodyRosa]

for the gas cap all I did was poured full bottle into a bowl and held it in there. Like hovered the gas cap over the works with my hand. Then flipped it over and dropped it in and let it sit in there. That's how i've always done it. You could maybe use it first with sosome bolts so its not as strong. It's normally blue and turns to a green when used. Really nasty greenish brown when its got a lot of rust in it. If it gets a bunch of water in it i'll start to not work so well.

[rosbornejr]

In the future I might have to try this method. You are talking about "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner correct?

[ebaccm26]

I have some extra KLT tanks I need to clean, usually I use vinegar but with the threads that have been posted lately I think I'll give some other methods a try. I'll post pics when I get to doing them.

[Big G]

Looks good Cody...especially that cap - it looks new! I have a couple spare 200E tanks that I've been waiting to tackle the rust situation on. I was going to use the vinegar method, but you make a good case for yourself here. So what section of Walmart would a guy find this stuff in? I'm thinking if I go up to a Walmart employee and ask them where "the Works" is, that they'll look at me like I'm a few bricks short of a load! Ha ha

[CodyRosa]

Thank Big G! and lol no i dont think they will. My friend walked in and bought 15 bottles... 15!!! lol but that was for bombs.. i took some and tried them on the rust. It'll sound weird but I find it buy the food isle lol like where the toilet paper is. At mine the toilet paper and all that is like the last isles buy the food in those cooler things lol.

DO NOT BUY THE THICK FORMULA it isn't the same.. i think its like a gel and not a liquid

And yes please EBA post some pics! I'd like to see others reactions. I will admit getting the gas tanks are hard to do. Make sure your petcocks are on (the rubber will get eaten alive lol) and the rubber off the gas cap. The only downside to this.

And if they tank is EXTREMELY bad and I mean really bad rust and you leave it in there for like 30minutes + it WILL make very tiny pin holes at the seems. At least it did for mine. Not the tank I did last night though. I also sanded mine with 40 grit paper right after lol so that didn't help.

[rosbornejr]

Cody,

You are referring to The Works Toilet bowl cleaner correct?

[CodyRosa]

Rosbornejr Yup! Just make sure its not the thick formula. I don't think that works. Maybe but I don't know. Here ya go.. i went and took a picture.

161240

[rosbornejr]

Nice... that's what I thought. I actually use that stuff on my toilets cause I'm on well water and have a ton of iron in my water and that shiz works!!

[CodyRosa]

to be honest... i've only used it for bombs.. bombs..bombs.. and rust hahahaha.. never tried it on my toilets. It's some powerful stuff against rust though.. amazing stuff.

[rosbornejr]

BOMBS?? I LOVE BOMBS (and yes I was yelling :twisted:) I have not seen "The Works" bomb though (I can google it if you do not want to discuss).

LOL.

[rosbornejr]

Just looked it up... LOL. Couldn't wait. So, what happens if you seal up the gas can while the works is in it? Or does it not have the same reaction because the tank is steel not aluminum?

[CodyRosa]

If you threw some aluminum in that gas tank... I would run.. run very far away lol.. Don't ever do that hahaha.. i use pop bottles.

[rosbornejr]

LOL... Getting back to the actual topic... Do you line your tank after you are done? I just did a whole Kreem treatment on my tank but was curious if lining it is even necessary if you keep gas in it?

[RPMRestorations]

Great method!

[CodyRosa]

To be honest I dont line it at all lol. once I put gas in it, it doesn't rust. I have SO MUCH condensation in my garage that when my tank was empty there was some in it(condensation) and it make like one tiny little rust spot.. smaller than a dime lol. After that it never saw another piece of rust again.

Thanks RPM! oh and welcome to 3WW!!

[kb0nly]

I have been using The Works for YEARS to do stuff like this. I was shown how to do it by another guy something like ten years ago at least. I was amazed and have used it ever since.

What i do though is to remove the petcock and put a cork into the hole, just a plain old cork, you can find them in the crafting isles at most big stores like Wal-Mart. Another thing that works good is a rubber stopper but The Works will eat it up and it will leak, so its a one time use. The plain old natural Cork's work best and they don't get eaten up. Then sit the tank over a bucket and fill it up full, depending on tank size it takes more than just one obviously. Let it cook with the gas cap off for a while, keep checking it, as Cody mentioned it will turn from Blue to Green and kind of a Brownish/Green, at that point the Acid is just about outlived its life. If you have a lot of rust around the fill hole get some plastic wrap or a garbage bag and put it over the hole and then wrap a couple good rubber bands around the plastic and the lip of the fill hole to seal it up, then flip it upside down on the pail so any leaking will just go into the bucket, let it sit again for a while, then flip it back over and pull the cork and let it drain into the bucket, rinse it good and your done. If there is still some rust put the cork back in, open up the top and pour the bucket back in and let it soak some more.

I rinse with lots of water, then i spray down the inside with some WD-40 and slosh it around and finally i fill with gas. No coating whatsoever.

[shadam]

I tryed the creem on a bike tank and was disapointed ...

[CodyRosa]

Wow Kb0nly.. great explanation! I will definitely try EVERYthing you said to do with that gas tank hahaha. I couldn't think of how to get that lip where you pour gas into. The cork is a great idea as well. Thanks!

Shadam.. I've never tried creem before.. what is it? A liner or something?

[just ben]

hydrochloric acid aka muriatic acid works great to remove rust and Etch steel which is the active ingredient in toilet bowl cleaner but how many dollar store bottles does it take to "fill" a tank as said above? why not spend 8 bucks on a gallon of the acid? Even cut at 15:1-20:1 it will work well. For the impatient like myself 10:1 works very fast. Thats 11 gallons for 8 bucks. The same result but a bit more cost effective.

[CodyRosa]

it would take a lot of bottles.. then again i wouldn't fill the tank full with this stuff lol.. very powerful and would probably eat your tank alive. I'd suggest 1 bottle and keep flipping the tank so it gets all the area's.

[rosbornejr]

Wow. Wish I would of known this sooner. I've been in the pool business my whole life and have CASES of muriatic acid laying around.

[kb0nly]

Usually when i have to resort to The Works its bad... And my local Dollar Tree store has them for like $1 a bottle, so i fill the tank up to get quicker results. I forget how many bottles it took to do the last one, 5-6 bottles. I don't mean filled to the brim though, i mean like filled up to the point that its over the hump in the middle of the tank so that you get that area good with it sitting on the bottom, then flip, so its more like 1/2-3/4 full, sorry i should have explained that part better.

It works though, thats all there is to it. I have tried the other methods, apple cider vinegar works ok but you have to be damn patient. This stuff you can go from rusty to riding in an afternoon.

[big specht]

Will the works take out old creem????

[rosbornejr]

No I don't think so. Kreem says to use part B of there kit to remove it but I can not remember the name of that chemical. You can get it at Home Depot though. Ill look at the directions in the morning and let you know the name of it. I just did the kreem liner on my tank. Now I wish I would have just acid washed it and filled her up with gas. Oh well.

[250sxman]

MEK or muriatic acid will remove the old Kreem lining. Just remember to remove your petcock and plug the hole or else you will be buying a new one. I just did this to my SX tank, I used muriatic acid, let it sit for about an hour, drain, rinse out with A LOT of water/baking soda solution to neutralize the acid, let it sit over the heat register in the house, re-lined with Redkote and called it done. Worked like a charm. This was my first time re sealing a tank and the Redkote makes it super easy.

[CodyRosa]

Kbonly that's what I did the first time. Filled right over that little hump and just tipped it over. What is kreem? Like that Redkote? just a liner

[rosbornejr]

Ya, just a tank liner. This is the 1st time I've heard of Red Kote. Sounds like good stuff.

[CodyRosa]

I heard someone say they didn't like it before.. maybe Kbonly? I don't even remember lol.

[quicksr20]

Thats amazing how well it works. Ive tried things like POR 15 but this is a whole new beast! On my way to Wal
Mart.

[Big G]

So Cody and Kb0nly, how long are you guys letting this stuff sit in the tank for? From what you're saying (pinholes, etc), sounds like it can do some serious damage if left in too long.

Also, Kb0nly, you mentioned about spraying WD40 in the tank after. Just wondering what the purpose of this is? Will the WD40 gum up the carb when the residue washes through with a tank of fuel?

[rosbornejr]

Will the works take out old creem????

Kreem's web site says to use Acetone or Methyl Ethyl Keytone. That is the same chem. as the part "B" step. According to everyone else, muriatic acid will work, but be careful.

[rosbornejr]

I heard someone say they didn't like it before.. maybe Kbonly? I don't even remember lol.

After using Kreem, I have seen some reviews on it about it peeling later down the road. If it happens to me, I will try the Red Kote or nothing. My 85 SX is 28 years old and this is the 1st time the tank has had to be treated. I doubt I will even be able to find an air filter in another 28 years.

[CodyRosa]

I think when mine made pinholes ( remember I sanded my tank right after with 40 grit paper so that could be why) about 40 minutes later. Now I let it sit for like 10, 15min. I think i've learned my lesson lol.

[70shaker6pk]

Wow, i cant wait to try this stuff. thanks

[CodyRosa]

No problem 70shaker! If you do parts like the gas tank and all of that make sure to run just a little bit of gas through it to stop the Works from doing its job. Plus it should stop it from rusting. My gas cap got a little bit of rust on the bottom due to holding water. Well water at that lol. So run gas through these things to get water out (if you even use water) and any left over Works and it should never rust.

[rosbornejr]

I've never tried these methods, but like explained, the main chemical in The Works is muriatic acid. You can get acid at any pool store or hardware store. In my opinion, I would cut it 50 / 50. Acid is cheap and if 50 / 50 doesn't work try it a lil stronger. Also, someone else mentioned using baking soda to neutralize the ph from the acid. THIS IS A GREAT IDEA!!!! Fill you tank w/ water and a cup or so of baking soda. It will neutralize the tank.
I'm in the swimming pool business and have to use baking soda every day for this reason.

[elevatorman]

Thanks Cody,good info. i will try it out.......

[CodyRosa]

No problem Elevatorman! Please post pics with results! Good luck

[250sxman]

So Cody and Kb0nly, how long are you guys letting this stuff sit in the tank for? From what you're saying (pinholes, etc), sounds like it can do some serious damage if left in too long.

Also, Kb0nly, you mentioned about spraying WD40 in the tank after. Just wondering what the purpose of this is? Will the WD40 gum up the carb when the residue washes through with a tank of fuel?

I believe it's to stop it from flash rusting. This will happen if you use the chemicals(acids) and don't neutralize them right after you drain the acids.

[Big G]

Well, I just got back from Walmart, and there's nothing on the shelf that looks like, or says "the Works" (thanks for posting the pic Cody, that made it a lot easier to know what I'm looking for). I'm in Canada, so can only assume it's only available in the States. Oh well, looks like I'm back to using vinegar again...

[CodyRosa]

I believe you that you didn't find it.. wanna know why? lol I go to google and first thing that popped up was something like "Where to buy the works in canada" haha. I'm looking for you right now where you should be able to find it. Not finding anything so far lol

[symfrog]

Thanks for all the info

[CodyRosa]

No problem, good luck if you try it!

[kb0nly]

Busy weekend, i see some questions were directed at me sorry for the delay in responding!

I rinse thoroughly with water, baking soda can be used to if you wanted to make absolutely sure its neutralized, but all you need is a few spoon fulls and some water to dissolve it in. The WD-40 spray down is to force the water out of the places like the corners and to keep it from flash rusting, just adds a protective coating until it gets put back on and filled with fuel, any WD-40 left in the tank will just wash out with the fuel and get burned, no harm to the carb or engine. WD-40 stands for Water Displacement Formula #40, it was the inventors 40th try at making it. Most people think its merely a spray lubricant, it does work in that regards, but it was originally engineered to displace water from metallic surfaces.

If your going to put fuel in right away you can even skip the WD-40, just rinse, neutralize, and then fill with fuel. The WD-40 however removes the step of drying before fuel and removes the period of time that rust could quickly form while your drying it out.

That stinks you can't find it in Canada... But you still should be able to find Muriatic acid easily enough, a pool supplies place or cleaning place will have it in gallon jugs. A lot cheaper than apple cider vinegar.

[Big G]

Thanks for the response kb0nly - you're always a wealth of knowledge!
But I just want to clarify one thing. I've heard a lot about this "flash rusting", and not exaclty sure what it is. I'm assuming it just means that the tank will start rusting right after the solution (the Works, vinegar, muriatic acid, etc) is removed from the tank and rinsed out with the water/baking soda solution. But my question is, how can it rust that quick if you fill it with fuel right after you drain the solution? What's "neutralizing", and what purpose does it server? The way I see it, you dump out the solution, give it a swish of gas and dump that out, then fill it with fuel. Wouldn't this work? Save the neutralizing with water/baking soda, drying out, adding WD40 steps...?

Sorry if you've already answered some of my questions in your post, but I'm just trying to wrap my head around the purpose of all this...

[CodyRosa]

Big G, That's exactly what I did and never got rust. I sprayed it with water about 3 times, pressure + water, filled the tank. Then put a little bit of gas, like 1/2 cup and swished it all around. Emptied that and filled it. Never got any rust. I would do the WD40 as that seems like it would neutralize it pretty good.

[kb0nly]

If your going to fill with fuel right away there is no harm in not using WD-40 to prevent rust, but you have to swish and dump because you will get water in the corners of the tank, especially towards the back. And with water being heavier than gas it will just sit there, it will get swished around when you fill the tank and then settle back out. I know the big ethanol fuel argument will come in here too, but all fuel has some water in it, thats not the point. The point is you have to wash the acid out, i wouldn't want acid going through my carb, it would eat it alive, and you want to make sure you get all the loose crud washed out anyway. So the best way is to neutralize the acid with a little baking soda, i have even heard of guys using a quart of milk, any good base will neutralize the acid, but that includes adding more water to rinse, so then you have to get the water out. Its just a vicious cycle.. LOL

I like using the WD-40 as a last step of just in case, doesn't cost much, doesn't take much time, and can safely mix with the fuel and burnt out. You can also neutralize, rinse thoroughly, and then dry it for a bit and fill with fuel.

I know it sounds odd, but flash rust can happen fast. I have taken a cleaned piece of metal and sat it down on the workbench for half a day or so and come back and its lightly rusted, bare clean metal will rust fast just from the humidity in the air.

[Big G]

Right on, thanks for clarifying guys...Guess I should've paid more attention in chemistry class!