i'm doin it right now let you know how it goes
- Corrective Action "E" (Electrolytic Rust Removal - aka reverse plating process):
There is a simple way of forcing the rust to plate a sacrificial electrode (steel or iron), but the process can take quite some time. Needed are a battery charger (a weak one will do) or other power-source (an old step-down power brick for an discarded electrical device will work if you slap a couple alligator clips on the leads), a piece of bare mild steel or iron as large as you can find that will still fit through the gas-cap opening without touching anything, water and washing soda (Arm & Hammer brand will do nicely).
Remove the fuel-tank sender assembly, the petcock, the gas cap assembly, and any other removable items from the gas tank. Seal up all the holes in the tank except the gas cap filler hole (using plastic or rubber -- do not use aluminum), so that it's water-tight.
Mix 1 Tablespoon of washing soda per gallon of water and fill the tank with the mixture (note: stronger will not accelerate the process, so don't go overboard).
Without plugging it into the wall, connect the battery charger or other power source as follows: positive to the mild steel or iron part, and the ground to the gas tank itself (such as to a screw that normally holds in the petcock). You need to make sure that the lead to the mild steel or iron part will not touch the tank's metal, so insulated wiring is smart.
Figure out how to support the steel or iron part in the tank without touching the sides or bottom, and without forming a grounding circuit to the body of the tank (a bit of nylon mesh attached to a plastic ring too large to pass through the opening of the tank will work wonderfully -- or some nylon twine tied off to something above the tank). Lower the metal into the tank and double check that it's not touching anything except the solution.
Now you're ready to energize the system -- plug in the charger. How long the process will take will vary with three factors: the amount of surface area of the metal piece being suspended into the solution, the amount of power running through the solution, and how much rust we're dealing with here. In particularly bad cases, you may have to drain/rinse out the tank every 12 hours, wipe down the metal, then start over. If the mixture looks like a dark red stew, definitely time to change it. You will also need to top off the mixture with additional water if the level falls, as the process cooks off water (electrically rips it apart).
