fuel tank cleaning

[Comanche_Fanatic]

sup, i just got done sanding off the rust on the outside of the fuel tank. now i need to clean the inside, real bad. here's pics of what it looks like. any ideas how to clean it thoroughly?

 

[Akula69]

I cleaned mine by pouring a gallon of Berryman Chem12 in it and adding a bag of steel marbles (from the dollar store). Taped the openings with duct tape and shook the hell out of it.

[Comanche_Fanatic]

not a bad idea, i wonder if the steel marbles can help undent the inside of the tank?

 

some ppl have been talking about some kidn of gas tank sealant, is it mandatory?

[shelbyluvv]

I used two 2 liter bottles of Coke and a few 6" sections of chain. You will need a buddy to help shake the tank. Drain the tank then used some Purple Power and the chain to clean the rest of the gunk out.

 

The Coke will soften the rust and the PP will clean the rest.

[JACKED88]

Last couple of tanks we cleaned we a used a tractor. :huh???: Yeah, thats right. I said a tractor. (and a 10 lb bag of lava rocks)

[Comanche_Fanatic]

coke don't sound too bad, i know they actually work, just not as strong as the real stuff.

 

everyone keeps saying chains, like throwing a bicycle chain in there?

 

and yeah tractor doesnt make sense lol

[91coMANche]

I would be really really careful if you decide to coat the inside of the tank. Lots of those sealers peel off and clog up the fuel system in short order. I think the only real good one is POR15.

[Comanche_Fanatic]

or none at all lol. its gonna hold oil based fuel, so i don't have to worry about interior rust for a long time.

 

if simple sloshing around is all it needs, its not that hard to repeat several years from now.

[JACKED88]

 

and yeah tractor doesnt make sense lol

Of course it doesn't make since. We're talking red neck engineering at its finest. It never seems makes since but somehow it miraculously works.

 

No more pain in the a-s manual labor of sloshing, shaking, rattling and rolling a gas tank. With a little red neck engineering you can have your very own tank tumbler. After you've put whatever cleaning concoctions you've come up with into the tank and taped up the holes, all ya gotta do now is wrap your tank in a pc of old carpet and then ratchet strap it to the outside of one of your tractor wheels. Jack up the rear end of your tractor, fire it up, put it in whatever gear gives you a nice tumble speed and let it tumble for as long as you want. (in both forward and reverse)

 

No, this won't work on all tanks. Best tanks for this are somewhat square. Length doesn't matter. Long flat tanks don't work as well unless you strap it to the wheel at an angle ( / ) and flip it over for the second half of your tumble time. Square tanks need to be rotated a quarter of a turn half way through your tumble time.

 

Wrapping the tank with carpet is optional. (but it sure does cut down on the noise) If you don't wrap it , you'll still need to use some carpet or some other padding between the wheel and the tank. It protects the tank and helps hold it in place.

 

Yall thought I was kidding didn't ya. I guarantee 30 minutes done like this works better than hours of shaking, rattling and rolling one by hand.

[JeepcoMJ]

yeah. if I have rust INSIDE the tank...I replace it. end of story.

[Comanche_Fanatic]

tank looks a lot better now, i powerwashed, used purple stuff, shook the hell out of it, and rinsed it out about 30-40 times. it looks better inside and I'm sure itll last a few more years til i get a new fuel system for the next engine :cheers: