Painting fuel tanks

[deadscoob]

What is considered the best paint to protect the tanks and the best method of preparation?

Have spent a while using the wonderful search function but not found anything....

Cheers

[Storer]

Not sure what is "best" but I used and acid etch primer after abrading with 240 grit random orbital sander.

This was followed with 4 coats of two-pack. The last coat was thinned by an extra 10% and blown on from about 2ft away to give an even metallic silver finish.

I am going to put a little heat insulation on the engine side of the tank too.

Paul

[Steve_D]

Gave mine a rub over followed by etch primer.
Then a couple of coats of Hammerite Stone Chip paint.
This was for the hidden faces only.
The faces into the engine bay are covered in the ali foiled GF insulation with foil edging.

Steve

[spatz]

why would you paint the aluminium at all ? To my knowledge it protects itself creating an oxide any time it gets damaged ?

[F.C.]

spatz said:

why would you paint the aluminium at all ? To my knowledge it protects itself creating an oxide any time it gets damaged ?

Correct, but looks nicer painted.

[Steve_D]

spatz said:

why would you paint the aluminium at all ? To my knowledge it protects itself creating an oxide any time it gets damaged ?

To a degree this is true it will form an oxide layer, rust for want of a better description. Anodising is just an enhanced version of this layer.
However, bare ali will have some degree of surface damage and these areas will rust more than elsewhere and for some reason continue to do so until they rust through. This will be enhanced in the presence of the salt they put on the roads here in the UK. Look at any sheet of ali left bare and you will spot the white corroded patches.

Steve

[GTR-TT]

Take them to someone that can powder coat (hot coat) them. Make them satin black. Holds forever and looks much nicer than spray paint. I don't know how it is in UK but in Sweden it's always less expensive to get powder coat then have someone to spray them. I guess it's because they make the black parts day in and day out so a few nice race car pieces doesn't make any difference at all in their work load.

[Storer]

The plastic wool used inside to baffle the tank may be affected by the heat needed for the powder coating process so I don't think this is a good idea for this component.


Paul

[spatz]

I have left my tanks in the ali they came and since I never drive in rain nor in winter, do not see too much of a problem, cleaning the raw ali is definetely easy to do.

[Steve_D]

spatz said:

...... cleaning the raw ali is definetely easy to do.

Not down the back or underside of the tank which is where the Factory say you should paint.

Steve

[F.C.]

Why would anyone paint the tanks black?
I'd have thought the last thing you would want to do is absorb heat in this area, especially with the proximity of the exhaust headers.

[spatz]

Steve_D said:

Not down the back or underside of the tank which is where the Factory say you should paint.

Steve

like using the pollock valve ?

[AndreasW]

spatz said:

like using the pollock valve ?

LOL


I would not paint them as well.
My tanks already were painted black when I bought my GTR and I do not like it.

But when they really should be coated, I would try it with vinyl wrap.
I guess a standard paint would not protect better.

[GTR-TT]

Storer said:

The plastic wool used inside to baffle the tank may be affected by the heat needed for the powder coating process so I don't think this is a good idea for this component.


Paul

Worked great for our three GTR's...