cleaning gas tank

[Zeke]

What do you use to clean all the gunk and varnish out of a gas tank? I was thinking about using paint thinner to try and get all the crap cleaned out of it or should I just put it in and fill it up?

[fast71]

I startered to do my own tank but when I found out it was only 80 bucks to have it cleaned and lined I let the pro's do it.

[Longhorn Man]

Your best bet is to remove the tank, and then pull the sending unit out, and steam clean the tank out. This will get rid of rust, varnish, and anything else in there. A pressure cleaner might do a little, but a steam cleaner is what you really need. It'll take anywhere between 45 mon to 3 or 4 hrs to clean it all out depending on rust/varnish level inside your tank. Just place the wand in the filler neck, tie the trigger into the on position, and go do something else. Come pack in a 1/2 hr or so and turn off the steam cleaner, pour out the water, (be VERY carefull, the tank will be hot enough to burn you) andinspect for gas fumes, and the rust/varnish level.
If more cleaning is needed, you can start by actually aiming the wand at the problem areas, and then letting the wand just fill and flush on it's own again.
Once everything is clean to your liking, this would be a good time to repair any leaks you may have. Inspect the filler neck real close...very common spot. It is human nature to lean on the nozzel when gassing up, this causes stress on the joint where the filler neck and tank are joined. Since there is no rubber hose like on more modern vehicles, something has to give, and the soldered joint is the weakest. Inspect the bottom of the tank real close, also where ever there was rust on the inside, inspect the outside od the same areas...the pitting can leak minute amounts and you don't even know it....yet.
I HIGHLY recomend a fuel tank liner being installed now. What ever rust you just flushed out WILL return. if you don't do anything now, it'll be like taking a shower and putting on dirty underwear...almost pointless to clean it all up. POR 15 makes a fine tank liner, we use this all the time in the radiator shop when we do this exact process for cleaning out heavy truck and heavy equipment fuel tanks out. I think The Eastwood companny also makes a pour in liner, and I'm sure there are others out there too. What ever your brand of choice, follow the directions to a tee, if there are precleaners they recomend, do it. (POR does recomend a cleaner) The liners will not only seal up the metal so no more rust can form, but it is also a sealant, and will fill all the pits from the rust,and any pin holes that you did not see before.
Re install the sending unit, (personally, i say cut the stupid sock off, it is just a restriction in the fuel system and can cause/agervate vapor lock conditions) install the tank after cleaning out the rear cab floor and getting all the crap out of your cab corner, and forget about it for another 15 to 20 years.

[djracer]

Zeke I have a clean tank from my 71 I'm in wetumpka just outside of montgomery!

[Zeke]

Longhorn Man, thanks for the info. I can get access to a steam cleaner.

DJRacer, thanks for the offer but I don't need a tank, guess I should have put off topic, I just picked up a 90 Nissan pickup that the PO put a 2ft gash in the tank and I need to clean out the junkyard one I picked up.

I love driving my 69 but with gas the way it is it hurts my wallet.

[Tx Firefighter]

I use a diluted mixture of muriatic acid (swimming pool acid) and water. About a quart of acid and the rest water. Just duct tape the filler opening, pour the water/ acid into the sending unit hole and let it set for a minute or two. I slosh it around slightly to agitate any slime/ scale.

Then, flush it really thoroughly and seal it with POR 15 gas tanksealer kit.

I've saved some truly ruined tanks this way.

For God's sake though, be freaking careful with the acid. Do this outdoors, full safety gear, goggles, respirator, everything. I even have my wife stand closeby with the garden hose running in case some splashed onto my arms or something.

[Swbman]

I usually use Berrymans carb cleaner,it does a pretty good job of breaking up any gunk in the tank,I do it a couple time and change the fuel filter.

[sdkid]

Where do I find POR 15?

[Tx Firefighter]

POR 15 is available online from their website.

You can do a search and read up on POR products. They are incredible. Also, see my thread in the parts section about my lowered shortbed big block truck for sale. I used POR 15 on a bunch of stuff on that truck, including the engine paint. It's bombproof.

Once you use it once, you'll never go back to anything else again.

[johnje]

Has anyone simply taken their tank to a radiator shop for flushing? That's what I plan to do with mine. (Then use the POR for sealing.)


John

[chevyboy55]

Is there a need to coat a galvznized tank? Mike

[Don R. Dodson]

Zeke, I have a POR15 distributor who lives less than a mile away, and he has the stuff to clean the tank with, it is called POR15 Auto Fuel Tank Repair kit, and it includes the TANK CLEAN solution to remove gum, sludge, varnish, and then there is the TANK PREP to remove rust & prepare the tank for the sealer, and then there is the U.S.Standard Tank Sealer that creates a permanently sealed tank. The distributor is Gary L. Chrisman; 617 Smith Street; Gibsonville, NC 27249 phone is 336-449-5407 or 336-449-6106
Gary has a set up where he puts the tank clean in the tank along with some agitators such as nuts and bolts and then he puts the tank on a rotator and lets it sit there and rotate the stuff around in the tank while he goes about doing other things. Of course the thank wil have to be sealed up to keep the stuff in the tank. Think he uses duct tape in that regard. Call him and ask him how he does it. Just be ready to talk for a while as he loves the blab. He will also do your tank for you if you are looking for someone to undertake that for you. He has the complete line of POR15 products.

~ Don ~

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

I use a diluted mixture of muriatic acid (swimming pool acid) and water...

I have been told that if not rinsed out (like in the seams of the tank), or if left in too long, it will eat the metal in the tank...is that true? I do know that stuff is nasty.

Originally Posted by johnje

Has anyone simply taken their tank to a radiator shop for flushing? That's what I plan to do with mine. (Then use the POR for sealing.)

What I described is the exact process we use at work in our in house radiator shop...so in essence, I have taken mine top a radiator shop.

Originally Posted by chevyboy55

Is there a need to coat a galvznized tank? Mike

Yes and no. If there is rust in your tank...and there probably is, you need to do something. If you simply remove the rust, it will come back.

Originally Posted by Don R. Dodson

...POR15 Auto Fuel Tank Repair kit, and it includes the TANK CLEAN solution to remove gum, sludge, varnish, and then there is the TANK PREP to remove rust & prepare the tank for the sealer, and then there is the U.S.Standard Tank Sealer that creates a permanently sealed tank...

While I normally back up the POR products, the steam cleaner will, for the best part, do a better job than the tank clean. We have tried that at work, and decided to go back to the steam cleaner method.


About a year ago, I had started a step by step with pictures and everything on how to do this and everything I used. However, all i got was flamed here so i said screw it.
I tried the search and couldn't find it.

[67ChevyC10Stepside]

i bought a blazer tank from burnsman....he said it came from out west and looks really really nice...when i went to dump it out some RED liquid came out. what would be the easiest for me? also should i worry about coating the outside of it with something or will it not rust? how much does the POR 15 kit cost?

[Longhorn Man]

In our part of the US...(PA included) I would think long and hard about POR'ing the outside of the tank. I would use the chassis black so no top coat will be required.
The fuel tank stuff is cheap. It's been a year since I did it, so i won't even try to quote it...but even I thought it was cheap.
Red liquid....that's what mine looked like, and you'd be amazed at how little rust damage was actually in there.
I'd say your tank is in dire need of cleaning.

[sdkid]

I checked their website. The fuel tank kit is about $65.00 shipped.

[Longhorn Man]

Hmmmm, all i used was the metal ready which i had on hand anyways (I use it before putting POR on anything)


And one quart the fuel tank sealer for 26 bucks.

In all reality, I coulda gotten away with a pint, but I'd rather play it safe and have too much.

[sdkid]

What does metal ready do exactly? I'll have to ckeck our body shop to see if they have something similar.

[Longhorn Man]

From www.POR15.comMETAL-READY™ provides the best adhesion for POR-15® on any surface, including aluminum and shiny polished metal surfaces. Our simple process gently etches metal, creating an ideal anchor pattern for coatings such as POR-15®, while simultaneously leaving a zinc phosphate coating to insure chemical bonding of paint and steel. Avoid other preps that may leave harmful residues which prevent proper adhesion.


After thoroughly degreasing your work piece, apply environmentally safe METAL-READY® to both neutralize any rust and etch any clean bare metal. This will allow better adhesion of POR-15® or any other paint. METAL-READY® is not caustic, corrosive, toxic or flammable.

This stuff is reuseable. I have been using the same bottle for over a year, and I am down to 1/2 bottle. Spray it on, let it run off into a container, then pour back into spray bottle. Awsome stuff.