clean the plastic fuel tank

[Calabrio]

I'm not confident that my front tank is clean, so I think I'm going to drain the tank, remove the tank, and hopefully clean it. This way I'll be 100% confident that there is no chance of contamination from this tank. When I bought the bought it was full of some funky gas.<br /><br />It's a 25 gal plastic tank. It has the standard small holes in it for vent and fuel, and I guess I'll be able to open the slightly larger fuel sending unit hole. <br /><br />How do you suggest I clean this? Is there a product I can use? Can I just use hose pressure to spray into it, and shake it up real good? Are the plastic tanks simply to clean?<br /><br />And, when I put the tank back in, do I need to do anything special? Since I might have run some crappy gas through my outboard, is there anything I can do or add to make it up to the engine?

 

[ZmOz]

Re: clean the plastic fuel tank

I wouldn't think it would be a very good idea to do that unless it is REALLY REALLY dirty. Just put a gallon of gas in there and shake it around, and find somewhere to dispose of that. If you've got a fuel filter (and you should no matter what) and you fill the tank with fresh fuel, you've got nothing to worry about. If you cleaned it out with water if would probably be very difficult to get all of the water out.

 

[cobra 3.0]

Re: clean the plastic fuel tank

How much gas is in it now? If there is a lot of it, I'd put in some carburator cleaning additives and maybe a small amount of methyl hydrate to pick up any water that might be in it. And just run it. Change your gas filter afterwards if you want.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: clean the plastic fuel tank

If you are going to run it, be sure to bring plenty of fuel filters in case it plugs them up while you are running it out. The chemicals will free up all the sludge and bring it to the filters and it doesnt take much to plug them.<br /><br />If its easy to take off, I would do it that way.<br /><br />Ken

 

[Wellcraft 89]

Re: clean the plastic fuel tank

Here has been my approach in the past.<br />If you don't wish to take the tank out <br />I use "GUM OUT" .I think its made by Bardahl.<br />Dump a couple of containers in that tank with fresh gas and run it .but as stated bring plenty of filters with you .<br />Please be careful when changing filters around hot engines.<br />If you want to take the tank out and have time to clean and let dry .do the same use gum-out with a little gas enough to just cover the bottom of the tank.plug the holes in the tank and let it sit outside ,Not in the sun outside somewhere for a few days. Then becareful and dump the contents someplace safe.Then I wash with a keroseen and then let dry.<br /><br />Be careful of static electric charges when doing this with poly tanks!<br />Rich