Cutting a Hole in My Fuel Tank!

[airbiscuit]

Agitate - Rinse - Repeat

Let it get close to empty
Put a gallon of Diesel in
Make a wand to direct compressed air at the bottom sump
Stir everything up with compressed air
Suction out as much as you can

REPEAT

Then put fresh fuel with a healthy dose of biocide
If that works - you're done

Of that doesn't work - REPEAT

 

[Tractor Seabee]

The actual replacing of a BX tank is a 15 minute job. Pulling the rops, the fenders, the floor, and all the other stuff to get at it, then replacing it all is a real time consumer. I punched a hole in mine from debris, bought the new tank, still setting on the shelf. Patched with JB Weld twice now to gain time needed to replace the tank. Too many other priorities. The JB Weld takes about 10 minutes.

Ron

 

[pmsmechanic]

Just following this to see how it all plays out.

 

[mini14]

ive used mineral spirits with great success to dissolve junk in my tanks

 

[tomplum]

While your waiting, consider buying that plug and drop it in a container with diesel in it to see how it fairs. In what I do, I fish debris at times out of riding mower tanks with a cable type pick up tool. Fashion a clamp and sneak it near the well with your boroscope and see what if anything you grab with the claws.

 

[newbury]

Strap a 2 gal jerry can on a fender and draw fuel from that.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I think you could cut a good smooth hole in the plastic tank with a hole saw, and use the kind of plug you're referring to. But FIRST - I'd want to be sure that the plug doesn't degenerate in diesel and/or oil. I've used rubber valve stems in gas cans before that dissolved within weeks.

Otherwise, I think I'd try your method before dismantling the BX to replace the fuel tank.

 

[Wingsy]

I think you could cut a good smooth hole in the plastic tank with a hole saw

That's exactly what I did. The hole in the picture is a lot smoother than it looks.


But I never found a plug that I liked so I built a seal from 2 aluminum plates and 2 rubber/fiber fuel-proof gaskets. That's it in the lower right. The hole is 2-1/8" and the plates are 3-1/2" across. One plate goes inside the tank and the other on the outside. I'm going to cut the inside plate right down the middle, fold it in half (the gasket should keep the 2 halves together) and wiggle it into the tank. Using forceps I should be able to guide the bolts up through the bolt holes (not shown in the photo) in the tank and attach the upper plate. (The bolt holes on the inside plate are threaded.) Oh, and before I do anything risky I'll tie a fishing line to one of the bolts! Risky, ha ... as though cutting a hole in my tank isn't risky enough.

First thing I did after cutting that hole was to suck out all remaining fuel in the tank. I haven't inspected the inside of the tank yet to see what trash has been left behind but I'm sure I'll have to add in some fuel and repeat. (Through the hole you can see one item of junk floating in the fuel.) But I think I found the main source of the blockage... a d--n stink bug!


He may look like he just crawled out of that hose but he's very much dead. When I pulled that hose out of the tank he was just like he is in the pic. Now I don't say WTF very often but I did on this occasion.

And with all this bending over and twisting around working on this little project I've got my back in worse shape than it's been in some time. I'll be taking a break from this for the next few days.

 

[WranglerX]

I think you could cut a good smooth hole in the plastic tank with a hole saw, and use the kind of plug you're referring to. But FIRST - I'd want to be sure that the plug doesn't degenerate in diesel and/or oil. I've used rubber valve stems in gas cans before that dissolved within weeks.

Otherwise, I think I'd try your method before dismantling the BX to replace the fuel tank.

Hole saw is going to leave plastic crumbs in tank... Think this is one issues to avoid...

Dale

 

[Richard]

Here's what I did...

JCB 1550 industrial backhoe. Fortunately for me, has a drain bung on the bottom.

Drained fuel out. Took my pressure washer and stuck wand inside tank to pressureize/clean it as much as possible.

When I was done, I took my garden sprayer, filled it with diesel and "pressure washed" the tank again with diesel as a rinse. Put my bung plug back on, filled it and never looked back.