Cleaning a gas tank

[t-vicky]

My 26 Ford vicky has been in storage now for over 5 years. I am thinking about getting it out.  I pulled the dist last sat & primed the oil for at lest 10 minutes. (50 lbs)  Now I have that gas tank to play with. What is the best thing to flush them with?  I added stable stuff when I parked it & its a stainless steel tank so no rust.  What is the best way to do this?

[wayne petty]

one wonders... how long will fuel stabilizer last...

i started a 66 mustang a few months back.. that had been parked for 4 years with fuel stabilizer in the gas tank...  it worked...

have you attempted to start it.. i am taking it was parked inside where it would not have been exposed to high temps and the sun baking the tank..

you can just pump all the fuel out...  if you have an in the tank pump...     remove the fuel line... replace it with a long section with some way to stop the flow.. either a valve or a pair of needle nose vice grips...   use compressed air to start the siphon..  or if you are in a hurry.. use a piece of 1/2" or even 5/8 heater hose.. a rag wrapped around the filler opening and an air nozzle to start the siphon..

some people have started using the harbor freight fiber optic cameras to see into the fuel tanks..

how to clean out a tank while its installed...   long hose..  good fuel filter... external 12 volt pump..   pump the fuel out .. through the filter. then the pump and with another section and some creative hose plug and slide slots. work the end of the hose into the tank to spray loose any deposits...

when i worked at a shop... we tied a short string to a piece of frame pulling chain.. slipped it into the tank.. after a few gallons of soapy water.. 2 guys tilted and rocked the tank to move the chain all over the bottom..   this was done with the gauge unit out..  as the chain will destroy it..   a leaf blower we had at the shop was duct taped to the filler neck to blow the moisture out of the tank through the sending unit hole..  the shop vacuum we had did not have enough blow air...  other brands do..

a NEW universal speedometer cable core and a variable speed drill motor can be used to snake out the fuel lines.. no matter how tight the bends are..   if you turn it in the proper direction and keep the cable straight  as one guy uses thick palmed gloves to force it in.. and the other guy holds the drill motor allowing it to feed in without twisting..

i have done this a bunch of times.. but then i was a professional plumber for a few years a long time ago..

[t-vicky]

This tank has a drain plug on the bottom so gravity drain is easy. The pick-up tube is low on the side so it can be blown out from the fuel pump back.  What I am worried about is the varnish build-up inside the tank.  What will clean that stuff out? Or does unleaded gas even varnish a tank?  Is 5 years to soon to worry about it?  I guess I could take the top off the carb & see what it looks like.

[enjenjo]

At 5 years, I would not be real worried. Drain the tank, and refill with fresh fuel. There is enough ethanol in most fuel to clean it over time.

[Carnut]

Heh, Heh, I'd use the old gas that stuff is pretty darn expensive.

[enjenjo]

Heh, Heh, I'd use the old gas that stuff is pretty darn expensive.

I blend it out a gallon or so at a time in a nearly full tank.

[t-vicky]

Depending on what it looks & smells like I may mix it half & half in my mower gas.

[papastoyss]

If you have rubber in your fuel lines ,look them over closely for cracks. If they need replacing step up & buy fuel injection rated rubber hose, less likely to be affected by the ethanol in your gas.