Cleaning out fuel tanks

[Scammell4199]

Has anyone got any advice on cleaning out fuel tanks? The classic car restorer who had the fuel tank from our jeep dipped said the chemicals used are now illegal so he can't get it done.

I'm going to do the tank for the Scammell soon. I need to cut the bottom out and weld in a replacement because it has rusted through or cracked, and i also want to get it blasted, but also want to clean out the insides throughly. So, anyone any ideas?

 

Thanks in advance, Richard

[simonm]

Hi Richard

 

If the aim initially is to get the fuel tank clean in the sense of you don't want it to explode when you weld, here's what I have done in the past.

 

With the tank level simply fill with water, this must be brim full with no air locks! Now set light to whatever fumes are at the filler, if its petrol there are bound to be, then very slowly drain the tank, there should be some flame as you drain to be absolutely sure that any residual fuel is burnt as the level goes down.

 

Otherwise, however much you might feel you have drained and flushed the fuel tank, you are still working with a potential bomb with even the smallest residue of fuel.

 

I would be interested in other ways, but I can confirm I have done this twice with petrol fuel tanks then gone on to weld.

 

Simon

Edited February 1, 2013 by simonm
typo

[david56]

On one of the wheeler dealers programmes I think the TR6 there was a split in the tank and the guy who repaired it used a steam cleaner prior to soldering in a new section.

 

When I worked on has mains we used to purge them with nitrogen maybe this is another option.

[ruggyjohn]

diesels not that flammable, get as much out as you can, give it a rinse with the hosepipe, then cut out the bottom with a grinder or torch, good steam clean with the bottom out prior to welding. job done

[Scammell4199]

Thanks guys. As John said being diesel I was more thinking about cleaning out the years of crud ready for service, but obviously the cutting, grinding, welding and blasting is going to generate all manor of debris that will need cleaning out. So after posting the thread and thinking about it a bit I was thinking more along the lines of what ruggyjohn said and then giving it another good steam cleaning out after the blasting and painting.

Richard