painting aluminum fuel tanks

You'll need to sand and prime them with zinc chromate primer. For cheap you could sand and wipe them down with vinegar then use regular primer but it probably wont hold up. Do it it right prime it with zinc chromate. Paint with Imron I believe it's a Dupont brand.

 

you can get a tank vinyl tank wrap for them---just have to be very clean before putting it on--or you can go all out and get a stainless wrap as well

 

Don't wrap them in stainless! Yes, it looks very nice but the tanks will not last very long. They will pit and leak.

 

what about priming them before the stainless wrap?---i can see the corrosion being bad with two disismialar metals if some protection isnt taken

 

IMHO--there are many ways to accomplish this--BUT if it were me I would have them powder coated professionally--powder coating has come a loooong way in recent years and offers as many colors etc--as paint and holds up much much better

 

Fuel tanks on a modern engine get very warm nowadays, One of the best power improving techniques is to add a fuel cooler on the return line. Painting or wrapping the tank, will block heat transfer. I have seen many trucks with a winter wrap that was made from a quilted product. Usually just to cover the front section.

 

I would agree with getting them powder coated otherwise DuPont has a etching primer that you could use to help bond the paint (Enron) to the tank.

 

I have painted a lot of aluminum and self etching primer is only good for small parts that dont see much abuse. I wouldn't use it on tanks my self. Painting aluminum is a 5 step process. First you need to clean it with a special cleaner made just for aluminum. The second is the most important. You need to scrub it with a special etching liquid and a scotch bright pad.(Just like sanding before painting. Don't miss anything) This liquid is made just for painting aluminum. The third is to rinse throughly with water. After it dries you need to prime it with an epoxy primer. Epoxy primer is buy far the most durable on aluminum. You need to paint as soon as the epoxy primer is dry to the touch. You do not sand the epoxy primer. Just paint over it. Usually about 20 minutes flash time before paint. Use a urethane type automotive paint. Single stage or base clear is fine. Duponts Imron ain't what it use to be. They changed the formula years ago to lessen the VOC's (Volatile organic compounds). Its still good paint but I wouldn't go out of my way to find it. All the current automotive paints are very durable. This will give you as durable of a finish as paint can give. With all that said tanks take a he!! of a beating and I do think power coating will hold up better. Bad part of power coating is the down time. You will need to send you tanks out and they will need to be completely drained and free of fuel. Hopefully you can find some one to do it fast and have minimal down time. You could do the paint your self in a day and reinstall the tanks the next day. The power costing will most likely be more expensive. Just a rough estimate of about $250 for the painting materials. Buy the way I use PPG products but all the paint manufacturers have the same type of products for painting aluminum. If you want the names of all the different products I talked about I can get them for you but it will take me a few days. I don't do it every day and I don't think I have any right now. Ill have to call my supplier and get them. Hope this helps.

 

What about rhino liner coating ?