Cleaning the Fuel Tank

[9533Zero]

Rebuilt the carb, dipped and cleaned the manifold, so now I'm working on the rest of the fuel system. I removed the tank today, a 24 gal aluminum box with plenty of redish gunk in the bottom. What's the best way to clean it? Am I crazy to consider sprayin it out with a garden hose, as long as I dried it thoroughly? Thanks guys!

Steve

 

[salty87]

Re: Cleaning the Fuel Tank

dumping old gas?...not so great for the environment, probably against the law

drain it and run it thru your lawnmower, add some to each tank of fresh gas.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Cleaning the Fuel Tank

Go and get a whole bag (100-150) new nuts say 3/8" or 1/2"....... these are your abrasives to use inside the tank. Pull the sending unit and remove everything. Get some cleaning solution and put a little in the tank with the nuts and shake shake shake until your tired and then do it again. Pour the whole mess out. If a nut gets trapped a magnet on a string and a few shakes will recover it fine in an aluminum tank.

Let the tank dry out, reseal your sending unit and lines and your done.

Be sure on re-installation that you bed the tank properly and cleanly so it is supported, solid and not in contact with dirt.

 

[abj87]

Re: Cleaning the Fuel Tank

Pour in a couple of gallons of fresh gas and slosh around then drain and dispose of properly. Repeat as required.

 

[DJ]

Re: Cleaning the Fuel Tank

Go and get a whole bag (100-150) new nuts say 3/8" or 1/2"....... these are your abrasives to use inside the tank. Pull the sending unit and remove everything. Get some cleaning solution and put a little in the tank with the nuts and shake shake shake until your tired and then do it again. Pour the whole mess out. If a nut gets trapped a magnet on a string and a few shakes will recover it fine in an aluminum tank.

Let the tank dry out, reseal your sending unit and lines and your done.

Be sure on re-installation that you bed the tank properly and cleanly so it is supported, solid and not in contact with dirt.

I do the same thing, finishing with BB's.

 

[9533Zero]

Re: Cleaning the Fuel Tank

Thanks guys. Sorry about the wrong thread.

Steve

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: Cleaning the Fuel Tank

The suggestions about putting things into the tank and shaking realy does work, but for a large tank your goung to need way more than a hanfull of nuts bb's or whatever, I did a 40gal rectangular tank for my buddy who's a drywall installer, he brought over a 25lb box of drywall screws and it worked pretty good but 50lbs would have been better, afterwards the tank looked shiney inside.

 

[Ned L]

Re: Cleaning the Fuel Tank

This may be overcautious, but there are those who would say to use only non-ferrous items to shake around inside the tank to make sure there are no possibilities of creating a spark (brass/aluminum etc. nuts, screws, bolts, or whatever).