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Cleaning an H Gas Tank

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Doug Kieta

12-09-2007 06:02:10

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I am starting to get my H up and running. The gas tank has a coating that appears to be a wax-like substance, and it is blocking the outlet to the fuel line. Any suggstions how to clean this stuff out of the tank?

There was about an inch of this substance in the sediment bowl. I had to scrape it out, as gas would not cut it. Amazingly, the fuel line is clean, so I am hopeing the bowl trapped the material, and that the carb is not all gummed up. Once I get the tank clean, I will tackle the carb. First things first.

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CityBoy-McCoy

12-10-2007 17:27:54

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Re: Cleaning an H Gas Tank in reply to Doug Kieta, 12-09-2007 06:02:10

I did not want to take mine to a radiator shop because they boil it out and it takes the paint off the ourside of the tank, meaning I then would have to repaint the tank and it would never match the rest of the paint on the tractor. So, I bought 5 gals of Berryhill Carburetor Cleaner. I removed the tank from the tractor. I pluged the sediment bowl hole with a fitting. I poured about 2.5 gals of the carb cleaner in the tank. I swished the tank around several times a day. Let it stay in there about 24 hours. Poured the carb cleaner back into the can it came in so I could used it for other jobs. Rinsed out tank with water and let it soak in sun for a couple of hours to totally dry. It worked great. Total cost: $75 for Berryhill carb cleaner, which I still have for carb building, etc. Metal inside tank is very clean and no sealer is needed. mike

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Fancy Farm

12-09-2007 15:09:20

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Re: Cleaning an H Gas Tank in reply to Doug Kieta, 12-09-2007 06:02:10

1 gal of MEK 3 or 4 lbs of bolts nuts washers etc chain it to the wheel of another tractor and drive around for about 1 hour take it off replace MEK with diesel rinse well works for me.
By the way those bolts are a pain to get out but they will finally shake out. Get a can of tank liner and line the tank.

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georgeky

12-09-2007 10:34:01

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Re: Cleaning an H Gas Tank in reply to Doug Kieta, 12-09-2007 06:02:10

Here is what I do with them. I take the tank off the tractor, rinse it out with gas. Then I throw a couple hands full of nuts and bolts in the thing and give it a good shaking everytime I walk past it for a day or two. This will loosen up that junk, then rinse it good again and renstall. Works good.

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12-09-2007 08:52:00

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Re: Cleaning an H Gas Tank in reply to Doug Kieta, 12-09-2007 06:02:10

I thought my M tank looked nice n clean when I started working on it. Boy was I wrong. I seem to find all kinds of little peices of something when I try to use it. It plugs the fuel outlet and the then into the sedimant bowl. So as far as I am concernd, take it off, let a radiator shop clean it for you. Then you are not guessing if it is 100% clean.

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Andy Martin

12-09-2007 06:17:57

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Re: Cleaning an H Gas Tank in reply to Doug Kieta, 12-09-2007 06:02:10

If gas won't cut it (and it won't cut old solidified gasoline) I would open a hole from the bottom to let gas through. I've used a drill bit in my hand.

Then I install an inline fuel filter to catch bits of hard material and put the tractor in service. Eventually you will find the light ends in new gasoline will dissolve the old deposits but it takes years. In the interim, the inline filter keeps the carburetor clean.

I have done several tractors this way and rarely have to change the inline filter. If you are a purist replace the entire fuel line so you can reinstall it later. Likely it is not the factory fuel line anyway.

If you follow the other advice you will get here, you are in for a long effort to get everything cleaned out from behind the baffle in teh tank. Once you put in a solvent to soften the deposits you have to get it all out or it will bedevil you for years.

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teddy52food

12-09-2007 07:49:14

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Re: Cleaning an H Gas Tank in reply to Andy Martin, 12-09-2007 06:17:57

If you use an in line filter, make sure it is for gravity flow.

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GordoSD

12-09-2007 06:15:44

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Re: Cleaning an H Gas Tank in reply to Doug Kieta, 12-09-2007 06:02:10

I would start by trying all types of solvent on those peices you have from the bowl and see what will dissolve them. MEK, Alcohol, mineral spirits, laquer thinner, paint reducer, CArbon tet etc. If you find one use that. If that doesn't work, try a quality radiator shop. Or a good motorcycle shop. Motorcycle guys have a lot of these problems and they have a lot of good mechs that do this.
Good luck..

Gordo

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glennster

12-09-2007 07:50:31

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Re: Cleaning an H Gas Tank in reply to GordoSD, 12-09-2007 06:15:44

i agree with gordo, take it to a good rad shop, have it boiled out and put a liner in it. cost maybe 100 dollars grand total. i have done some myself, tumbled em, blasted em, chemicalized em, even yelled at em. pain in the behind. have a rad shop do this one if its that loaded with gook.

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GordoSD

12-09-2007 08:09:07

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Re: Cleaning an H Gas Tank in reply to glennster, 12-09-2007 07:50:31

My read on all those liner products is that they are to SEAL a leaking tank. Many of those M/C tanks have poor seams at the bottoms, both sides. I have yet to see a letter series farmall tank that was leaking from the side seams.When you pick them up you will see how heavy duty they are. No comparison to auto and m/c tanks made from lightweight alloys. If it ain't leaking when you get it clean, why put in some gunk that will eventually break down or harden. This is what caused the problem here. Someone dumped in some sealer for a quick fix for corrosion or dirt. Once it's clean, keep it clean and don't put any foreign matter in there. The fuel will keep it clean. I also ALWAYS use Stabil in all the tractors, mowers 4 wheelers, saws, boats,etc. Anything that sits around between fills.

Gordo

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Andy Martin

12-09-2007 08:51:20

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Re: Cleaning an H Gas Tank in reply to GordoSD, 12-09-2007 08:09:07

Amen. Sta-Bil is a great product.

Lots of times the gunk in a fuel tank is just old fuel.

The best thing to keep a Farmall running is to run it. That keeps the fuel sloshing around, warms the castings ot get rid of moisture, and exercises the tires.

The hardest thing on them is storage.

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