• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

 

Cleaning out a fuel tank, any ideas.

115
3
18
Location
Southwest Virginia
Took the fuel tank off for a cleaning. It seems to be in good order except for barnacles that have grown all over the walls, baffles and the bottom. Any ideas on how to clean the inside of the tank is appreciated.
 

Gunnermac

Chief
Steel Soldiers Supporter
383
105
43
Location
Athens Ga.
We have had good success with a good soak 2 or three days with a good caustic de-greaser,,wild dog, purple power or what is available in your area, Use it full strength, seal all openings and rotate it occasionally. Then wash it well inside with a hot water pressure washer. You probably won't be able to get to it all due to the baffles, thats OK, rinse well, very well with clear water and dry for several days. We use a heat gun to make sure its dry inside. Use one of the additives to keep slime, barnacles, and other critters away.

Good Luck, Mac
 

swbradley1

Modertator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
14,173
1,481
113
Location
Dayton, OH
Well, until they closed my EPA Superfund Cleanup site that did tanks in his back yard I would have had them do it. Now I'll find someone who dips tanks.

The guy pour acid into the tanks and cleaned it to shiny metal and then coated the inside.
 

eagle4g63

Well-known member
1,544
34
48
Location
North/west Indiana
If you can help it.........use acid as your LAST resort.........I know a lot of guys do that then use a sealer on the inside.........problem with the acid is it eats the galvanizing out of the tank also........so IF the sealer is not perfectly coating the entire inside, including all the baffles you will have a rust problem soon enough.

I would use whatever you can get your hands on other than acid, I cleaned my tank out with first using regular old paint thinner........poured a gallon in there sloshed around and let sit overnight........drained back into the bottle and then used a nice parts cleaner and degreaser........same thing sloshed and let sit overnight.........the tank looked real nice after that, was able to remove the drain plug and everything..........I removed everything, pump all plugs and the float........took it to a spot not and used the nice hot pressure washer on the inside.........soapy then rinse.......looked like new inside again.

I'm pretty sure if you miss a few barnacles after all that, they will be dead ones and wont be coming loose anytime soon anyway. Just make sure the screen on your pump is in good shape.
 

andyindy

Member
116
1
18
Location
Rising Sun Indiana
I once cleaned up an odd sized farm tractor tank by putting BB's and a small amount of diesel in it. I then strapped it to a tractor rear wheel, jacked it up and run it forward and then in reverse. Ran it at least an hour,cleaned it right up. Used about 1/2 pint of BB's, something a little bigger in diameter would work better on severe rust/scale. Andy....
 

ranchhopper

Well-known member
1,630
136
63
Location
south elgin illinois
I took three gallons of acetone and a couple gallons of gasoline dumped it in the tank put the filler cap back on threw the tank into the back of my pickup and left it in there a week lots of sloshing around while driving to and from work and around town. Drained the tank a week later and all the crap came out with the acetone mix then put a small bottle of dish soap in with five gallons of water sloshed it around a bit and dumped it out then a few more gallons of rinse water then after draining left the cap off so it would dry and looked like new inside.
 
115
3
18
Location
Southwest Virginia
I've cleaned it the best I can. On the fuel pump screens, I've noticed the openings are a little large and will permit fairly large chunks to pass through. Has anyone added or wrapped another screen with smaller openings around the fuel pump?
 

swbradley1

Modertator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
14,173
1,481
113
Location
Dayton, OH
I once cleaned up an odd sized farm tractor tank by putting BB's and a small amount of diesel in it. I then strapped it to a tractor rear wheel, jacked it up and run it forward and then in reverse. Ran it at least an hour,cleaned it right up. Used about 1/2 pint of BB's, something a little bigger in diameter would work better on severe rust/scale. Andy....
That's funny, it's almost the same way we cleaned out SCUBA diving tanks, except for the tractor part. Rotate with steel BBs inside then clean out dust.
 

gimpyrobb

dumpsterlandingfromorbit!
27,785
747
113
Location
Cincy Ohio
I've cleaned it the best I can. On the fuel pump screens, I've noticed the openings are a little large and will permit fairly large chunks to pass through. Has anyone added or wrapped another screen with smaller openings around the fuel pump?
Nope, thats what the fuel filters are for.
 

m16ty

Moderator
Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
9,576
209
63
Location
Dickson,TN
I've got to do this asap. I keep collecting something best described as snot on the intake screen. It keeps plugging my screen. I've pulled the pump and cleaned the screen and changed the filters twice and still having problems.
 

Gunnermac

Chief
Steel Soldiers Supporter
383
105
43
Location
Athens Ga.
It's probably algae, you are going to have to clean the entire fuel system to solve the problem. Back flush the entire system after cleaning the tank.
 

m16ty

Moderator
Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
9,576
209
63
Location
Dickson,TN
It's probably algae, you are going to have to clean the entire fuel system to solve the problem. Back flush the entire system after cleaning the tank.
I don't think it's algae. I've dealt with it before and the stuff I'm dealing with has a much thicker consistency.

My uncle is in the landscaping business and he borrowed my truck and left it on the jobsite a couple of nights. Right after he brought it back I started having the problems. I'm starting to think maybe somebody dumped something into the tank while it was on the jobsite unattended.
 

jdknech

Active member
1,095
4
38
Location
Jeffersonville, Indiana
I don't think it's algae. I've dealt with it before and the stuff I'm dealing with has a much thicker consistency.

My uncle is in the landscaping business and he borrowed my truck and left it on the jobsite a couple of nights. Right after he brought it back I started having the problems. I'm starting to think maybe somebody dumped something into the tank while it was on the jobsite unattended.
It could be your area? the truck I got from you is doing this same thing.. I'm having a he!! of a time with it.. lol O the joys of military trucks aua wouldnt trade it for the world :p
 

m16ty

Moderator
Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
9,576
209
63
Location
Dickson,TN
It could be your area? the truck I got from you is doing this same thing.. I'm having a he!! of a time with it.. lol O the joys of military trucks aua wouldnt trade it for the world :p
Well there was a time when I had the deuce sitting next to the truck you bought out beside the road at the shop. After hearing this, I wonder if somebody could have tampered with them there. Shortly after you bought the truck is when I started having problems with the deuce.
 

jdknech

Active member
1,095
4
38
Location
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Well there was a time when I had the deuce sitting next to the truck you bought out beside the road at the shop. After hearing this, I wonder if somebody could have tampered with them there. Shortly after you bought the truck is when I started having problems with the deuce.
i would hope out where your at, this would not be a issue... but i guess the "kids" and adults with no respect are branching out farther... this is the kinda stuff that makes my blood boil.. :evil::burn:
 

Keith_J

Well-known member
3,657
1,313
113
Location
Schertz TX
Pull the tank and clean it. The dirt must come out, Biodiesel will not clean it without causing more damage. Acetone will get the wax white junk but the rust remains. 4000 psi water will knock most off but you need to remove the rivets and desolder the cap boss.

Once down to bare metal, POR tank sealant works well. Bare metal, not tank rust.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks