Cleaning fuel tanks

[indy4x4fab]

Has any one used C.L.R. to clean there fuel tanks out before? And if so what was the ratio you used?

Cleaning light rust and heavy slug out of a set of m818 tanks.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I used a 5gal bucket of carb cleaner I had access to. Cleaned it up real well. If I were to use CLR, I would go full strength.

 

[ODdave]

Subscribing, I wana see how this works. I have a m37 tank i need to clean.

 

[101coolcars]

I would use carb soaking solution, then set a brass tumbler as used in reloading placed on the tank to "stimulate" the cleaning solution, i learned this trick from watching my ultrasonic cleaner work. hope that helps some.

 

[Derrickl112]

Subscribed. What about cleaning out the fuel lines?

 

[101coolcars]

On the old mustangs we spray air and brake cleaner through them. BUT on these trucks I think it migh be best to just remake them, pinhole leaks can cause all kinds of problems, and the trucks are so big the lines are easy to make. Rust in the lines is from water in the fuel.

 

[indy4x4fab]

Been thinking of replacing all the lines with pex and reusable brass fittings. Not to sure on how the pex will hold up to the fuel tho may end up making all new lines from steel brake lines. Gimpy I see what you mean about that fuel selector valve and having to take the tool box off. In the end that thing will be getting moved to a better place, or my change it out for a big rig electric valve.

C.L.R. does nothing but make the goo softer and more gooy. So I porded a five gal. drum of brake parts clean in each tank and it started desolving the goo in thirty mins. I'm going to leave it in there for 48 hours the flush the tanks with water. We shall see how this goes.

Total cost so far 100 dollars for two five gal buckets of brake parts cleaner.

May end up doing some small scale testing at home with pex submersted in strait diesel, as well as a 50/50 mix of used oil and diesel, and 75/25 oil diesel mix, to see how pex holds up.

 

[m816]

I had fuel that was over five years old in my tank and when we took the tank down and removed the fuel pump, the gunk fron all that algy and crud was like super glue. Nothing in the shop would cut it. We used xylene or xlyo to clean our hands and thought , why not? soaked the pump over night and it came out clean as a whistle. I think I could have saved $250.00 for the tank cleaning for a fraction of that price if I had tried the xzyline first.

 

[indy4x4fab]

The five gals. of brake parts cleaner that I put in to each tank is working great, its almost broke all of it free. It also helps that i have had them strapped in to the back of truck to help slosh the fluid around. I'm going to drain them in the next day or so.

 

[Warthog]

Was it goo like this?

I used the 5 gal Carb Cleaner. Soaked it for a couple of days. The tank was sealed and I would turn it twice a day. I like the tumbler idea.

 

[indy4x4fab]

YES BUT ONE INCH THICK IN MY TANKS!!! ewww

 

[augiedoggy]

I used phosphoric acid (available at home dep) in one of mine then flushed with water, came pretty clean

 

[indy4x4fab]

Brake parts cleaner worked like a champ. The bottom of the tanks is cleaner and almost new looking in comparison to the top, but they are clean as a wissle now.

 

[466Navastar]

how about caustic soda ?....I believe that is what a commercial metals cleaning outfit would use...can be bought most inexpensively in a 50# bag ....looks like white shards.....when added to HOT water and stirred - is exothermic (gets very hot) and cleans anything organic like oil and grease down to the metal.....best if you had some means of keeping it hot - like an electric hot water element - but unless you have really thick layer of goo might not be necessary.

to test - buy some caustic drain cleaner that is mostly caustic soda (lye) and try on a sample of the goo YOU have.....

remember to ALWAYS add the chemical to water - NOT the other way around and wear rubber gloves and eye protection....burns skin like the devil

if the parts are steel you can leave in for a long time if necessary - aluminum will get eaten up if left very long - so watch aluminum carefully.....aluminum will get a black smut that can be scrubbed off with soapy water....professionals would use a weak nitric acid wash and then clear water on aluminum because its less labor.....just clear water to rinse steel

 

[Capt Pat]

This has been a good thread, I've got to clean the tank in my M-54, and was afraid I'd have to do something drastic. Its really screwing up the injector pump pressure and my speed.

 

[indy4x4fab]

This has been a good thread, I've got to clean the tank in my M-54, and was afraid I'd have to do something drastic. Its really screwing up the injector pump pressure and my speed.

The one thing I forgot to add was I had to buy new gaskets witch was like 3 dollars a gasket.

If your m54 is a gasser then you shouldn't have to do much prep work. If its a m54a1-2 then I would remove the lift pump before treating the tank, and hand clean the pump to keep from doing to much damage to it. Just my .

 

[abh3]

Red Devil lye works wonders but is hard to find thanks to all these idiot dopers... Mix and pour in STEEL tanks, use a steam cleaner to blast around in the tank (be careful, non-OSHA procedure) and let sit overnight, drain & rinse.

Muratic acid from the pool store will work too, just dilute it some. I've not tried the steam cleaner trick with muratic acid though...

The gunk in these tanks is amazing, thick and sticky, I can't imagine any mild cleaner would do the job!

 

[swbradley1]

When I have mine done I'll take it my radiator guy who did my Deuce for me. I've seen his work and he runs acid through the tanks until it's bare metal and then coats the inside with some sort of coating.

Of course his shop is in a garage behind a house and looks like an EPA Superfund Site.