Cleaning Fuel Tank

[ryanbr]

Have a 4 year old Honda 5.5hp engine that was sitting for 2 years with dyed gas in the tank. Anyway I have taken the tank off, cleaned all hoses and fittings etc. Emptied the old gas, rinsed with new gas, but it still is covered in rust on the inside of the tank. Any suggestions on how to clean this so I dont end up with another plugged filter? I was thinking my 3000psi pressure washer, but then I couldnt get every area of the tank....

 

[Ken]

I take a hand full of bolts and nuts put into the removed tank and shake it around for a while then dump out and with solvent flush out the dirt and remaining stuff. usually works. some times a second time around for the extra hard things to break loose.
Water pressure doesn't get to areas needed.
ken

 

[ryanbr]

I take a hand full of bolts and nuts put into the removed tank and shake it around for a while then dump out and with solvent flush out the dirt and remaining stuff. usually works. some times a second time around for the extra hard things to break loose.
Water pressure doesn't get to areas needed.
ken

Thanks, I contemplated that but then thought i may create a spark and vapors would blow my hands off. I will try it, hopefully I can still type to tell you it worked!

 

[radioman]

how about using damp blasting sand ?

 

[Treemonkey1000]

Wouldn't blasting sand leave a bit of dust and residue that could clog the filter still? If you used the bolts/washers trick or even crushed gravel put some water or kerosene in there if you are worried about sparks. The chances of that are pretty slim I think. After you dump out the tank air dry it in the sun or over a heat vent. Then swish around some fuel and discard that. If the rust hasn't come out after all of that then you would be ok as long as you have your fuel filter in there.

 

[mjncad]

Factoring in your time to remove the tank rust; would it be more cost effective to buy a new tank?

 

[LRH]

I usually buy a bag of aquarium gravel, then use some sand for a final finish, unless the tank has a sleeve or tube in the filler opening so it cant be overfilled, and for that I once tried sugar. What part of the sugar you can't shake out, you just melt/dilute out with hot water. Once the coating in the tank is compromised, it will always rust again, so I add just a touch of synthetic 2 stroke oil to the fuel for the remainder of the engines life and/or my ownership duration. This is for small tanks; usually motorcycle size.

 

[LRH]

Factoring in your time to remove the tank rust; would it be more cost effective to buy a new tank?[/QUOTE

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Small engine/lawn mower etc buy a new tank, tractor or similar could go either way, most motorcycle tanks seem to cost about the same as a new Ferrari engine, so one must make do..............

 

[cyberfriend]

Coud be from a number of places they replaced the timing cover seal and gaskets Head and valve cover gaskets. If you find oil in the egine bay but not on the ground , it could be oil that leaked out when they pulled the parts or was leaking before. Take it back and let them find out what it is

 

[irvingj]

As LRH says, once the interior rust has started it'll always return, and even though you've got a good inline filter, you're still in for carb troubles down the road.

There's a product for motorcycle tanks, been around a while : "Kreme."

It's a 3-step system for coating the inside of the tank. 1) Using a cleaner/solvent supplied with the kit--as Ken said, rinse/shake with nuts, bolts, ball bearings or whatever to loosen rust; wash w/ soapy water & rinse. (In a particularly bad tank, I had to do this twice.) 2. Kit-supplied acid-based etcher, to scarify the inside- wash w/soapy water & rinse after "etching." 3) An epoxy-based (I think) coating: after tank is completely dry and openings are sealed, pur in Kreme and rotate tank to coat all interior surfaces. Allow time (24hrs?) to dry, then use.

Did this to a particularly troublesome '76 XL250 and haven't had any rust issues in the tank for the past 8 years.... I think I'm remembering the process, but I could be forgetting something.... fortunately, my other bikes have all turned out to have rust-free tanks!