Painting steel gas tank

[Marc III]

I wire brushed one of my vintage 6 gallon OMC steel tanks and painted it with spray can engine enamel. I hoped that it would resist occasional gas being spilled on it. After three days in the sun I filled it with gas and on the way back from the station a little leaked from the float/connector fitting. The paint softened and some came off with a light wiping of a shop rag.

A google search for gas resistant paint was fruitless. What should I have used? Maybe an epoxy?

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Painting steel gas tank

Mark, Gas shouldn't soften any decent paint. Perhaps there was still some residual 2 cycle oil under the paint. Did you wipe it down with paint thinner before priming?