How do I get rid of petrol gunge?

[fv1609]

I have taken the fuel tank off a vehicle that has been laid up for 12 years. The base of the tank has a layer of gunge, tar of some sort I suppose, how can I get rid of it?

 

I can scrape at it with a stick & eventually it reveals the metal underneath is fine. As this is so tenacious do I actually have to remove it? Or will it either tend to dislodge in particles as I drive around or will it dissolve with new fuel & gum up the carb?

 

Clearly I have to do something with the filler tube & the filter at the end as it won't let fuel through. Any ideas?

 

[David Ives]

clive have you tried a bit of straight petrol to see if it will dissolve or get some tank cleaner and spray it out with a pressure washer

[No Signals]

My first thought also would have been to try clean petrol and if at all possible a stiff paint brush on it. Not quite the same league, but a tank I had to clean had been 'sealed' and that was coming off due to fuel additive having been added. Couldnt get a brush in to it but a length of garden hose with some rag tied tight to the end eventually cleaned it all off in all the far flung corners. After softening it up, it came off in flakes which I then had to 'gather' with a different bit of rag which had some sticky grease on it. Took a day but worked perfectly! If petrol doesnt dissolve it then test drip alternatives such as paint thinners or acetone on to it and see which strikes the best. Mopping off with a brush or rag is always going to be more efficient than sloshing the stuff around.

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Difficult one this Clive,whatever you do please dispose of it in a legal manner,it is Hazardous waste and as such must be disposed of in the proper manner.You will need a disposle number from the enviromental health office ,this you will need to give to your contractor before he can remove it,he will inform the authorities when it is to be transported in case of an accident.Now the paper and/or rags thats a different matter you will need a seperate waste firm for those.Please wear goggles, gloves etc or a biological suit if you have one before attempting the job.As it is a petroleum product i would advise a fire extinguisher at the ready.please make sure it was tested and in date.If you are pressure washing this tank you will need to install a triple chamber interceptor to catch the water and employ another contractor to remove the same.If you are doing this work on a business premises please turn off your radio ,

in case any customers or staff over hear it.You dont want the PRS after you.Might be cheaper to have a new one made.Merry xmas:-D:-D:-D

[Marmite!!]

Steam clean will shift it...

[N.O.S.]

Yep, steam cleaning was the standard method for cleaning very large oil/fuel tanks until the advent of solvents.

[Rick W]

Try marine Clean from Frosts.

[fv1609]

Thank you all. Trying to use things to hand really. I have a steam machine but its only good for huffing wall paper off. I think I'll try a pressure washer first that is bound to get something off. Then swishing boiling water around & see what that shifts. Although I wonder if the steam huffer left long enough fed into the tank would sweat if off so that the gunge would dribble out?

 

Then I'll see what acetone type things do which I think might be similar to spray on carb cleaner which I suppose must help with dissolving petrol crud.

 

Seeing all that gunge I am relieved that the carb is still working. But that does need a good dismantle anyway.

[Richard Farrant]

Thank you all. Trying to use things to hand really. I have a steam machine but its only good for huffing wall paper off.

 

Clive,

 

I once had to resurrect a Sexton which had not been started for about 20 years. Opening the filler cap, the smell was awful. Anyway, I removed the giant carb, it has a 9 cyl radial engine, and it was about half an inch of what looked like tar in the bottom. It defeated all sorts of solvents, eventually I was able to soften it up with cellulose thinners, but had to leave it soaking for several days. It might be worth using Gunwash, which is a cheap cellulose thinner, leave it to soak, then you want a high pressure steam cleaner with a lance that will get right inside the tank. Normal pressure washer is no good, it is the heat that does the trick.

[Tony B]

Carb cleaner will remove it but you need a lot of cans. Acetone or Carbon tetrachloride. Parafin and disel mix slightly warmed and sprayed through a parrafin gun works, you can burn the resultant goo or dispose of through a recyle bin.

[fc101daz]

Hi Clive,

Richards right a steam cleaner will shift it,but you do need the heat of a steam cleaner not just pressure.I've just had to do this to the tank of a car we are restoring at work!!!We have an industrial steam cleaner at work though.The only problem I had was access in the tank to make sure you get it all out.Maybe worth trying to find someone local to you with a steam cleaner you could beg/steal/borrow!

Daren

[fv1609]

I had thought of feeding the hot water supply into the pressure washer, then I thought maybe the thing won't withstand the heat. But even so I realise it won't be as good as steam. I'm tempted to put the tube from the steam wallpaper huffer into the tank & leave it for several hours & see if the gunge will creep out of the drain hole?

[Tony B]

Should work as you say Clive, add some gunk and stick inside a large plastic bag do it yourself steam chamber. Stick tank on a couple of bricks should give clearance for drainage. You can by small hand held household steamers for a few quid, work well on small parts.

[antarmike]

Get a good bonfire going, make sure the neighbours are out.....

[fv1609]

I once had to resurrect a Sexton

 

Did he fall in his own grave? :cool2:

[abn deuce]

Over here We had one or more pressue washer companies (MITM, Titan) that make a stand alone add on boiler that could burn Diesel /Home heating oil or kerosene they needed a AC supply to run the burner blower assy. since they went on the output side of the cold water pressure washer up to 3000 psi or so ,the pump never saw the heat. they ran some where about 180 degrees f .

A real Steam system I d think would be better as its heat output would be much higher and I d think be lower psi so less gunk to be splatted about.

[Richard Farrant]

Did he fall in his own grave? :cool2:

 

something like that :-D

[fv1609]

I decided on the pressure washer option. I have no doubt steam washing is best but, the hire of that looks to be about £50 with VAT, I will have to travel 12-15 miles to get one, faff around in a shop then return it so that process could easily take 2 hours. Today is Sunday & I want to get on with it & avoid paying out!

 

The problem was the pressure washer, was not being able to most of the target area.

 

Before

 

After

 

Before

 

After

 

I haven't finished, but darkness stopped activities. I tried some carb cleaner on float assembly & that was useless. So I'll try the slow long steaming on everything tomorrow.

 

The tank above the fuel level is a bit rusty from condensation. I'm wire brushing that. Now the tank is off is there anything I can "paint" it with to cover it up or do all these lining ultimately peel away & contribute to general detritus in the bottom of the tank?

[Marmite!!]

 

The tank above the fuel level is a bit rusty from condensation. I'm wire brushing that. Now the tank is off is there anything I can "paint" it with to cover it up or do all these lining ultimately peel away & contribute to general detritus in the bottom of the tank?

 

http://www.frost.co.uk/item_Detail.asp?productID=8232&frostProductName=Fuel+Tank+Sealer+%28US+Quart%2C+946ml%29++&catID=25&subCatID=&FrostCat=Tanks&FrostSubcat=&ref=champ

[Grasshopper]

Can't remember the name of it, but there is a fuel tank sealer that was recommended on the G503 forum. Mike used it on his MUTT restoration, you may find it on his MUTT restoration thread on this forum. I know it took him 2 weeks of hard scrubbing to clean the drips from his hands!

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Shame its not a champ Clive the tank was tinned from new,:cool2:

[MiketheBike]

Blimey,

 

reminds me of my youngest kid's first nappy...that was also like tar. If I had thought of the steam cleaner I would not have had to use petrol!

 

I also thought of calling out those guys that do mobile oven cleaning.

[LarryH57]

Things must be bad if Clive has to ask a question!

 

BTW - what vehicle is the tank from? It looked a bit like a Landrover

[fv1609]

what vehicle is the tank from? It looked a bit like a Landrover

 

Mk 1 Shorland on a 1965 S2A

[Guest catweazle (Banned Member)]

Mk 1 Shorland on a 1965 S2A

Were they heavy Clive,i am thinking Layshafts/halfshafts did they cope ok.

[fv1609]

Were they heavy Clive,i am thinking Layshafts/halfshafts did they cope ok.

 

It seems in effect to be a 1-Ton chassis, before the 1-Ton was officially manufactured. It is serial no.9 which makes it the oldest surviving Shorland in the world. Will sit beside the Pig which is the oldest surviving Pig in the world.