Hi.
It is remarkably easy to remove old Petseal, and it is sensible to do that rather than trying to apply something over the top of it as you don’t know just how well it is bonded to the metal of the tank. If you Google “Petseal Remover”, you will find the website of Potter’s Tankcare Products in Norfolk. He does a very effective Petseal remover that is very easy to use. It comes in a small plastic bottle that you just pour into the tank, make all the fillers and tap holes, etc., airtight, rotate the tank over and over a couple of times, and leave it overnight. The vapours are VERY poisonous, so do all this in a well ventilated place, outside if possible. In the morning you should find that the petseal has turned into loose flakes about the size of Cornflakes, which can be shaken and hosed out. You MUST wear rubber gloves and eye protection whilst doing this as the flakes will burn on skin or eye contact. It is also damaging to paintwork so you must protect the outside of the tank with some thick polythene, carefully sealed with duct-tape around the filler neck. Potters also do rust remover and ethanol-proof sealer, so you can order the lot in one deal. One word of warning….Make absolutely certain sure that your tank is free from any oil or grease contamination before using any of these products or they won’t work properly. Careful preparation is vital. Also, when ordering, don’t underestimate the size of your tank.
Brian
