cleaning gas tank.

[metrickillers]

hey guys, so the other day i pulled the gas tank to try and fix a fuel delivery problem http://community.ratsun.net/topic/52650-presumably-fuel-delivery-problem/  . once i pulled it i noticed that the inside was just completed filth, the walls and a little bit of the bottom was coated in hardened fuel. we pressure washed it, scraped it, and  got a good amount of it out but i don't want to putt it back on if that little bit that we didn't get  might re-glog my lines. my question is what kind of chemical or procedure can i use that will eradicate all of this from my tank.  i was thinking that i could use my steam cleaner or something alone the lines of boiling water to remove the hardened fuel . thank you and any help would be greatly appreciated.  

[DanielC]

One option, is a good radiator shop can clean it for you.

[Dantheman]

Are sure it isn't a liner or coating some one put in. Mine was full of junk and a liner poorly applied. I had it acid bathed. Came bad clean and new.

[metrickillers]

i don't think it was a coating. it was a thick, dark but transparent brown, the only thing i can relate it to is a dark amber substance. and i dont think taking it somewhere is an option at the moment, it might be too pricey. 

[thisismatt]

If the tank is in good shape, it's probably worth it in the long run to have it professionally cleaned and coated.  Call around and check on prices?

[metrickillers]

ok :/ i will go call around. one more question , once it has been totally cleaned will there need to be some coating installed, internal and external?

[I'm BLUE]

Call a local radiator shop for a quote.

They will usually boil , clean , prep , and seal.

sometimes you pay $$$ for it and sometimes it's reasonably in budget (they gotta make money as well).

Expect them to delay and give you a call about a pinhole or 2/3/4 that show up in which they need to seal/braze/weld/whatever they choose to do.

 

You can buy DIY kits from Eastwood , summit , jegs , por , or whoever as well. ( best not to skimp in this area and BEWARE.. and read thoroughly 10x times over of each product you are using )

[Ratwagon1600]

I've done a 1600 (510) tank previously as follows.

 

It's time consuming, a bit messy, and will cost you a little bit for the consumables but IMLTHO worth it in the end.

 

1. Drain petrol

 

2. Fill tank with a couple of liters of boiling water and some washing up detergent.

 

3. Let it soak for a while and swish the hot water around inside

 

4. Drain and (if you have access to a pressure washer), hose the bejesus out of it

 

5. Drain, let dry and then fill the tank with about half liter of Hydrochloric acid (make sure you have sealed the breather points, inlet point and fuel line points)

 

6. Swish it around and drain

 

7. Rinse tank again with hot water

 

8. Once the tank has dried, get about half a liter of diesel and rinse the tank with it as per the Hydrochloric acid

 

9. Two rinse cycles with petrol per above and you should have a pretty clean tank

 

 

Yes, as I said, it is a lot of fucking around but worth it in the end.

 

Remember safety stuff i.e. gloves, goggles and something to dispose of the acid mix in.

[bonvo]

save yourself a shit ton of cash and go to the quarter car wash feed it about 10 bucks in quarters and go to town with the engine degreaser and pressure nozzle i was originally gonna have the local radiator shop do mine till they told me it would be 100 freaking dollars

[metrickillers]

thanks for the reply's. ive been getting some crap quotes on cleaning but im going take a steam cleaner to it , soak in boiling water, and use detergent or some kind of cleaner.  Monday, im fairly certain that it will work , because a regular pressure washer got most of it out.  but if it doesn't  i will take it to get professorially done. again thanks for the quick responses, Ratsun never lets me down   :)

[DaBlist]

Anybody have any recommendations for radiator shop or place that can acid dip a gas tank in the Seattle, Tacoma, Everett area?

 

Thanks

[Z-train]

One option, is a good radiator shop can clean it for you.

The only real way.