Cleaning the gas tank?
 

I was sitting around after I drove my car today and it was stuttering a little bit here and there and I started thinking about dirty gas tanks for some reason. What would you all think to be the best way to clean out the inside of the tank? I have been under the car and it doesn't look like a pain in the ass to drop the tank. I was thinking soap and water but I am unsure about it. Maybe straight water? Or should I have someone clean it....I am not big on having people do stuff that I could do myself so, would there be a good reason to have someone else do it?

it's not hard to drop. If you don't feel like geting those hoses off. just unscrew the floater. And the filler neck. don't forget that one. and the two straps. then she comes right down. Tip. Dirt get's between the straps and tank. so the whole time your gona spend looseing the straps, dirt is gona fall with every turn. keep face away.

you can get the tank boiled out at a radiator shop for real cheap, and it works great. to find out if the fuel is contaminated, just pull the fuel filter off, the turn it upsidown, if bits or funny colored gas comes out, then its got stuff in the tank, id say you fuel filter just needs changing. or you just got crappy gas

You are probably right...I have searched all the auto parts stores near me and could not find the correct filter, just by chance my brother and I went to get a filter for his car and picked him one up at wal mart, for kicks I checked to see if the carried mine, they do. I will be getting it soon.

O'Reily's has the filter's. Two diff brands. one is like 5$ the other 12$

pay the 12, itll save the expensive injectors

No such auto parts store near here, that I have found anyway. The filter at wal mart is a fram I think and is $12

you can also put STABIL in your tank and that can help clean the gas and make it newer again if its old.

I had to drop my tank a few weeks back a few hints, A make sure all the gas is gone, B use your knees to brace the tank as you remove the straps so it doesn't fall on you because it does hurt.

Just a few suggestions.

if you do not feel like cleaning it yourself, there are fuel polishing companies that do it for about 300$-----other wise it takes 3 or 4 pumps,and same number of large refillable fuel filtersand water separators--number of filters depends on how bad/dirty is the fuel.... and lotsa hosing and containers for storing the fuel until the tank is clean.then yor fuel is also clean. dieselpowered sailboats have that kind of system if their owners are smart snd do not want to spend money on hiring fuel polishers to do the work.........
normal folks can make a polishing system with a large tasnk, hoses ans 2 or 3 pumps to circulate and clean the fuel before putting it back into the tank of the car/boat. good luck.

Buy a fuel cell...




:038:



Rod.

It's funny you said that....I thought about painting the tank or even ceramicoating it so it would look more like a fuel cell. Summit has 22 gallon fuel cells but I think I will stick with the factory one, it is almost the same capacity anyway and there are no holes or dents in it....How much do you all think a factory tank weighs, empty of course? I don't want it to catch me by surprise when I drop it.

Rougly 5-10 lbs empty, I have swapped tanks from my '81 to my '83. Took me about 5 hours, taking my time. Not too bad, good luck.

denatured alcahol soap leaves residue buy sum denatured alcahol at wallgreens it drys leavin nothin behind

Could I also use Brake Clean then, I know that works wonders on everything I have sprayed it on?

I know somebody on here before, has used CLR to clean their tank. And they said it worked great. It was a year or more ago, try that and see if that helps. Of course after you drop the tank.:wasted: :unibrow:

When I did that, I just ran the tank almost dry (saved a little wieght that way), rinsed it out with hose water and dried it out with paper towels. After that I let it sit out in the sun until it was dry. Went down to the gas station and filled up the can and put it in the tank (after the install). Fired right up.

duckz has it right drive tha car untill its sputtering... lol then depuddle the tank and drop it like its hot... (I know, I know, I'm no k-fed!!!)

The tank is about as empty as it gets...the needle on the dash is flippin me off!! As if to tell me if I go anywhere, I ain't getting back!! I think the tank will be coming down tomorrow or the next day.

sheez--you say that in such inspiring manner-----^^^^

go to eastwood.com they make a kit you mix with chemicals from the hardware store, you mix this,put it in the tank, and put in a supplied length of chain, after you slosh the thing around good you add a sealer chemical they supply. this cleans out the crap from the tank and seals the inside of it like a new tank. a lot of hot rodders have used this system on hard to find tanks. heres the direct link http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?i...emType=PRODUCT