Using Fertan help please

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Al2O3

Al2O3

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As part of my rebuild I needed a new fuel tank. I accidentally got a small amount of water in it and ended up with a small area of rust of about 8cm x 6cm. I poured some vinegar in and propped the tank up slightly so that it pooled over the rust spot. Under the pool went shiny, but everywhere the vinegar had washed turned rusty very quickly. I ended up with a lot more rust than I started with. Anyway, I was advised to pour Fertan in and so I have ordered some.
The problem is the instructions say to use a wire brush to rub the rust down first. I can't do that because it is enclosed in the tank.
The rust can't be that thick as it has just been forming since Sunday.
Will the Fertan work if I just pour it in?
Should I put sand and water in and swill it around to rub the rust down a bit?
I know that in reality these products are often never as good as their promotional videos show.
If you have experience of Fertan, what do you think? How should I prep the job then carry it out?
 
wire brush is to remove the the loose scale rust yours shouldnt be anywhere near that and just surface which fertan should check, i use vactan which is based on the same chemicals,seems to work for me
 
As JM says, the fertan will be fine as it is. Don't get sand in there - it's gonna get complicated! They also make a product called Ferpox which is a tank sealant, which is worth a look.
 
Ok, chaps. Thanks for the input. Didn't want to put sand in, but it's all I could think to try to rub it down a bit. Will just go for the direct application of Fertan. I've bought a litre.
 
Absolutely, so me even considering it gives indication of how bad the inside of the tank looks. Lots of videos on YouTube of people doing it mind!
 
Well, just put the Fertan in yesterday (No sand :))
It all went very black
DSC_0127_zpscd2r8t13.jpg

Left it overnight (24hours as recommended on instructions)
Then washed it out, again as per instructions.
DSC_0129_zpsb7uyzz8a.jpg

Looked great, but it's rusting up again as it dries
DSC_0141_zpsglrbnybx.jpg

It's better than it was though. I could give it another treatment?
 
Does seem strange, James, I know, but the instructions on the bottle say wipe off with a damp cloth or sponge or hose. I also watched this video before I used it.
 
Cheers, James. I'm going to give the Fertan another go. I've looked up the Vactan and it looks very similar to the Aquasteel I've been using. Milky white substance. I think it's more of a converter than a remover. The Fertan cost a lot of money, so I might as well use it. :)
 
What are we looking at here with the bare steel? The stuff that is black looks right, like its killed the rust properly, but the clean steel looks like it hasn't had any fertan on it at all?
 
There was Fertan all over it. See the top picture. I poured the Fertan in, sealed all the holes/pipes with duck tape then shook and rotated the tank for a long time to cover the inside.
 
Hi,
Fertan has been used on many thousands of tanks without problem so don't worry. The instruction to remove loose rust is really appropriate on accessible areas but not, of course, in small tanks. The process is dead easy, but it has several steps. First swill the tank with some panel wipe to get rid of any 'protective' oils or material within the tank, then give it a good rinse with warm water. Drain the tank for a couple of minutes and then heave in the Fertan Rust Converter. Slosh that about for 2 or 3 minutes until you're happy that everywhere has been reached then drain all that you can out and back into the bottle to use on another job. You'll find you've only used about 200ml. Keep the tank at house temperature for 24 hours and then fill it with water and let it stand for an hour or so. Drain and rinse a couple of times until the rinse water is clean and not brown. Initially it will be brown because more Fertan will have been left in your tank than was needed to convert the small amount of rust you have. In rust free areas it will have put down a coat of zinc phosphate and that will look just as though the metal is slightly duller than bright steel but where there was rust it will have done that underneath the rust and converted the rust into iron tannate and that area will be blue/black. Any queries, call me at Fertan. Lastly, just to clear up a misapprehension in one of the other replies... the only similarity between Fertan Rust Converter and Vactan is that both product names contain a word that ends in an.

Best wishes, Alan 02380 456600

Al2O3 said:
As part of my rebuild I needed a new fuel tank. I accidentally got a small amount of water in it and ended up with a small area of rust of about 8cm x 6cm. I poured some vinegar in and propped the tank up slightly so that it pooled over the rust spot. Under the pool went shiny, but everywhere the vinegar had washed turned rusty very quickly. I ended up with a lot more rust than I started with. Anyway, I was advised to pour Fertan in and so I have ordered some.
The problem is the instructions say to use a wire brush to rub the rust down first. I can't do that because it is enclosed in the tank.
The rust can't be that thick as it has just been forming since Sunday.
Will the Fertan work if I just pour it in?
Should I put sand and water in and swill it around to rub the rust down a bit?
I know that in reality these products are often never as good as their promotional videos show.
If you have experience of Fertan, what do you think? How should I prep the job then carry it out?
Click to expand...
 
Alan Thomas said:
Hi,
Fertan has been used on many thousands of tanks without problem so don't worry. The instruction to remove loose rust is really appropriate on accessible areas but not, of course, in small tanks. The process is dead easy, but it has several steps. First swill the tank with some panel wipe to get rid of any 'protective' oils or material within the tank, then give it a good rinse with warm water. Drain the tank for a couple of minutes and then heave in the Fertan Rust Converter. Slosh that about for 2 or 3 minutes until you're happy that everywhere has been reached then drain all that you can out and back into the bottle to use on another job. You'll find you've only used about 200ml. Keep the tank at house temperature for 24 hours and then fill it with water and let it stand for an hour or so. Drain and rinse a couple of times until the rinse water is clean and not brown. Initially it will be brown because more Fertan will have been left in your tank than was needed to convert the small amount of rust you have. In rust free areas it will have put down a coat of zinc phosphate and that will look just as though the metal is slightly duller than bright steel but where there was rust it will have done that underneath the rust and converted the rust into iron tannate and that area will be blue/black. Any queries, call me at Fertan. Lastly, just to clear up a misapprehension in one of the other replies... the only similarity between Fertan Rust Converter and Vactan is that both product names contain a word that ends in an.

Best wishes, Alan 02380 456600
Click to expand...
:)
Cheers, Alan.
Perfect timing! It's raining here now and so can't work on the Landy on the drive. Time to move in to the garage and treat the tank again. I will follow your instructions. It has gone black in most places, as you describe. One more treatment should get it spot on.
Thanks again.
 
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