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cleaning a gas tank

S

SHAWNSTER

1/2 ton status
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Sep 24, 2002
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Location
DALLAS,TX
I plan on dumping out the gas in a container, but what do I clean it out with-
mineral spirits, or ??? a friend said maybe diesel fuel not sure- also the hole on top of the tank is small-i have not opened it up yet but it is only 2-3 inches wide-not sure how clean i can get it-the shop that will seal it says it needs to be semi clean-what do yall think??
 
If this is a stock tank, if I curl my hand up, I cna fit it down, but can't get much more than the center to pick up crud...usually you can get most of it to collect in the center though.

I'd think gasoline itself to be a pretty good liquid to use.

A TBI replacement tank can be had brand new for around $130 just FYI. They are galvanized inside and out, so if the internals are already good, I don't see why you'd need it sealed. If they aren't good, replacement would seem a better bet to me, it's not like they are rare. Again, just assuming this is a stock tank. :)
 
its a 62 caddy tank

i dont want to replace unless 100 % have to. this is on my 62 caddy and i have not seen one yet and want to keep all original

thanks
 
Gotcha. When I drop tanks I always pull the sender, your '62 probably has an even smaller opening than the later stuff, and replacement might be difficult to get.

You could try letting it dry out, turning it upside down, and using an air compressor nozzle in there, that should eventually force out any particles that have accumulated.
 
few more ??

the sender was working when pulled-i plan on cleaning all contacts and I have to replace 1 or 2 wires- also is there any special hose to use for the filler neck- when dropping the tank from the hard filler there is a rubber hose from the filler to the tank and there was some kind of black tar tape wrapped around and i cut it in half to drop the tank-also there are 2 hose clamps 1 on each end of this hose that i broke-is it ok to use regular type hose clamps or would you suggest a differnt type-last question-after tanks is clean and sealed is it ok to wire and sand on it without the risk of sparking or exploding

thanks
 
I've had luck using a quart of gas and 3-4 cans of fuel system cleaner. dump that in the tank, add about 3 feet of chain and shake rattle and roll for a while...GENTLY... the chain can be fished out with a coat hanger and does a good job of knocking the crud loose.
 
They make specific hose for fuel fillers. It's a bit hard to find and pretty expensive, but I believe Napa carries it. Anything that old may not be so easy to find the right diameter for.
 
few more ???

so I emptied the tank and there was almost nothing in the tank-no crud or chunks of rust -there was a tiny pinch of sediment or something in the bottom of my bucket -a dime sized amount-so i have to finish today and take off the top cover and try to get my hand in there and see if i feel anything
the hole is maybe 2 inches wide-also can someone confirm it is ok to use hot hot water and let air dry in the sun for many hours

thanks
 
According to a GM tech report I read on this subject they suggest using HOT water and compressed air /air dry in sun. So the answer to your question on using hot water would be yes..
 
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