Need Help on Flushing a Fuel Tank

[Jim Marshall]

After sitting over ten years I pulled my '74 Glastron out of storage. I am concerned about cleaning out he tank. It is almost impossible to get so I decided to flush it out. The steps so far have been:

1. I add some gas flush type products and drain 10 gallons out of tank. Burned it in an older pickup at one gallon per tankful.

2. Poured one gallon Denatured Alcohol in tank, shook boat back and forth. Drained it out. It smelled and looked exactly like the old gas.

3. Poured two gallons of gas in and flushed through and drained. Still smelly.

4. Poured another gallon of Denatured Alcohol in tank, shook the boat vigorously. That was yesterday. This is where it stands now.

The engine is newly rebuilt. I have installed a new marine fuel pump, a new Sierra cartridge filter and changed the element in the existing fuel filter. I have been draining the fuel tank through the existing 3/8" copper line that has been disconnected from the engine. I want a good fuel source before I connect everything up.

SUGGESTIONS FROM HERE????

Jim

 

[flycaster]

Re: Need Help on Flushing a Fuel Tank

If you have a good fuel filter water separator you should be good to go. The fuel filter should be a fine filter to catch the loose debris that may still be in the tank. Be sure to check the filter after a tank full of fuel to see how much debris it is catching.

 

[Jim Marshall]

Re: Need Help on Flushing a Fuel Tank

There seems to be little debris coming from the tank, just old gas. I assume that the denatured alcohol did its job because it went in clear with an alcohol smell and came out brown smelling like old gas. I remember once pulling an old tank and it was full of a tarry substance. Gas has changed since then.

Jim