Holy Rust Batman!!

This is a follow-up to my post about hesitation. At JDW's suggestion, I swapped out the fuel filter. JDW's right again.

I previously used Seafoam in the carb and in the tank, too. When I replaced the sending unit, I got a good look inside the tank. It didn't look bad, just a couple spots of surface rust. Now, less than one tank of Seafoam, the gas coming to the filter is rusty brown. What do I do now? Can I keep swapping out filters, or will this damage the engine? Can Seafoam work too well? Help!

Craig Kubiak
'79B

P.S. Cheers to all of you at MG2003! Give my best to Gary. It was one hell of a run! When people say things are impossible, it just means they'll take a little longer.

Sea foam didn't have anything to do with the rust unless it was being held in place by gum in the tank. No chance of that in a car that hasn't been sitting for years and was just filled with gas. It's just a cowinkeydink it happened when you put the Sea Foam in. There's no fix but to change the tank or clean it out and coat it inside. Other than that you'll just have to keep changing filters.

Chances are your tank is rusted at the top and you can't see it. If it set for a period of time half full it would have caused rust to form above the level of gas. If you have an inspection mirror that will fit through the fill or sending unit hole inspect the top of the tank. If you have rust, replace the tank. They aren't expensive and you will be done with the problem.

It really is a pain in the ass to coat one and get a good job of it. There's a funny baffle in there that looks kind of like a round deep pan and you have to tumble that thing like a cat in a cloths dryer to cover everything. Getting the rust cleared away is tougher still.

Tanks are too cheap to bother with it, I think.