Zinc Plating The Fuel Tanks

[Paul Coleman 363]

Has anybody ever tried zinc plating their fuel tanks? I know that POR do a solution that you can slosh inside the tank to try and seal the inside but I'm wondering if zinc plating may be an alternative? By completely submerging the tank in the plating bath it should plate the inside as well?

Paul.

[Paul Coleman 363]

Hmmm... looks like I could be the guinea pig on this one then!!

[trackmagic 4]

Paul,

No reason it wouldn't work. I would think that it would be up to the plater to see if it would fit in there tanks. It is worth an ask. I have had lots of stuff zinc and cad plated but mainly small stuff.

Good luck,

Jeff

[Carinbits 0]

Hmmm... looks like I could be the guinea pig on this one then!!

I made a steel petrol tank some years ago to replace the fibreglass one in my Ginetta G15. I took it to the zinc platers and they said that the inside would not get plated because the electrode would not have the "throwing power" to cover the internal surfaces. They also warned that the inner surfaces would corrode very quickly after plating, because they had been chemically cleaned prior to plating and would be bare. They were right. The outside had a nice even gold passivated finish and the inner surfaces were red-rust within minutes of the tanks being washed down after plating. So I wouldn't bother with plating if you are hoping to protect the inner surfaces from rusting.

[Vulcan Grey 235 1 Vehicles]

Yea that's the problem with electro plating. The current can't flow through the walls into the inner areas.

Might be possible to electroless nickel plate them, but you have to devise a method to get flow inside the tanks...

I had my suspension links plated with nickel-teflon to prevent corrosion after I modified them to be adjustable.

My rusty fuel tanks I coated inside with POR-15.

See my website for pics in the gallery under fuel tanks.

[Paul Coleman 363]

Thanks for the info guys Sounds like it's a no-no then and POR-15 is the way to go!

Cheers, Paul.