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Soaking solution for inside air compressor tank?

mrpizza

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Nov 1, 2011
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2,935
Location
IL
How much grease do you have to pump into the tank to get the pressure up?
 
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All

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Mar 28, 2013
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606
CNG.... USA.

metal4130... With a new tank, yes I would be quite satisfied, but I already paid well over $1,000 for this tank, after testing the drain to find the water sparse and crystal clear. It ***** to be me (and stupid). I can't change me, but I can change stupid, and learning all of the foregoing (lessons reported for all to see as I learn them) is my attempt to fix stupid.

What had happened was, a semi porous concrete like mixture of compressor oil blowby, water, and corrosion built up and blocked the drain passage, which is quite small with original factory petcocks (first thing I changed once compressor came into my possession). This concrete like mixture both retards and FILTERS the water that eventually passes through it, which can mislead even fastidious tank drainers into believing they have very little condensation collecting inside their tank, when in fact they might have a gallon or two or twenty trapped above the blockage, that is filtering and restricting what little does manage to drain.

This was an expensive lesson for me to learn, but now that I've learned it, you and everyone reading can learn it for free, on me! I managed to catch it quick enough before severe damage was done. But it took some effort and investigation... and a great deal of "dissatisfaction" in the form of skepticism every step of the way. This is why, perhaps, it may appear that I'm not satisfied. If I were easily satisfied, I would have assumed that everything was good at draining of the tank, with a clear dribble of a few ounces. I wonder how many others have a false sense of confidence about the condition of their air receivers based on the output of their tank drain?
 
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All

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Mar 28, 2013
Messages
606
I don't intend to use ANY grease. I intend to use water, pumped via a grease gun.
 

chicane

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May 24, 2007
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553
Location
Central Virginia
Ok, I have read all of the threads o this and it seems that the consensus is to just leave the tanks alone. I think few if any people have actually use some sort of coating.
 

FMC1959

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Joined
Feb 9, 2014
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2,305
Location
Montreal, Canada / Upstate NY
Years ago a mechanic told me he puts about half a gallon of Prestone in his tank and leaves it in there. Never drains the tank. About once every 18 to 24 months changes the Prestone in the tanks. When he changes it, it still has its nice green color.

I did this to mine when he told me about 13 years ago and my tank seems fine, compressor/tank is 15 years old. No issues so far, anyone see a big negative in doing this?
 
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uscarry45

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Oct 21, 2012
Messages
295
Look up eastwood.com they make a product for cleaning rust out of antique car gas tanks. I would use that.
 

dkmc

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Joined
Jan 20, 2008
Messages
948
Location
NYS--Upstate in the corn fields
Years ago a mechanic told me he puts about half a gallon of Prestone in his tank and leaves it in there. Never drains the tank.

Thats a really interesting idea.
I wonder what the negatives are??
What could vapor from the Antifreeze hurt?
For one.....prolly would be bad for spray painting.
Other than that..........???
 

66dave

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Joined
Nov 28, 2010
Messages
197
Location
Boise!
Yeah glycol will make your paint fisheye like crazy, also the flashpoint of it undiluted iis 240...what is the output temp of that pump? Also glycol is toxic, you want to blow off the kids with that when they are done helping you in the garage?

Why not just on an auto drain? Put an IR one on my system 5 years ago (80 gal 23cfm) holy smokes wish I did that a long time ago. As others mentioned the petcock is a small orfic and gets pulled up, leaving you think the system is dry when there is a gallon or two of water in it.:beer:
 

dataman1100

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Joined
Dec 30, 2013
Messages
7
Location
Texas
Ok, I have read all of the threads o this and it seems that the consensus is to just leave the tanks alone. I think few if any people have actually use some sort of coating.

Well, I am one of the fools that has gone to the trouble to seal my tank. Still have not got the compressor back together yet. It was a new 30 gallon tank and I wanted to preserve it from rusting. After much trouble removing the initial oil carry over out of the tank. I did get it done. The oil was from the compressor test the factory did.

First I used lacquer thinner but it did not get it all. I then used a 48 hour soak of 5 gallons of purple degrease and water. Flushed and filled for hours, brushed spots through little holes and filled and flushed more. Played water cannon game in my back yard. 55 psi water tank will shoot 60 feet out of an 1-1/2" hole for a few seconds.

2 different sessions of Bill Hirsch tank sealer and I have a nice white sealed tank. Who knows if it will make it worse or better. After going through weeks of trouble to do it I will not do it again. (At least that is what I am saying now.)
 
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