cleaning out the old sludgey fuel

[chattyrona]

You all have helped alot so maybe you can answer this also. We got this pressure tank for our old motor but it has been sitting for a couple years and has a thick tarnish sludgey crap on the bottom and gas alone has not even begun to clean it out . Whats the best way to clean this old tank out?

 

[iwombat]

Re: cleaning out the old sludgey fuel

Paint thinner (or other mild solvent) and a small diameter chain.

Shake for all you're worth.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: cleaning out the old sludgey fuel

Pop the top..order a new gasket from Laings Outboards. With the top off ya can get your hand in there

 

[F_R]

Re: cleaning out the old sludgey fuel

Others tell me that household ammonia works, but I've never tried it. Lacquer thinners and that kind of stuff are flamable and dangerous. A good old standby that I've used for many years is plain old rubbing alcohol from the grocery store. Dump a bottle of it in there and a couple of handfulls of some kind of junk such as nuts & bolts, and slosh and shake till your arms fall off. Rinse with water. It won't blow up or catch fire or kill your lungs, and it works.

 

[byacey]

Re: cleaning out the old sludgey fuel

Fish tank gravel or any coarse 3/8 screen washed gravel will work too.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: cleaning out the old sludgey fuel

what ever you use, please don't pour it on the ground, get a funnel and bottle it. dispose of properly.

 

[burroak]

Re: cleaning out the old sludgey fuel

Take it to a metal/paint/ rust stripping business. It will come out clean as a whistle. You'll have to repaint the exterior. From the pressure tanks I've seen, most can use a repaint anyway. I got mine done for $20.

Before going to any trouble at all, pressure test it to see if it's worth messing with.

 

[LORDY611]

Re: cleaning out the old sludgey fuel

Where do you "dispose of properly" an unusable mix of old gas and who knows what else? The oil and coolant recycling part of the local landfill wont take it, and you cant dump it into a vehicle's tank in small amounts. Evaporate in a bucket perhaps? Thoughts?

 

[Big Keepers]

Re: cleaning out the old sludgey fuel

I'm wondering the same thing as I ponder how to go about cleaning out my gas tank. If you live in the sticks I know there are usually farmers who will take 10 gallons or so to use when they slash and burn rubbish. What about the mixture of old gas, varnish, rubbing alcohol, and rusty water that is the byproduct of cleaning these things? That's probably half the problem I'm having with finding a place that does gas tank cleanings. The expense of running the operation legit and clean.