Gas Tank Cleaning?

Drop a couple feet of light duty steel chain in it, and rig it up in a paint shaker...

Chain and roofing nails. Strap it to a concrete mixer and let it run. I’ve had good luck with mutator acid but I’d be hesitant to try it while wanting to save original paint.
Mc carbs and manifolds can be a pain to seal up. Inspect the intake very close.
Dreams were very cool bikes. Good save👍

If you’re going after varnish only, not rust inside the tank. don’t use the chain or nuts and bolts or anything just use a degreaser, citrus-based to start with. I use a chemical called Powertune by Mercury/ Quicksilver that is very good at cutting varnish. Get it at a Mercury outboard dealer.

The chain, ball bearings, rocks etc... idea is good for old tractor gas tanks but you don't want to use that on a 305 Dream gas tank.  They are square with lots of corners and you could easily damage it, they are waaaay too collectable for that.  I would not use muriatic acid either but I would not be afraid of acetone or lacquer thinner.  Neat looking old bikes, should be a lot of fun, enjoy. 

Ok, thanks. I guess a parts store would probably have the gas-resistant O-ring? 

I would say that if it won't idle then the idle circuit in the carb is plugged. Have you had the carb apart and cleaned? After that many years of sitting the same varnish in the tank is in the carb passages too. Is this 2 stroke or 4 stroke. If it's 2 then cleaning the carb is not up for discussion. It's mandatory. As for cleaning the tank I just use hot water pressure washer. The time required to clean depends directly to the amount of varnish and water temp. Ours gets nearly to boiling. I had to wear insulated gloves to tip the tank over to drain out!

you gonna put a mud tire on it?

Creston: Harleys are nothing but “hound dogs” I see the pansy owners of them letting them ride in the back of pick ups all the time If they were truely a motorcyclist, they’d be in the saddle

Stan IL&TN wrote: Another option would be to just add an inline fuel filter and just add gas to the tank.  In theory over time it should dissolve the old stuff and if any flakes off you will have the filter to catch it before it gets to the carb.  I have restored a couple of 70's Hondas and cleaned and sealed the tanks but didn't have to worry about keeping the paint intact.  You will be running some risk using any chemical unless you are very careful.

Thanks Stan. I need to do a little cleaning at least, as the fuel peacock is full of junk I believe. It was very hard to open/close, and when I got it open, nothing would come out. I’m going to try and remove it, but I just hope it’s not stuck on too bad. Don’t want to break something getting it off. Fuel filter idea is good, as it doesn’t have one right now, although I’ve been told the fuel stem in the tank has one built in?

Between me, my two brothers, and my Dad, we currently own 125 motorcycles, and have had numerous others in the past.  And one heck of a lot of them had varnished up and rusty tanks.  Have tried all most all the methods previously mentioned, but the one we prefer is to take the tank down to the local carwash, and use the powerwasher and spray out the inside.  You have to keep working the tank around to different angles, and letting water out of the tank, but that blast of water will rip the rust and varnish right off.  Wear old clothes and pick a warm day because you're going to get wet.

Stan IL&TN wrote: If the fuel petcock has a small bowl on it then it should have a small round screen mounted in it.  On the 70's Hondas anyway.  After the small bowl is off then you will see the petcock mounting screw which holds the petcock to the bottom of the tank.  Again that is for a 70's Honda so it might not be the same on the Dream.

You know, I've heard guys say E10 or even E85 (use E85 for soaking only) will eat up varnish. I always figured it would do the opposite and clog things up, as I've heard it's hard on engines and carbs that sit for long periods of time. I never usually buy E10, especially for things that sit, but if it will work for cleaning the varnish out, I will give it a try! 

Tbone95 wrote: Creston, when you get that one done, you can take a vacation up here to MI and get my '71 CB 500 Four running good.  3 squares, a queen bed, heck, I'll even let you keep an eye on calving.  And I got a daughter.......but be a gentleman!

Edited by CrestonM - 30 Mar 2018 at 10:49pm

I got my gas tank all cleaned up nice a few years back.  I started with the nuts trick to knock the bigger looser stuff off.  I bought a kit of stuff called Kreem I think it was...clean, etch, coat the inside of the tank.  I think I did something good, but maybe not.  The project sort of died off after that.  A buddy owed me a bartering favor, and he was supposed to clean the carbs.  He sort of halfassed it and it ran for a little while then the floats stuck and flooded it.  I had friggin' gas pouring into the air cleaner before I limped home (from the parking lot across the street!)  Sighhhh.....I sure wish I could get that bike in good shape.

I had/still have a IIRC a 1974 750-4,, good runnin machine back when I was in the motorcycle gang  lol... haven't thought about it much til now ...its dust covered in the back of the barn....