Oil & Fuel Crap in fuel tank. Help!

[JRobyn]

In my experience with old motorcycle and Ford 8n gasoline tanks, once they have started internal rust, there's only 2 ways to get a long-term, reliable fix; replace with a new tank, or seal it with either a Caswell or POR-15 tank seal kit. You must follow the kit instructions EXACTLY for a successful seal job.

 

[TractorGuy]

If it's rust I heard vinegar will get it out. Is this true?

I cleaned mine out with a pressure washer then I did two soaking cycles with 50% vinegar and 50% water. Each cycle was just overnight. Here are the before and after photos.

Afterwards I left my heat gun running in the fill hole till the tank was dry before refilling.

 

[sawtooth]

Great info. Thank you

 

[Texasmark]

Clean the tank. Inspect the lines; flush or replace as needed. Flush the pump. Replace all filters. New fuel. Disconnect injectors. Run pump to flush those lines. Might need to replace the injectors.

When you have finished with all that, I'd add a fuel treatment such as Power Services offers, or Sea Foam to the "new fuel" you will be adding at 2-3 times the recommended dosage and get a couple of spare fuel filters while in town. Take it out, and hook it to a good plow and run it hard for half a day. If/when it starts loosing rpms, replace the filter and go back to it. You will surely be surprised at your new baby. Then, if you are going to crank it, run it long enough for it to warm up good, 10-15 min under no or light load won't get it. PS offers a storage additive for fuel that sits for a long time without usage. Sounds like you'd be a prime candidate for that too.

Good luck.

 

[SARG]

I had issues for an entire season changing out the fuel filter more in one summer than should be required in a decade ........ and then I finally came to the realization that it was the fuel I was buying was crap. I changed where I bought my diesel and the problems went away.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have always bought my fuel from home delivery by bulk fuel distributor and never had any water issue.

 

[SARG]

I have always bought my fuel from home delivery by bulk fuel distributor and never had any water issue.

I know the issue I experienced was not water contamination .... I'll call it "slime" or alien stuff in the fuel. All I know is I changed sources and the problem went away.

 

[CADplans]

I changed where I bought my diesel and the problems went away.

I bought a tractor recently,, the "diesel" in the tank really seemed wrong,,,
the viscosity of the fuel just seemed to high.

I drained some from the tank, into a pint Mason jar.
When you would shake the fuel, it just seemed thick.
The fuel was red-dyed off road fuel.

The PO of the tractor is a dairy farmer,, I kinda wonder if they use "bio-diesel",
or some other form of alternative fuel.

I drained it all,, installed new filters, and added new fuel.
All is MUCH better,, for now.

 

[Texasmark]

I'll call it "slime" or alien stuff in the fuel.

Algae which water helps to cause in diesel. Power Services products and others make storage/usage additives that control that problem and do other things like increase Cetane rating and clean injectors, clean up carbon in combustion chambers and all.

 

[Wagtail]

Algae which water helps to cause in diesel. Power Services products and others make storage/usage additives that control that problem and do other things like increase Cetane rating and clean injectors, clean up carbon in combustion chambers and all.

This is what I use: Fuel Doctors Australia

It not only kills the 'slime' (biocide) but breaks down the biological and any water to microscopic level... it suspends it in the fuel. Then it will pass through the system (including the filter) to be burnt up.