Cleaning Gas Tank

[jif102]

When I was working on getting my boat ready for the water I looked inside the gas tank. I had some sediment and sludge in the bottom of the tank. I pumped the fuel out. I have about 2 ounces or so left in the bottom of the tank that I can't get out. It has a little bit of mess left in it. Would putting a good gas treatment, carb cleaner in the tank take care of that or should I try some more to get it out of the tank? It is a 50 gallon tank. I tryed to dump out what is left into a bucket but I can't get it to pour out.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Cleaning Gas Tank

Gas treatment won't do much for sludge.Anyway to suck it out with a hose or something to soak it up?
It needs to come out.
I would say take a shop-vac to it but the fumes may be a bad thing in the shop-vac..:%

 

[Bondo]

Re: Cleaning Gas Tank

I would say take a shop-vac to it but the fumes may be a bad thing in the shop-vac..

DON'T do That.............. KaBoom......

Do you have Compressed Air available,..??.....
You can create a Vacuum by Blowing Across the end of a Hose if you Do.....

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Cleaning Gas Tank

Try adding some fresh gas to diute it. Shake it up and then suck it out. You may never get it all out but maybe you can enough out that what's left is insignificant for the filter.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Cleaning Gas Tank

2oz. in a 50 gal. fuel tank aint much left. i have no experience cleaning fuel tanks. but i did have bad gas a couple years ago on my auto. (like an inch or two of molasses lookin crap in the bottom) the ford dealer just used soap and water at the end of the cleaning process. mine was only an 18gal tank, so it could be manipulated. but the soap and water did leave it clean inside. after that it was a serious air dry job with an air hose, then some more time just air drying in the sun. then some more air hose drying. i suppose a 50 gal. tank aint gonna be easy to move and roll around. but it's food for thought for you......just make sure it aint got no water left in it when yer ready to reinstall if ya use this idea........

I would say take a shop-vac to it but the fumes may be a bad thing in the shop-vac..:%

i'd be scared of doing that too. bet a shop vac full of fuel vapors could be a pretty good bomb if them fuel vapors found a spark off the shop vac motor......

 

[Bondo]

Re: Cleaning Gas Tank

i'd be scared of doing that too. bet a shop vac full of fuel vapors could be a pretty good bomb if them fuel vapors found a spark off the shop vac motor......

Ayuh,+ it Will...........

There's a kid from near here, who's Still in the Burn Unit from doing Just That, last Summer.......
He was sucking the water out of his Jet-Flea gas tank.......

Please,..... Don't Do That...........

 

[BRG25]

Re: Cleaning Gas Tank

How about sucking out with a plastic kerosene hand pump?

 

[mkast]

Re: Cleaning Gas Tank

Take a look in the Yellow Pages for a radiator/fuel tank repair place in your area, much safer.

 

[jif102]

Re: Cleaning Gas Tank

I was using a plastic kerosene pump. It is too a point will it won't suck the remaining out. Even after rolling the tank around in all the positions possilbe it won't pull anymore out.

 

[DHPMARINE]

Re: Cleaning Gas Tank

Just wrap a coat hanger around a rag and swab it out

DHP

 

[Gary H NC]

Re: Cleaning Gas Tank

Oh man,I thought the shop vac would be fun!8)8)

Just kidding! the rag is a good idea..

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Cleaning Gas Tank

I did the same thing with my 44 gallon tank.

I simply removed the fuel gage sender and used a long piece of clear plastic hose to siphon it out. Works like a vacuum cleaner.

you can even use the coat hanger/rag to swab it and stir it around. Put about 5 gallons back into the tank, tip the bow up(your gage sender hole is at the back of the tank? (wait.... you have the tank out?)

set it up on a couple of saw horses and tip so you can get the junk to go to the point closest to the gage sender hole and use the 3/4 to 1inch clear hose as a vacuum. you'll get most of the stuff. If not you can dump in another 5 gallons and suck it out again.....

Run the fuel thru a filter (old felt hat) and use it...(the fuel....not the hat!!)



Don't let anyone fire up a shop vac near you!! sparks in the motor or static elec in the hose will ruin your day.


Regards,


Rick