How to Preserve metal tanks ???

[big specht]

I have some tanks that will get stored in a non heated building and was wondering what everybody else does to prevent rust in the tanks with out filling them all the way up with gas??

[El Camexican]

If you want to leave them empty you could try sloshing some diesel around in them, but I can't promise you it will last the winter. Two stroke oil would be my next suggestion.

[fieldy]

I have been spraying some lubricating oil in mine once in a while but just thought about storing some kerosene in mine for later use. That would work great right?

[big specht]

Yea I think kerosene or diesel would be better for the long storage than gas. I was thinking about spraying the inside with some oil too

[keister]

I buy WD40 by the gallon. Put it in a plastic spray bottle and use it for many things.
Anyway, I dump a few ounces of WD40 in my tanks, and slosh it around before I store them away.
It has worked for me.
When it comes time to put them back in use, make sure to rinse them out with gas thoroughly -- but you already knew that.

[ctk]

I hear to store on there side. Better for the seams to prevent moisture. I dump fogging oil in my tanks that are in storage

[big specht]

Where do you get fogging oil? That's what I'm looking for somthing like that

[350for350]

I bet you could get some at a PWC dealer.

[ctk]

Any marine store. I’ve seen It at auto stores. They have aerosolcans or just liquid
Bass pro
Cabrlas
West marine

[110 atc]

I fill my spare tanks with drain oil. Been filled for years with no problems and won't go bad like gas.

[big specht]

Yea it will work like diesel. I thought about using diesel cause when ever I decide to use the tank I can just dump the diesel in the tractor and burn it or on a fire

[El Camexican]

I can tell you what doesn't work and that's motor oil mixed with gas. I did that in a very expensive gsxr tank that still had the equaly pricey fuel pump in it. Left it sit for about 5 years, but sloshed the mix around every 6 to 12 months. Then one day I removed the cap to take a peek and found the inside of the tank covered with brownish red scale. Pulled the pump and found it gummed up with the same crud. I still don't know it it can ever be cleaned up, it seems some corrosion occurred as well. Never again.

[Rob Canadian]

I thought you wanted to store the tanks dry? No gas.

Why not mix gas and a fuel stabilizer and leave them full? Is this because of the poor quality of gas now a days? Ethanol gas content?

[fieldy]

I thought you wanted to store the tanks dry? No gas.

Why not mix gas and a fuel stabilizer and leave them full? Is this because of the poor quality of gas now a days? Ethanol gas content?
I've been hearing gas will be ok in a metal container for a year untreated and that treated gas will last 90 days in plastic jugs. Hot and humid 30 days on ethanol gas. Whats everyone been hearing or knowing?
Above i stated kerosene may be a good choice but now that i think more my kerosene heater tanks have always been rusty as anything. Hmmm.... must have stored it dry a year for that to happen? Now used motor oil is sounding like the best way to me.:wondering

[86T3]

If you're storing them dry I would think fogging oil would be a great way to preserve them.

A couple things I have learned about filling them with gas, which I always heard was the best way to store them:

1) If you put some oil mixed in with the gas it works well, but if you have a terrible memory like me you will wonder why the perfectly running machine you put away in the fall now smokes like a banshee. Yes, this actually happened to me this year.

And 2) we all know that water is more dense than gas, right? So the water will be at the lowest point of your tank? The bottom side opposite the petock will most always have the water, that's why so many of our pristine looking tanks start to leak at the a seam. I thought I had a mint 200s tank, after learning this from my friend I drained it at saw rust in that exact spot. Looking at the inside of the tank from directly above you'd have thought it was mint.

So what will I do? I plan on running some dry gas through the system, getting the fuel level as low as possible, and then filling it back up with non ethanol fuel with a little 2 stroke oil. I hope this helps.