Removing Oxidation From a Fuel Tank

Acid the tank then sand and polish.

 

nearly any truck wash, for an extra charge of course.

be carefull, the possibility might exist that there could be pin holes in that tank now too.

 

Just about any polishing shop will have it available to flash the tank before they sand it.

If you plan on doing it yourself you could also see what you can knock off with a putty knife or a wire wheel. I’d be nervous going to a truck wash and telling them you only want acid on that one tank because they’d probably get it on everything.

 

You can get acid off the internet or at Harbor Frieght..
I don't like using acid to clean aluminum myself ..Vinegar will clean aluminum just as well and not be corrosive as acid.. you can just sand it lightly with some 600 grit then polish it
If you had a band break I would be looking at the others closely too

 

Personally I hate acid ..especially on fuel tanks it's corrosive and if you band were rusty enough that 1 broke there's a fair chance you put acid where the band was you will develop a pin hole leak
I have cleaned aluminum with vinegar for years it's easier on the aluminum and way cheaper .. and a gallon goes along way when cleaning

 

I'm also a fan of starting off with vinegar. If you find it is not quite strong enough, you can dilute an acid with water . Just remember, always dilute by adding the acid to the water, and not the other way(water to acid) or a violent boil-over may occur. And don't forget your eye protection.

 

On older original not so easy to find replacement tanks it may not be advisable to disturb the pitted area too much. It depends on the depth and severity of the corrosion. Pin holes may appear now or later as vibration and weight of fuel work the thin spots. Unlike steel tanks Aluminum wears away every time you polish it. Some tanks depending on the manufacturer are pretty thin gauge already. Snyder tanks made for many of the makes and models over the years were the thinnest. Older Petes and White-Westernstars had the thickest. Can’t think of the tank supplier for them at the moment.
Best just to wire brush the loose stuff off and fill the pits with an epoxy like JB weld or an industrial surface epoxy used to fill cosmetic defects in castings. Polish the areas that will be seen outside the bands. Use a material like 2” cargo strap webbing or something that will not hold moisture for the abrasion strip. The oe rubber is the worst.
Some folks have soaked the webbing in use oil with pretty good results. Helps shed the moisture away from it. Does smell when it gets hot tho.
When you tighten up the bands only go as tight as needed to keep the tanks from rotating with road vibes and bumps. The bands can squeeze pinch the tanks tight enough to cause the bad spots to pin hole. Like a soda can that gets a crease in it.