New member frim middle TN.

[Daniel86]

Hi new to trikes here i have a 1986 Honda 250es big red. She is in bad shape last owner let her set out untouched or loved for atleast 10 years. Seat is all gone but for the pan. Does not runand a very bad tank alot of rust. Plans are new tank and left rear fender and a new carb. The choke lever on the controls is bad the metal pin the lever pivots on is rustd almost into. Got her for free so putting some money in her doesnt bother me. Sorry for the long post but could talk forever about her. I will post picks as soon as i can get some.

[Ghostv2]

If the tank isnt too bad you could always put apple cider vinegar in it for a couple days and that will remove the rust. After you do that and it begins to leak you would always seal the inside of the tank. There is a few different products people use, KREEM is one i remember and i think POR-15? Just search for the threads and youll find a lot of better information than i can give you. If you want to keep your carb there is a member on here you can send your carb to and get it cleaned and rebuilt. I saw other people highly recommending him, but you could also give it a try yourself first. ( i found the member, FlyingW)

[JasonB]

throw some pics up, sounds like you have some work to do! welcome to the boards, dont hesitate to ask questions either! all of us have been there

[Joseph Farrow]

Welcome from the Left side of the State!

[Daniel86]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]180498[/ATTACHshe is a diamond in the rough.

[Daniel86]

Can you use white vinegar instead?

[MNhondaguy]

I've heard of people doing I believe salt water with leads from a battery trickle charger in the water. I have used muratic acid, works fast and efficient. half hour from my experience. Another method is to remove gas cap, petcock and put marbles or mancala bead things in the tank, tape over holes, wrap in big poofy blankets just small enough to fit in the clothes dryer, tape blankets up, and run on tumble, no heat, for awhile.

[Ghostv2]

Never heard of the dryer method. Neat idea. But I have no clue about other types of vinager. Could probably look it up on here, I'm sure someone asked the same question.

[auto5man]

Also Welcome from West Tenn. Yes you can use white vinegar as well, but the apple cider just seems to work a little better. I know the vinegar thing sounds crazy but I have used it on several rusty parts and its really effective, but you have to be persistent. For a lightly rusted tank it will be easy, for moderate rust you will have to add something abrasive (I like the metal pieces idea so you can use magnet to help get them out) and shake in between soakings. Quite a bit of info out on the web of people showing demonstrations of this. I will say I was skeptical at first, but quite amazed at the difference.

And I would try the dryer thing in a heartbeat if I had an extra dryer to dedicate for this purpose, cuz my wife will kill me if I used ours for that, lol.

[kb0nly]

The Apple Cider Vinegar is the way to go. I have cleaned tanks for ATC's, lawnmowers, boat tanks, you name it. Fill it up an soak a couple days depending on the rust buildup. Its safer than other methods, less chance of damage. You just have to get it flushed and filled with fresh gas when your done to prevent flash rust, or soak it down good inside with WD40 if its not getting gas right away.

The white vinegar don't work nearly half as good in my opinion. I compared them once, took the tank with white vinegar a couple extra days to even get it decently clean, but then i filled it with Apple Cider Vinegar and another day and it was spotless. Its just more acidic and cleans better. Do it somewhere warm, room temp, fill it up, put the cap on so it won't evaporate, and then let it soak. I use a coffee filter in a funnel and empty the tank through that to strain the apple cider vinegar, not only to reuse it again but also to see what kind of stuff i am getting out. I usually get a few soaks out of it then filter the crap out of it and pour down the drain, does wonders to clear drain pipes too, then toss the filter with all the crap in the garbage. Its environmentally safe as well!