Update… Now that the tank has dried out it looks like new on the inside except for the end corners. There some crusty rust there on each end. It’s pretty solid stuff. I surmise all the rust was from the baffle. I realize now there is a pick up tube inside the tank. I can’t see it but I fed a wire through it and it seems to curve down to the middle of the tank. Is there a way to remove this to check it is intact? Or a way to test it.

@stovebolt-6 Rich, If the wire went all the way through the pick-up tube and tapped the bottom of the tank, you should be OK. The tube is soldered in place on the tanks I have seen so I wouldn't mess with it. If your tank looks pretty clean, I would think you can use it "as is" but with a filter or filters between it and the pump. I don't like tank coatings unless they are absolutely necessary.

Mike

I suggest taking it to a radiator repair shop.  Hey can pressure test it, clean it thoroughly and repair any damage discovered.  From my experience the $100 or so is cheap insurance.

Thanks guys. I was thinking of a radiator shop to make sure this is good to use. 

I will need to find one in rural Maine. Not a lot going on up here. 

the car still needs an engine so the tank will be empty a while. Might not hurt to have a shop look it over. 

thanks again for the advice 

@stovebolt-6 You may have trouble finding a radiator shop willing to boil out your gas tank. I had the tank of my 38 boiled out and was told afterward never again. I guess the decades old gas and crud that came out resulted in him having to change out his chemicals.

I had the gas tank of my '28 Canopy Express boiled out and coated 12 years ago by a local radiator shop. They charged $200 and I've not had any problems since (3000+ miles of driving).

I suggest looking for a shop that has been up and running for a looooonnnnng time so you have a chance of finding an old school craftsman there.

On a much smaller scale, I cleaned out an old motorcycle gas tank myself with good results. I put Dawn liquid dish soap in it with a bunch of stainless steel nuts and bolts and rotated it around for about 20 minutes. A fair amount of rust particles came out and after rinsing the tank out, the inside looked great!

You could do the same with your tank, but mount it on a cheap engine stand and hook up an electric motor to turn it around for you.

😉  Dean