echris 1,425 #1 Posted October 12, 2020 My question isn't about WH, it's about the Toro snowthrower I'm restoring in the Other Brands section of the forum, but I wanted to post here to see if any of you guru's have some input. The plastic gas tank on the Techumseh Snow King is badly faded. I'm wondering if anyone has experience with paint for plastics that resists fuel. I'm going to assume the answer is no, as back in the day most paints for plastic were not so great. Maybe someone knows of a modern product that works? I don't mind painting the tank black, just don't want to waste time if it doesn't hold up. I can get a new tank for ~$50, but it's a waste of money for a perfectly good tank with a color issue. You can see the UV fading below where the tank bracket was. Compared to the new paint. Any ideas would be appreciated. Maybe even help someone else out who's restoring a plastic WH tank. Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 65,106 #2 Posted October 12, 2020 Rust-Oleum 2X will certainly work on plastic and do it well. Issue is of course the solvent of gasoline. The tank on my Cinnamon Horse was several months before it didn't wipe a paint off if spilled while filling. It will hold up........ Eventually. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WHNJ701 4,164 #3 Posted October 12, 2020 I would just leave it as is 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
echris 1,425 #4 Posted October 12, 2020 57 minutes ago, ebinmaine said: Rust-Oleum 2X will certainly work on plastic and do it well. Issue is of course the solvent of gasoline. The tank on my Cinnamon Horse was several months before it didn't wipe a paint off if spilled while filling. It will hold up........ Eventually. So what you're telling me is my plan of action should be: Paint the tank with Rust-Oleum 2x. Do not use it for several months to let it REALLY cure. Which sounds about right to me because I'm not sure I can actually use that snowblower once it's done. I've fallen down this rabbit hole and I'm kinda making it into a museum piece. Thanks for the input @ebinmaine 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
76c12091520h 3,540 #5 Posted October 12, 2020 I do paint and collision repair for a living (30+yrs), any paint that you put on that tank that isn't hardened will wipe off the first time gas hits it (and may not stick well to begin with). A little trick you may want to attempt: thoroughly clean and flush that tank with lots of soapy water, and afterwards go at it (carefully) with a heat gun. Once you get just the right amount of heat on that plastic it will reflow the oils in the plastic and you'll be surprised how much the color comes back. Just be careful, there's a sweet spot between too much heat and not enough! 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SylvanLakeWH 24,815 #6 Posted October 12, 2020 I have used Penetrol on old fiberglass boats for decades... it takes the chalk fade right out for about a season... don’t know if it would work on this application but it certainly works well on fiberglass... Just rub it on with a cloth and let dry... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JCM 8,861 #7 Posted October 12, 2020 On WH tractors I usually remove the black fuel tank and clean them with Simple Green cleaner undiluted. It does a good job and once the rear fender is put back on it is sort of hidden. I know your application is a little different. JMO Good luck 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
