Red Kote fuel tank liner?

[maquette]

I'm cleaning the rust out of my EV tank and wondered if anyone has experience with Red Kote sealer? Seems like you clean the tank, swirl around the Red Kote, let it dry and use the tank. I've heard of some other sealers, but this one sounds simple, it it's effective.

Thanks,

Tom

[Perazzimx14]

If the tank leaks after cleaning then think about getting its soldered. Only use a line IF the tank leaks and you have exhausted all other feasable fixes. Liners are a problem waiting to happen.

The application is the simple part. The prep is the hard and most important part. You need to have the tank interior spotless, grease free and etched so the liner can properly adhere. I miss applied liner will casue you lots of heartburn.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

If the tank leaks after cleaning then think about getting its soldered. Only use a liner IF the tank leaks and you have exhausted all other feasible fixes. Liners are a problem waiting to happen.

The application is the simple part. The prep is the hard and most important part. You need to have the tank interior spotless, grease free and etched so the liner can properly adhere. I misapplied liner will cause you lots of heartburn.

Not all sealers are created equal. Red Kote was always one of the better sealers and didn't need a lot of prep to do the job. However, I don't have any experience with it since gasoline has been reformulated. I do know they changed the color at one point to blue(!) due to the red dye leeching out.

Personally, the only one I trust is Caswell Epoxy Gas Tank Sealer. Comes in clear, red and black. Red is easiest to apply simply because you can see where you've covered and where you haven't. Prep is very easy, no acid etching, only acetone to clean and drywall screws to rough up the surface. Of course, care must be taken with the acetone, but it's still much less mess and toxic than acid etching.

The first tank I did with Caswell was my Gravely garden tractor's, nearly 6 years ago. It sets year round with (10% ethanol) gas in it and has zero signs of any deterioration. The inside is still smooth like glass and a light amber color. I've done three other (motorcycle) tanks since and all of them are still in service without any issues.

[Triple Jim]

Personally, the only one I trust is Caswell Epoxy Gas Tank Sealer.

Right.  I've heard nothing but positive reports about that product.  It's phenolic epoxy, and it may be possible to find a less expensive source, but the Caswell version does the job well.

[kirb]

I don't think it can get easier than Cadwell. The prep to make some of the others work can be much more involved than the epoxy. I have a friend with Red Kote tank from a P.O. that has the red leaching out and causing a bunch of problems. I'm a fan of liners that are not impacted by our ethanol rich fuel.

I've used this kit and had very good luck with it going on 5 years.

[Triple Jim]

I did some reading about epoxy for tank lining.  Industrial storage tanks for various petroleum products, including gasoline, are usually lined with phenolic epoxy these days.  It's very chemical resistant, and nothing in the current gasoline blends bothers it.

[Rough Edge racing]

 Cadwell is a very good product....But there are failures and not all of them are from careless procedures. One tiny area inside the tank that's not prepped will cause the sealer to fail.. I repair motorcycle fuel tanks using the usual welding, brazing and or soldering depending on the situation. Once a steel tank has been sealed...and if it starts leaking again it's hell to get out the old sealer....And a tank that's been sealed cannot be welded until all the sealer is removed. As mentioned sealer is a last resort and usually done to avoid a tank repaint job... The sealer inside a large storage tank done under supervised condition cannot be compared to bind sealr job inside a bike tank in my opinion...
 

[scotzo]

Rough Edge makes some good points, I  have however done 2 tanks with Casswell sealer, one was a recoat of a failed Kreme coating that I had to remove and the other was just rusty, no leaks both are still doing well.

[Hymes Inc.]

I used Red Kote on the tank I made last year and my dad has used it on others. You would be surprised at the size of hole that stuff will seal. Worked very well for us even with little prep.

[jetmechmarty]

Red Kote is a solvent based sealer.  I have not used it, so I'll leave it at that.  I did have to remove a failed liner and it was a messy job.  I didn't know what it was, so I tried removing it with paint stripper.  That didn't work, so I cleaned it out and dissolved it with acetone.  I derusted it with resin rust busting media, followed by phosphoric acid.  Finally, I installed a Caswell liner.  It worked great for me.  As luck would have it, the liner failed as soon as I had the tank painted.  A friend of mine had a bad experience with the Caswell liner.  I believe he tried to do it in the cold.

[jabberwocky]

I have used it on two tanks. The first one was on my RD350, which had a leak, and the RedKote fixed it. It held up through the three years I had the bike after the repair. I still see the guy who bought the bike from me, and I don't think he's had any trouble with it either. I etched the tank with CLR before doing the liner. Then I used it on my T3's tank, as a precaution, and it has held up fine too. It's cheap, and it works as advertised. It is simple to use, and not terribly demanding with the prep work.

[Petrus Rocks]

Do all these liners work on fiberglass as well?

[wymple]

I find Red-Kote to seal better than anything else, and the stuff is tough as nails to boot. It sticks to anything. I will take no chances with anything else.

[Triple Jim]

Do all these liners work on fiberglass as well?

I know the Caswell sealer works very well on fiberglass tanks.  I have a customer's lined tank in my shop now, and it looks great inside.  I also know a guy who manufactures fiberglass tanks, and he lines them with it before shipping.