SCG Classic Car Forums Archives

synthetic oil
Posted: 2005-02-04 09:58:53.0
Posted by: korgman
I have a '56 Ford that I'm restoring. It has 39,500 miles on it, but there is some minor rust issues. Should I use synthetic oils (and/or grease)? I want to protect the drive train as much as possible.

synthetic oil
Posted: 2005-02-04 14:32:54.0
Posted by: ljcarguy
Sure, you can use synthetic oils and lube products. Synthetic transmission/differential fluids work great and don't deteriorate while sitting. Synthetic engine oil has the benefits of not getting viscous when it's cold and longer overall lubrication life.

turn signal problem
Posted: 2005-02-04 10:23:13.0
Posted by: charles
I have a '65 Mustang and the turn signals won't cancel. I replaced the canceler and it still won't work. What else can I try?

Charles

turn signal problem
Posted: 2005-02-04 14:30:21.0
Posted by: ljcarguy
Are you sure the little pin in the wheel hub is there? It's supposed to hit the canceler arm and spring it to return. If the pin is there, check your upper steering shaft bushing for looseness. If it's got too much play the turn signals won't cancel.

brazing
Posted: 2005-02-21 11:04:19.0
Posted by: charles
My cousing does metal sculpting using brazing. Would it make sense to use brazing for body work? I think it's a cooler process and doesn't tend to warp the metal as much.

Thanks
Charles

brazing
Posted: 2005-02-21 14:46:29.0
Posted by: ljcarguy
There's no compelling reason not to use brazing, as long as it isn't used where structural members are being joined. Brazing isn't quite strong enough for subframes, etc. If fluxes are used they must be cleaned carefully, or later on the paint finish may suffer bleed-through or pitting.

What tools are the best?
Posted: 2005-03-07 11:44:51.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
We received an email asking what tools are best for the car restoration hobbiest: Craftsman or Snap-On.

This, of course, is a personal decision. Each set of tools has its own "feel" and features that you may find more suitable to you. However, we feel that for the hobbiest, the Craftsman tools serve perfectly well. One of our primary criteria for selecting good hand tools is that they have an unlimited warranty. If it breaks, you merely return it and the retailer will replace it free of charge. Both Craftsman and Snap-On (as does Kobalt and others) offer this warranty.

Snap-On tools are a bit pricey and they may have a greater variety of tools available. But for the hobbiest, we don't feel that paying the extra cost is justified.

SCG Staff

Square Holes
Posted: 2005-03-14 20:50:15.0
Posted by: donada
I am in the process of rebuilding a car door which requires welding some pieces to the inside. I will be snapping the door panel on over the welded area. The problem is that the panel snaps are rectanguler and I am not sure how to make rectangular openings on the new pieces being welded on. I would appreciate any suggestions on this matter. Thank you. Donald

Square Holes
Posted: 2005-03-15 06:34:39.0
Posted by: ljcarguy
You can go to a steel/iron supply company (most cities have one outside town) and buy any of a large assortment of punches. These are available in either plier-type or hammer type and come in square, rectangular, triangular and other shapes and sizes. You can also go on the internet to tool and die suppliers to find the same thing. Hammer-type punches are quite inexpensive.

MERCEDES RESTORE
Posted: 2005-03-16 15:49:26.0
Posted by: NMTL
I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has experience in the R&R of the dash cover on my 1975 Mercedes SLC. Thanks. DW..

MERCEDES RESTORE
Posted: 2005-03-20 09:17:19.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
Your dash cover was vacuum-formed to the raw dash. Taking it off, especially if it's cracked and stiff, requires careful peeling of the old material and padding, assisted with a heat gun. Recovering can't be done the original (vacuum) way by home hobbyists, but you can put on a layer of foam (foam centers have every material available) with contact cement and then stretching and forming new vinyl over that, using contact spray or brush-on. We find that the cover can be initially stretched over the dash and held in place with clamps or spring paper clips until the fit is acceptable. Then glue small sections at a time.
We're going to be doing this type of project on the site in a couple months. Our T-Bird dash is covered this way.

Surface Prep
Posted: 2005-03-19 20:50:53.0
Posted by: themicks
I am curious,what type surface finish (i.e. 100,120,150,220 grit etc.)is optimal for good primer/paint adhesion with the 2 stage(base coat/clearcoat)finishes? Barry

Surface Prep
Posted: 2005-03-20 09:15:45.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
We find that 220 or 320 sandpaper gives plenty of "tooth" for primer to adhere properly. More aggressive grit leaves scratches deep enough to require more filler-primer. Once the primer and intermediate coats are applied we block-sand with 400 and then surface-sand with 600 or 800. The color coat then won't show micro-scratches. Color-sanding or clear coat sanding is done with 1000-1500 grit.

more painting ?'s
Posted: 2005-03-20 18:12:51.0
Posted by: themicks
Here's another ? pertaining to painting. I have heard conflicting theories on wet sanding the color coats of the 2 stage paints.It would seem to me if you wet sanded before laying down the clear,it would give the the finished product a deeper,richer gloss.Have you heard any reasons why not to wet sand? Barry

more painting ?'s
Posted: 2005-03-21 06:31:36.0
Posted by: service
Most painters don't wet-sand the color coats on base-clear finishes because the clear hides most of the flaws in the color coats. There's nothing wrong with wet-sanding the color, however, especially if there are runs or a bit of dust is embedded in it. As for giving the final finish a richer, deeper gloss: maybe or maybe not. Since so much of the depth and gloss depends upon the clear itself, most people wouldn't notice the difference. A smoother, flatter surface on the color coat will only give an overall richer depth if the clear coat is also sanded and buffed to a high level.

head gasket question
Posted: 2005-03-28 11:55:03.0
Posted by: Fredrick
I recently removed the heads from my Packard and the gasket appears to be in excellent condition. Is it acceptable to reuse the head gasket, or is it a must to always replace it with a new one? I don't have a problem buying a new one, just that this one looks to be fine.

Thanks
Fred

head gasket question
Posted: 2005-03-29 06:53:22.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
Reusing head gaskets is risky unless you're in the process of reassembling an engine and you put the gasket in the wrong way. In cases like that you are removing the head before total compression of the gasket takes place and little harm is done. Once the gasket has "taken a set" it is not likely to do so if removed and reused when the heads are replaced. Coolant and compression leaks are so probable that it's not worth trying to reuse the old gasket.

removing silicone
Posted: 2005-03-28 11:58:09.0
Posted by: 56chevyguy
I'm getting ready to replace the seals on my 56 Chevy. What's the best way to remove the silicone without damaging the paint?

removing silicone
Posted: 2005-03-29 06:58:30.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
There is great probability of damaging the paint while removing silicone, whether it's cured or uncured. In commercial applications, lye dissolved in tetra hydro furan is used to remove
cured silicon but the caustic nature of the chemicals will certainly harm the paint.
General Electric's Sealants & Adhesives website has information on removing cured and uncured silicone, but it cautions that it is extremely hard to remove. They give step by step instructions for removing silicone sealant on different types of surfaces such as wood, tile, etc. They recommend using mineral spirits and rubbing alcohol which are less abrasive than the stuff used by the commercial methods, but will probably take longer to dissolve. GE's step-by-steps rely on patience and hand-work to speed up the process.

heater core problem
Posted: 2005-03-28 12:01:09.0
Posted by: eddy
what would cause my heater core to make a gurgling sound? It doesn't leak and heats ok.

heater core problem
Posted: 2005-03-29 06:47:48.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
Heater cores gurgle either because there is air in the core or a control valve is causing cavitation. Air is usually the cause, for the simple reason that the core is typically higher in the car than the top of the engine and air gets trapped there. The fix is simply to take off the radiator cap and start the engine, letting it warm up to operating temperature. The air will work its way out the top of the radiator eventually, although the expanding coolant might rise up and out also, so keep some rags handy.
If air isn't the problem then the control valve is most likely clogged or partially open, causing cavitation in the flow of the coolant. This creates a gurgling sound that can be heard right at the valve with a stethoscope.

speedometer is off
Posted: 2005-03-29 12:53:58.0
Posted by: podunk
What's the best way to adjust my speedometer? It constantly reads 5 or 6 mph too high.

speedometer is off
Posted: 2005-03-30 06:13:32.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
This is a common problem. In fact, it always was a problem but most people ignored the fact that the speedometers read non-linearly (that is, they were correct in certain ranges and not in others). There's nothing you can do in this situation. However,if your speedometer is consistently reading 5-6 mph too high the chances are you have the wrong speedometer drive gear in your transmission. You need to get the proper gear for a specific rear end ratio. Another way to "fix" that sort of problem is to change the size of tire, but it involves some calculations. A third way to fix the problem is to take the speedometer apart and bend (ever so carefully!) the indicator arm.

voltage regulator problem
Posted: 2005-03-30 09:45:32.0
Posted by: Jeff
I'm rewiring my 39 Pontiac and the new voltage regulator only has terminals for bat, F, gen. All documentation shows another terminal for ign. Where should I put the wire that is supposed to go from ignition to the regulator?

voltage regulator problem
Posted: 2005-03-31 06:51:38.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
The ignition wire should go to the "bat" connection, since putting it at the "F" (field) would cause it to turn off when the battery is charged and on "gen" might put too much current into the wiring. If your engine keeps running when you turn off the ignition switch you'll have to find an alternate wiring approach.

etching primer
Posted: 2005-03-30 10:35:14.0
Posted by: Van Meer
Do I always have to use etching primer? If the surface is not too smooth, can a primer/filler do the trick by itself?

Thanks

etching primer
Posted: 2005-03-30 14:33:12.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
Etching primers are the safest way to go, although primer/filler should - under reasonable surface preparation conditions - work fine. What you want to avoid is the paint "lifting" due to the primer not adhering to the bare metal. Be sure to prep the metal surface correctly just before shooting the primer.

etching primer
Posted: 2005-04-01 17:24:51.0
Posted by: Van Meer
The etching primer I use lays down a really transparent coat. Does the etching primer have to have a heavy coat to do its "etching" thing?

etching primer
Posted: 2005-04-04 07:06:18.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
Not really, but most etching primers have instructions that tell you to lay down two coats. This makes sure all metal surface is really covered and gives a little leeway to lightly sand before the intermediate coat.

What type of primer to use
Posted: 2005-03-30 22:10:27.0
Posted by: ginette.harrison
I am planning the restoration of a 1951 Ford truck. I want to sand blast, fix and prime each body panel before reassembling it. It will probably take a couple of years before I am ready to put on the finishing paint. I live in a cold climate, the primered parts will have to stay outside or in a non-heated shed. What would be the best type of primer to use, epoxy primer or anti-rust paint like POR-15 with its special primer that can be covered with any type of finishing paint?

Bernard

What type of primer to use
Posted: 2005-03-31 06:53:14.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
We prefer epoxy primers because of their resistance to weather and chemicals. They are slightly less expensive than "rust encapsulators" like POR-15 and we feel they are easier to work with, especially when sanding later on.

engine specs question
Posted: 2005-04-01 15:40:25.0
Posted by: Jonathan
I am new at car restoring. I was looking at some of the engine specs on your site and was wondering why they changed from positive ground to negative ground in so many cars in the 1956 year. I know that a lot of cars went from 6 volt to 12 volt at that time, but why the polarity change? Is there some advantage to this?

engine specs question
Posted: 2005-04-03 07:43:12.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
The switch to negative ground was more a case of convenience than necessity. A particular device (motor, lamp, etc.) can be designed to operate either way with no disadvantages. Europeans favored positive ground and North America favored negative, chiefly due to the never-ending debate between physicists and chemists. Current flows from positive to negative in the former science and reverse in the latter. The major reason for the standardization to negative ground is that it makes more intuitive sense for most people.

how do I fix my paint
Posted: 2005-04-02 13:21:30.0
Posted by: wildchild
I just painted my 52 Ford with a 2 stage paint and missed some body work. After touching up the body work, what's the best way to go about fixing the paint?

how do I fix my paint
Posted: 2005-04-03 08:11:09.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
By "2 stage," do you mean enamel + catalyst or base + clear? In the first case you can mix up some new paint and touch up the area, feathering the new material out beyond the edges of the repairs. Assuming the meteorological conditions are roughly the same as when you first painted the car, the repaired area should blend out well.
In the case of base + clear, you'll have to sand an area well beyond the repair, preferrably to the edge of a panel. Shoot the base coat and then spray clear over a much larger area. Blending clear is a little easier than with color, so you should end up with an invisible repair.

how do I fix my paint
Posted: 2005-07-01 13:53:33.0
Posted by: turboed-mav
I know that DuPont (and probably other large paint manufacturers) sells a special clear cote reducer/thinner for this specific need.

Ask the guys at the automotive paint shop what they know about these products. I once asked and the guy at the shop said these reducers work by allowing some more time to the curing process and he said they contain a bit more oils to help with the blending of the repaired spot and the rest of the body part which was already painted.

bead blaster
Posted: 2005-04-03 17:39:30.0
Posted by: Mercer
I just got my first bead blasting cabinet. It came with 4 nozzles, 4-1/2 mm, 5mm, 6mm, and 7mm. How does pressure affect the process? How do you determine what size nozzle to use? What is a good all-round media?

bead blaster
Posted: 2005-04-04 07:04:32.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
Bead blasting nozzles come in different orifice sizes to allow for different media. Fine beads use smaller nozzles, etc. Sand grains are large, so the 6 or 7 mm nozzles would be used in that case. Air pressure isn't the big issue, but air FLOW is. The cabinet instructions will tell you the required flow rate in CFM. Your compressor will need to maintain pressure, of course, but its tank capacity will be critical. Also critical is the size of air line to the cabinet. Use 3/8 or 1/2 inch line to it.
As far as media is concerned, we normally use sand. If you think about it, abouot 95% of the parts you put in the cabinet are rusty, dirty suspension components, housings, brackets, wheels, etc. These don't have surfaces that require perfectly smooth finishes normally, so the sand makes the work go quickly.
We hand-strip delicate pieces because it's too time-consuming to remove the sand and replace it with glass beads, shells, etc.

4 way flashers
Posted: 2005-04-06 10:49:42.0
Posted by: mo64chevy
I have a 58 Chevy and want to install 4 way flashers. What's the best way to do this?

4 way flashers
Posted: 2005-04-09 06:15:22.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
Back in the 60s, four-way flasher kits for retrofitting any car were available in auto parts stores. Today it's a bit harder to find such things, but if you search the internet you'll find flasher wiring components/kits are offered by hot rod and truck supply companies. You might not find a specific product for your 58 Chevy, but certainly something can be altered to fit.
The only other choice you have is to create your own flasher by adding a 4-pole, double-throw switch to your existing turn signals. There isn't room to give step-by-step instruction here, but we'll consider doing an article about it.

thin metal
Posted: 2005-04-08 09:32:00.0
Posted by: JimmyK
I have found a couple of rear fenders for my 54 Chevy pickup. They're rusty, but there's no rust through. The metal is very thin in several areas, though. Can these be saved? and what is the best way to do it.

thin metal
Posted: 2005-04-09 06:07:01.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
If the metal in a rusty area is very thin the only effective way to fix it is to cut out the area, allowing a comfortable outside margin. Before doing so, cut a patch of new metal to the shape and size of your anticipated repair, then trace it onto the fender. Cut out the exact shape and weld in the new piece.

lathe
Posted: 2005-04-18 14:29:28.0
Posted by: Rocky
I've been toying with the idea of buying a small multi-purpose drill/mill/lathe. Does anyone have any recommendations?
Thanks

lathe
Posted: 2005-04-19 03:39:40.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
We discourage buying multi-purpose machinery, for the simple reason that the time required to set up various configurations rapidly forces the owner into converting it to single purpose. Also, this type of machinery costs quite a bit more. You can get an acceptable benchtop drill press for less than $120 and buy a milling attachment for its work table (about $50. In all likelihood, you won't use the milling feature often enough to spend more money.
As for a lathe, we recommend a small one (3-inch max diameter work area, approx. 24-inch bed length) for making little fixtures and turning odds-and-ends for your projects.
Sears, Harbor Freight and other tool supply places offer reasonable deals on such things.

Obtaining a Title
Posted: 2005-04-20 17:10:12.0
Posted by: jtseaman
I recently bought a 66' Ford Thunderbird from California without a title. I live in Michigan and will need to obtain a Michigan title for the car. I've been told that I can do what's called a "lien sale" which would allow me to get a title. I'm not sure how to go about doing this and what the process is. Can anyone help?

Obtaining a Title
Posted: 2005-04-21 05:49:05.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
According to the Michigan government website (www.michigan.gov) you have to contact the out-of-state seller of the vehicle and have him obtain a title for his state so that you can then transfer it to Michigan. Or else, according to the site, you can post a surety bond for twice the value of the car to obtain a Michigan title. They're pretty light on the details. There's a link on the site for getting assistance. Here's the URL: http://www.michigan.gov/sos/0,1607,7-127-24451-37656--F,00.html

Obtaining a Title
Posted: 2006-03-22 13:57:57.0
Posted by: doctormap
I don't know if it's going to be much help to you, but I also bought an old car that turned out to have an invalid title (went to some other car). I have read on internet sites that you can obtain a good title from the state of Alabama (I guess they want your money, and don't care too much about details), and then you can easily transfer the title to your home state. I think it costs $150 or thereabouts to do this.

head stud problem
Posted: 2005-04-21 15:11:04.0
Posted by: Mercer
I tried drilling out a broken head stud. I center punched it, then used reverse bits when drilling it out. I kept enlarging the bits by 64th of an inch until I could see threads just starting to show through. Unfortunately, I missed the center mark by less than 1/16". I can see threads just at the surface on one side of the hole and the other side has material left to cut through (I'd guess somewhere between 1/32 and 1/16 fo an inch). What do I do next to get these studs out?

head stud problem
Posted: 2005-04-22 02:48:20.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
There are a few things you can do at this point, but the most effective is to use a tapered threading tap of the correct size and gently work it into the hole (after liberally lubricating it). Take it out after each few turns to remove the shards of the old stud. Another technique is to heat the metal in the hole with a torch until red hot. The pieces should dislodge enough to work out with a dental pick.

project suggestions
Posted: 2005-04-23 08:00:27.0
Posted by: John.oddettes
I've been reading a lot about car restoration and I'm about to jump in. What do you think would be a good beginner project? I probably have average mechanical ability and I'm in no hurry and intend to do it right.

John

project suggestions
Posted: 2005-04-24 04:31:04.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
While it makes sense to look for a "beginner" project, it would be a mistake to buy some car arbitrarily. Many restoration projects end up unfinished because the owner wasn't all that interested in the car from the start. You've got to choose a car that fascinates you on some emotional level, no matter what that might be.
Having said that, we would recommend you look for a small, two-seat sportscar as your first project. Find an MG, Sunbeam, Triumph, etc., that you might have always wanted when you were in school. These cars are inexpensive and easy to work on. Alternatively, Mustangs, Corvairs, Falcons and Dodge/Chrysler compact cars are relatively simple, and parts are cheap.
Stay away from exotics and full-sized luxury cars. These can quickly become money-pits.

foggy glass
Posted: 2005-04-28 10:58:49.0
Posted by: charles
The glass in my car is in pretty good shape, but there's fogging around the edges on some of the pieces. Is there anything I can do to fix that?

Thanks
Charles

foggy glass
Posted: 2005-04-28 11:26:23.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
Unfortunately, there isn't a decent way to fix this problem, or at least we've not heard of one. The fogging is due to the deterioration of the plastic inner membrane and it's irreversible.

1961 Powerglide Transmission
Posted: 2005-04-29 09:04:02.0
Posted by: donada
I have a 1961 Chev Impala 6-cylinder with the two-speed powerglide transmission. I want to check the shift linkage and throttle linkage and make necessary adjustments. I found some information on the turboglide and was wondering if this was the one used with a the 8-cylinder engine. Would the steps involved with checking and making the adjustments be similar? Thank you for the help.

1961 Powerglide Transmission
Posted: 2005-05-04 09:30:48.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
The turboglide was indeed used on the V8 cars and then nearly everything as the years went by. The powerglide was a two-speed transmission and the turboglide a 3-speed. Adjustments were very similar with both, but you should contact an online transmission rebuilding company (www.phoenixtransmissions.com and others through the search engines). These sites generally give technical information on installation and adjustments.

Starting a long sitting engine
Posted: 2005-05-08 14:01:20.0
Posted by: jmacfa1
I want to restore my fathers 1966 Galaxie. It's been sitting in his garage doing nothing for the past 20 something years. On occasion I've sprayed penetrating oil on top of the pistons and turned it over manually to keep it from seizing. My question is what preparations should I make before attempting to start this sleeping beauty, to be as kind as possible to the engine and transmission.

Any guidance in the right direction would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance

Starting a long sitting engine
Posted: 2005-05-09 03:19:14.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
You've done the right thing all along by turning it over occasionally. Before starting it change the oil and filter (preferably synthetic) and also flush the cooling system. Replace or clean the spark plugs and crank the engine enough to ascertain you're getting a good spark (if not, replace the points). If gas is left in the tank/lines/pump you should disconnect the line at the pump and blow the old fuel back into the tank, then drain it. Replace the fuel filter and put in fresh gas.
When starting for the first time, don't set the choke. Just crank the engine in 5-10 second bursts for about one minute to get some oil pumping into the lifter galleries (cranking continuously will overheat the starter). Once you've done that, set the choke and give it a little gas and it should start up. Once running, leave it on fast idle (1200 rpm or so) until it warms up.

vent window glass
Posted: 2005-05-17 12:47:31.0
Posted by: Chet433
I want to install new vent window glass. What's the best way to remove the glass from the old frames? What do I use as adhesive for the glass?

Thanks
Chet

vent window glass
Posted: 2005-05-18 03:55:16.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
It's easy to bend or break the frames when removing old glass. One way to make it easier for the glass to come out is to soak the whole assembly in warm, soapy water for about an hour to break the adhesion between the glass and the fiber liner holding it in. Afterwards, we find the glass slips out more predictably if you slide a very thin knife blade (utility knives work best) between the glass and fiber.
As far as adhesives, we use new glass lining fiber (your local auto glass shop has rolls of it and will usually give you a few feet) and window sealant. The sealant comes in tubes and can be bought at auto parts stores. Don't use much, just enough to create a film between the glass and fiber and also inside the chrome frame. Tap the frame around the glass with a rubber hammer.

Oil Bath Air Filter
Posted: 2005-05-20 13:13:22.0
Posted by: NelsonG
Is there anything special to restoring an oil bath air filter?

Oil Bath Air Filter
Posted: 2005-05-21 03:35:28.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
Not really, but you do have to make sure there are no pinhole leaks due to rust. Also, you will need to get all the oil residue off the surface of the metal before refinishing it. An acid bath will do the trick, as will immersion in hot water with Drano crystals dissolved in it.

1966 Ford Thunderbird interior color help!
Posted: 2005-05-23 16:46:02.0
Posted by: jtseaman
Hi,
I am restoring a 1966 Ford Thunderbird and am changing the interior color to black. I'm using the SEM Vinyl Dye product but am not sure what finish to use. The black comes in gloss, satin, and Landau. Does anyone know what the Landau finish is? I will be buying new seat covers and would like the parts I'm dyeing to match. Thanks.

1966 Ford Thunderbird interior color help!
Posted: 2005-05-24 04:06:10.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
First off, don't dye the interior pieces before receiving the new seat covers. You might have to have the dye custom-mixed to match the new vinyl, since many repro fabrics don't have the same color tone as originals.
Most auto manufacturers used a low-gloss vinyl for their interiors, usually a "satin." We're not totally sure, but we think the Landau refers to a particular black color as opposed to a degree of gloss. You might contact SEM to find out, and don't forget that they will custom-match a color to your vinyl sample.

painting my engine
Posted: 2005-05-31 12:50:21.0
Posted by: Patrick
i am getting ready to paint my engine and transmission. the blook is stripped down and on a stand. what's the steps should i take before painting the engine. is there any particular paint that works best on engines?
Thanks

painting my engine
Posted: 2005-06-01 03:30:41.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
Painting engines isn't all that difficult. The most important thing to remember is to get the block oil/grease free. Prime it with etching primer. This helps prevent rust and paint adhesion. Any "engine paint" you find at auto parts stores will work well, as will most any automotive paint that can take temperatures above 250 degrees F. Ordinary enamels will lose gloss above that temperature.

Cleaning out my gas tank
Posted: 2005-06-01 14:02:03.0
Posted by: FGW
I need to clean out my gass tank. It doesn't leak but has a lot of junk in it. My local radiator shop wants $250 to do it.

Cleaning out my gas tank
Posted: 2005-06-02 03:34:36.0
Posted by: SCG Staff
This is a messy, tedious job that produces toxic waste. If you have some way of disposing of the petroleum/rust/water/soap solution when the job is done, it's no big deal to clean a tank. Otherwise, let the radiator shop do the work or, better yet, buy a new tank if you can get one for $250 or thereabouts.

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