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alright, so i had some tins powder coated. they look awesome, but the tank sealant on the inside got all f$%ked up after baking. i plan on stripping the inside and resealing it. a couple of questions for the powder coaters who hang out here,
first, is resealing the tank necessary?
two, what type of sealant is recommended?
third, what risks would i face if i didn't seal it?
If you sealed it once, then I'd say yes, re-do it.If you don't re-seal it, there may be some junk that could get loose in the tank and mess up the fuel supply. Did you get the tank pressure tested before you sealed it? If it holde pressure, then no need for sealing in the first place.
Grimm, your in for a big job cleaning all that crap out of the tank(s). I don't know of anything that will effectively clean that out without destroying the paint or powder coat. I never powder coat a tank with sealer in it for that very reason. Sometimes the customers get pissed but I'm saving them the hastle you're going through now. You may be better off using an acid etch to desolve the old sealer out then have the tank powder coated again if it gets messed up. Otherwise, you'll have to find a way to scrape out the loose sealer and vaccuum out the mess.
I personally think tank sealer is seriously over rated. Unless the tank is leaking and you don't want the added expense of repainting or powder coating the tank after having it welded, there's no need for a sealer. I know, I know... rust will form in the tank, right? You can prevent that. You will only get rust in there if you don't keep it topped off with gas. The moisture in the air inside the tank will condensate from temperature changes and cause rust. Eliminate the amount of air in the tank and you reduce or eliminate the problem. Use a good in-line fuel filter and replace it every time, or every other timeyou change the oil.
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