Any new ways to flush gas tanks?

63d100sixer · Post by **63d100sixer** » Mon May 19, 2014 3:54 pm

The 71 I picked up has a thick layer of crud on the bottom of the tank. I can smell it even with the cap on. I have used a chain/giant nuts/CLR and the like before. Has anyone found anything new that works? I know that Eastwood sells a kit, but I'm just trying to clean this one until I can get a ramcharger tank for underneath. This tank just has to hold gas so the truck can move under its own power

I just don't want carb issues and clogged fuel lines

dodgeboykim · Post by **dodgeboykim** » Mon May 19, 2014 4:02 pm

Maybe lacquer thinner.

JimE · Post by **JimE** » Mon May 19, 2014 5:06 pm

Take it to a local radiator shop and spend a little cash on it Jim

63d100sixer · Post by **63d100sixer** » Mon May 19, 2014 6:52 pm

JimE wrote:Take it to a local radiator shop and spend a little cash on it Jim

I'm in SoCal. Overregulated. That is IF you can find an old timer that still has a tank big enough to do it. My go to guy retired and when the kid took over, they went from repairing radiators to just replacing them.

marklein · Post by **marklein** » Mon May 19, 2014 7:18 pm

Find someone with a steamer if you can. Best I can think of.

my5thmopar · Post by **my5thmopar** » Mon May 19, 2014 7:47 pm

63d100sixer wrote:The 71 I picked up has a thick layer of crud on the bottom of the tank. I can smell it even with the cap on. I have used a chain/giant nuts/CLR and the like before. Has anyone found anything new that works? I know that Eastwood sells a kit, but I'm just trying to clean this one until I can get a ramcharger tank for underneath. This tank just has to hold gas so the truck can move under its own power I just don't want carb issues and clogged fuel lines

Chain....Tried and true method. Just use some $20 Red Kote and $10 MEK and be done with it. Did my Dart several years ago and no issues

dodgeboykim · Post by **dodgeboykim** » Mon May 19, 2014 8:32 pm

my5thmopar wrote:Just use some $20 Red Kote and $10 MEK and be done with it.

MEK. Just be careful with that stuff. Toxic as all get out to human body. Worse than lacquer thinner.

PwrWgnDrvr · Post by **PwrWgnDrvr** » Mon May 19, 2014 9:45 pm

MEK very difficult to get in CA and bad stuff to work with.
I drove a truck 250 miles once using a jerry can in front of the seat on the passenger side. Ran rubber fuel hose clamped onto the fuel pump inlet to a pick-up tube stuck in the can. Just don't turn corners too fast and slosh it all over the cab.

oklamopar · Post by **oklamopar** » Tue May 20, 2014 9:26 am

JimE wrote:Take it to a local radiator shop and spend a little cash on it Jim

I use to work at a radiator shop. And after a caustic bath, we would power wash, dry, add muriatic acid, rotate, wash and repeat as necessary. then neutralize with baking soda and water until all traces of acid were gone. dry and then line with fuel tank liner(mek based) if needed.

hoon · Post by **hoon** » Wed May 21, 2014 8:41 am

+1 on the acid. Can get it at home depot. Cheap and works great.

cathemoel · Post by **cathemoel** » Sun Jun 08, 2014 1:15 pm

If you can get hold of a boat gas tank of the type used for out board motors, that works well in this situation. Not really a permanent set up but, I think, safer than a gas can that can tip over. I have used this system for extended periods with my van. You have to refill a 5 gallon tank pretty often at 15 MPG. It's a handy thing to have when you're checking out a vehicle that has not been run for a while too. Having said that, I've had good luck with a radiator shop.

bigbob · Post by **bigbob** » Sat Jun 14, 2014 9:40 am

If you plan on replacing the tank I would not worry about getting it perfectly clean. If you go the acid route you may get all that bottom crud out which may be sealing the tank! Flush it as good as you can and put an extra inline filter on it to keep the crap out of your carb.

And yes, in Kalifornia I am guessing one day soon you can't get shoe polish!

wilkin250r · Post by **wilkin250r** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 5:13 pm

I never liked the idea of a chain, unless it was brass. All the flushing in the world won't make me comfortable enough to risk using a steel chain that can spark.

Post by **wally426ci** » Fri Sep 12, 2014 5:33 am

Typically we are talking about 30-40 year old gasoline which won't have the same flammability.....

69W200 · Post by **69W200** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 11:04 am

I figured out the stuff that kept plugging my fuel filter was an old coating in the tank and not rust. With a pressure washer it came out in sheets. But I found the tank to be in excellent condition.

I decided to take it to a radiator shop to boil it out, and it looked pretty clean. I tapped the sides and there was still a lot of small flakes of coating in it, so I hit it w/ the pressure washer pretty well. I kept rinsing until I thought I had it. Put it back in and ran it...a short while and less than a tank of gas until the fuel pick up tube plugged.

For the time being I rigged up a metal screen on the pickup tube, that I know is filling up w/ flakes. The next step is to take some of the flakes and see what solvent will melt them. Havent got there yet....maybe this winter.

Sweptline.ORG

Any new ways to flush gas tanks?

Any new ways to flush gas tanks?

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