My Westinghouse generator has a large 6gallon metal tank. I fill the tank in the spring about April and empty it in the fall if I don't use it (6-8 months). I cycle in in new fuel and use the old fuel in my lawn mower or boat. I use Stabil marine formula (same as my boat) for this fuel but all of my other OPE has plastic tanks. I'm wondering if seafoam or MMO would be good additives to lightly coat the tank with the thin oils in it to prevent or delay rust in the tank.
Preventing metal tank rust
- Thread starter danez_yoda
- Start date
Both my steel tanked engines are stored full. The fuel in the genset has Stabil in it. It is a yr old. I started it with 2 easy pulls for Elsa Both tanks get dosed with MMO just 'cuz
If you're really concerned about rust, look into POR-15's fuel tank sealer kits. That company has two versions, one for car–sized tanks and one for motorcycle–sized tanks. The kits include cleaning agents and an epoxy sealer. I used the motorcycle version for the diesel tank on my old Mitsubishi grey-market tractor years ago. This is a permanent fix and it worked well on that tank.
There are probably other companies that make similar products, so do some checking. POR-15 is a good outfit, though, and I give this kit top marks.
Despite the oil content of diesel fuel, the inside of the tank was covered with rust. The fuel filter would foul after just a few hours' use because of rust sludge in the fuel line. Based on that alone, I don't know how much adding an oil product to the fuel in your generator is going to help with preventing rust long-term. I suspect condensation is a big reason for the rust, but fuels are corrosive to steel long-term anyway because of attracting oxygen from the air. Notice that rust in gas tanks is a common problem on older vehicles and equipment.
You will need to be able to remove the tank from the generator. Using the cleaners, etc., that come with the sealer kit and allowing them to dry will take some time. I'd allow a few days at least to do everything. Removing the tank allows you to pick it up, move it around, turn it upside down, etc. to coat the inside with everything. I ran a fan into the fuel tank opening to encourage drying as I used each product in the kit, but still leave it for at least a day for each step.
Hope this helps.
There are probably other companies that make similar products, so do some checking. POR-15 is a good outfit, though, and I give this kit top marks.
Despite the oil content of diesel fuel, the inside of the tank was covered with rust. The fuel filter would foul after just a few hours' use because of rust sludge in the fuel line. Based on that alone, I don't know how much adding an oil product to the fuel in your generator is going to help with preventing rust long-term. I suspect condensation is a big reason for the rust, but fuels are corrosive to steel long-term anyway because of attracting oxygen from the air. Notice that rust in gas tanks is a common problem on older vehicles and equipment.
You will need to be able to remove the tank from the generator. Using the cleaners, etc., that come with the sealer kit and allowing them to dry will take some time. I'd allow a few days at least to do everything. Removing the tank allows you to pick it up, move it around, turn it upside down, etc. to coat the inside with everything. I ran a fan into the fuel tank opening to encourage drying as I used each product in the kit, but still leave it for at least a day for each step.
Hope this helps.
For reference, here are links to the POR-15 products:
por15.com
por15.com
Fuel Tank Repair Kit
Purchase the POR-15 Fuel Tank Repair Kit to prep, repair, clean, and seal your automotive, farm, or industrial equipment fuel tank. Order now online!
por15.com
Motorcycle Fuel Tank Repair Kit
POR-15's Motorcycle Fuel Tank Repair Kit has everything you need to seal your bike tank and protect from rust, corrosion, and seal pinhole leaks. Order now!
por15.com
