Cleaning out a gas tank

WISE9UY

WISE9UY

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Hi All,

I have a gas tank that has a layer of crap on the bottom almost like tar. When I lightly scrape it comes away leaving the nice metal beneath.

Is there a product to use to eat away at the inside to leave the inside clean?
 
yes - por 15 makes a good product - its an auto gas tank repair kit. you may be able to just buy a few quarts of the cleaner if the tank doesn't leak or have any pin hole leaks.
https://www.amazon.com/POR-15-40104...ie=UTF8&qid=1504575237&sr=1-9&keywords=por+15

the complete kit is
https://www.amazon.com/POR-15-49239...95&sr=8-2&keywords=pro+15+gas+tank+sealer+kit

i recently used the cleaner on a 2800cs tank. you mix a quart of very hot water with a quart of the cleaner - mix it up, add it to an empty tank - shake it all around to get it on all surfaces. then set it in different positions for 2 hours, then reposition it for 2 hours until you soak each surface. then drain out the tank (the water will be very dirty) ... put some boiling water in it - shake it vigorously ... then i sprayed a hose in it and drained it good. then the next day, i did the same thing again. this time the water was much cleaner. before i etch or seal the tank, i am thinking of getting one more quart of the cleaner and do it one more time for safety sake. i am going to take a close look with a bright light tomorrow to make the decision
 
I can also recommend the POR system.
Drying the tank immediately and thoroughly is recommended with the POR system, or anytime you wash out a tank. The interior of the tank won't air dry so you will need to force dry it. It can be done quite effectively with an item from your wife's tool box - the hair dryer.
Though there may well be bouffant men with their own hair dryers.
 
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I've also used POR-15 tank system and it's great but not sure it will remove the tar he is referring to, perhaps you'll have to remove as much as possible by scraping then hit it with some acetone or laquer thinner to get the rest off. Then POR-15 it.
 
I thought about cleaning my fuel tank as well, but was unsure what to do with all the nasty sludge that would get poured out, and rinsed and so on. Took it to a radiator repair shop and they dipped it in a huge tank and cleaned it up inside and out. Plus, no hair dryers were harmed in the process ;)
 
I like the idea of taking it to a radiator shop to get it cleaned out (if you can find one) then if there is any corrosion the POR-15 is awesome.
 
Gazz said:
I can also recommend the POR system.
Drying the tank immediately and thoroughly is recommended with the POR system, or anytime you wash out a tank. The interior of the tank won't air dry so you will need to force dry it. It can be done quite effectively with an item from your wife's tool box - the hair dryer.
Though there may well be bouffant men with their own hair dryers.
Click to expand...

I still have my Philips hair dryer from the '70's, back when I had hair. It's powerful and well built. Why get rid of a good tool?
It came in handy when I cleaned and coated the inside of my tank after brazing up it's pinholes.

Ian
 
Some good advice there thank-you to all. I will get a gallon of the POR-15 cleaner and try that but equally have parts cleaner solution so will give that a go too.

It does not appear to be rust because the "goop" comes loose and reveals a very nice clean metal below. For that reason I don't think it needs to be rust treated. It is odd because this is the first time I have come across such a mess inside a tank!
 
rsporsche said:
yes - por 15 makes a good product - its an auto gas tank repair kit. you may be able to just buy a few quarts of the cleaner if the tank doesn't leak or have any pin hole leaks.
https://www.amazon.com/POR-15-40104...ie=UTF8&qid=1504575237&sr=1-9&keywords=por+15

the complete kit is
https://www.amazon.com/POR-15-49239...95&sr=8-2&keywords=pro+15+gas+tank+sealer+kit

i recently used the cleaner on a 2800cs tank. you mix a quart of very hot water with a quart of the cleaner - mix it up, add it to an empty tank - shake it all around to get it on all surfaces. then set it in different positions for 2 hours, then reposition it for 2 hours until you soak each surface. then drain out the tank (the water will be very dirty) ... put some boiling water in it - shake it vigorously ... then i sprayed a hose in it and drained it good. then the next day, i did the same thing again. this time the water was much cleaner. before i etch or seal the tank, i am thinking of getting one more quart of the cleaner and do it one more time for safety sake. i am going to take a close look with a bright light tomorrow to make the decision
Click to expand...
where do you dump the waste?
 
well, the gas tank i cleaned had been empty for 15 years ... so the only thing in it was the cleaner which by the time i was done with it was very watered down. so i didn't worry about it. the instructions don't tell you that it is harmful.
 
my 2 cents, I had a radiator shop soak mine for a month, then I bought a new one, had some holes

but on cleaning, I researched this a bit for a 60 year old motorcycle tank
One of the suggestions was to use vinegar, you can find cleaning Garvin at the hardware store, less $ than edible, and even less for the concentration is made to kill weeds, at a garden shop or online
That actually worked pretty well, but I still might end up taking it to a shop
I bought a gallon of WD40 to swish around after drying it with acetone
Water is soluble in acetone
 
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