What Kind of Paint to Use for Oil Tank?

[IAN]

I have removed, cleaned and repaired the oil tank for my 1972 911 T.

What kind of paint will I have the best results using?

I want to make sure the finish protects the tank but does not insulate it.

Thanks,
Ian

[Mike Kast]

I can tell you what I did. I don't know how much it insulated it but I was concerned about rust. I por15ed it primed it and painted it with normal gloss black paint. It's holding up really well 7 or 8 months later.
I guess if I was to do it again I might just use the black por15 to lower the mill thickness of the paint on the tank but I don't run hot. And I don't think the tank gets hot enough to require heat resistant paint. I don't think the heat resistant paint is as tough as normal paint anyway...
There is a lot of unproven opinion in this post so I'm curious to hear some more ideas too...

[Jim Sims]

Wurth Rustguard Black sold here at Pelican; best to spray it (dilute with lacquer thinner). Before that, coat (brush on) the seams and joints with Corroless available from Eastwood. Unless you go overboard, the paint thickness is not a significant issue. The biggest impedance to heat loss is the natural/forced convection to the air not the conduction through a few .1 of millimeters of paint.


Tank painted with Wurth Rustguard Black:





Jim

[J Smith]

Seriously...Who's car is that clean!!??

That looks really nice Brian!!

[Mike Kast]

so far... I like the powder coat idea. I wonder if the powder is more durable than por15? double blind taste test anyone???

[IAN]

Doesn't powder coating insulate???

I thought insulation=hot tank= bad??

[zotman72]

Well I just had my 72 oil tank out for patching. It went to a radiator shop where they "tanked" it first and then patched it by brazing. My returned tank was quite devoid of the factory black paint before I painted it and the copper clading was showing. What I did was first wipe down the whole tank with a prepaint cleaning solvent. Then spray painted it with a gray rustoleum undercoating paint. Finally I gave it two coats of VHT flat black. Looks good but not spectacluar like the other fellas pics. The best part is that it does not leak! Worst part is that the oil level sender is probably bad or funky. HTH

[Mike Kast]

Originally posted by SoCal911SC
brand new tank a few days later. Can't beat that!

I think you right. I need to find one around here. My problem, I'm getting better, is wanting to do it all myself...


My car is always this clean... I keep it in my living room

[Mike Kast]

Hey Brian (SoCal911SC)
I was just looking at your car and profile, It is clear you are a VERY sick man! lol
Is your house that clean?

[RoninLB]

Randy Webb used a thermal dispersant on his oil tank.

[Jim Sims]

Okay, I'll bite. What is "thermal dispersant"? Heat scattering compound? Sounds like advertising "bling bling".

[Mike Kast]

Originally posted by Jim Sims
Okay, I'll bite. What is "thermal dispersant"? Heat scattering compound? Sounds like advertising "bling bling".

LOL!!! Hey Jim, where can I see pictures of your whole car? Looks sweet..

[Jim Sims]

It's my son's 73.5T; three year project together while he finished growing up - age 16 to 19. I enjoyed it so much I bought a 1976 911 to drive and work on; hope to get Brad to paint mine this summer.

Brad and his '73.5T


Jim

[Mike Kast]

I had to loose the anal wife

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by Jim Sims
Okay, I'll bite. What is "thermal dispersant"? Heat scattering compound? Sounds like advertising "bling bling".

Who knows ?
Randy did his research, for sure..

I searched dispersant & Randy Webb and mucho threads turned up..
party hearty

[Randy Webb]

thermal dispersant coating is what I had done by a place in Portland - might have been Finishline coatings. Google it up and do a search here - I posted on it. But I have not collected any data (trying to figure out how to hook up a 901 trans so engine is not in car). The coating co. was not able to explain it too well. It is possible to create such coatings (My PhD is in applying heat transfer analyses to birds and mammals, so I have a fair amount of knowledge on these related things).

The poster above is correct re convection being the important thing. But the plasticy coating on powder coats is rather thick, so there might be a pretty fair increment by using eitehr thin paint or a therm dispersant coating.

[Early_S_Man]

Ian,

On the morning just before you are going to do the painting ... thoroughly clean the tank copper surface with a kitchen cleaner called ZUD ... it really cleans printed circuit board material well prior to etching! Let dry, then wipe down with laquer thinner.

PPG DP-90/401 two-part black epoxy primer works really well ... a couple of coats one day apart. Touch-up will be required every year or so ... even the factory baked enamel wasn't impervious to stone/gravel damage, and anyone who has cleaned an oil tank knows that!!!

[c2 rower]

Are those cars actually driven?