Gas Tank Cleaning?

Will Herring · Jul 25, 2014

Trying to clean the gas tank out on my WD since I know it is full of rust. What are my options? Just swirling the gas around in it seems like it wouldn't do it... Hot water? Cold water? White Vinegar/Water solution? Gasoline? Not ready to bite the bullet and line the tank yet.

Hobo,NC · Jul 25, 2014

Until you eat that bullet and prep the tank for a quality liner rust is gonna win every time...

Alan K · Jul 25, 2014

I agree. If you get it cleaned out it will work...for a while until rust shows up again, and it will quicker than you think. Even finding a different tank would be an option as well.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 25, 2014

A gallon of muratic acid, small link chain, and strap it to a jacked up rear tire of another tractor. Let it just idle in first and reverse and reposition it every five minutes. Plug all of the ports and hopefully a light breeze to keep the fumes moving. Rinse with water and then alcohol/brake cleaner let dry. chris

el6147 · Jul 25, 2014

my email is open , contact me and will help you with
cleaning , mention fuel tank in response.

Tom Bond · Jul 25, 2014

Will, go for the liner. I was in the same predicament and ate the $75 bullet and it was worth every penny. I used the POR-15 kit and will never look back. When you prep it as directed, this stuff is amazing. Like anything else, the prep is the most important part. It's been in my tank for 3 years now and not one flake has come loose. Just my opinion.

JD Seller · Jul 25, 2014

matthies: Has the best way I know of to clean a tank. Then keep it full of fuel. As any tank will rust above the fuel.

As for the tank treatments and liners. I have seen too many come off to ever use one on anything I own. Most of them will really screw up your fuel tank

JMS/.MN · Jul 25, 2014

I mounted an extra WD tank bracket on a cement mixer tank. Put steel nuts in it and run it overnight. I don"t use gravel.....steel can be retrieved with a magnet to get it all out.

Hobo,NC · Jul 26, 2014

The issue with Muratic acid is it will immediately start to rust as soon as you rinse it out and from there its all down hill... What protection the medal had is gone forever. Why liners fail is folks are to lazy to prep the tank for a liner and believe in magic.. I don't use Muratic acid anymore and the few time I have are because the tank was so rusty it should have been trashed to begin with... I have tanks with a liner going well over 10 years they look as good as the day I lined them. A little extra work pays big dividends

http://forums.yesterdaystractors.com/viewtopic.php?t=244783&highlight=

J.Wondergem · Jul 26, 2014

I agree with JD Seller. The last one that I done, I tried electrolysis. That turned out good and so did the one that I done with muriatic acid. But I used a 50/50 mix of water and acid. Just keep the tank full of gas after you do it.

TomA in CA · Jul 26, 2014

I use these screens in all my gas tanks. Youwill never keep all crud out of a tank. With one of these screens nothing will get to your carb.

http://www.external_link/ABC1315-fuel-tank-screen--slides-on-top-of-sediment-bowl-inlet

Prawn Farmer · Jul 26, 2014

I've soaked a couple of tanks with lye (Drano)along with some pea-gravel. Rinsed it out with muratic acid/water and let the sun bake it dry. Use a tank sealer in it right away, drained out the excess plastic and let it dry in the sun for another couple of days. Rinsed with some gasoline to get some of the liner dye residue out. Has been a few years with no problems on either tractor.

Kenster · Jul 26, 2014

I had that issue when I first got my 8N several years ago. I removed the tank and took it to a radiator shop to get cleaned out really good. Replaced the fuel line and shut off valve, too.

Haven't had a problem since. I keep the tank full to help cut down on condensation which causes the rust.

redtom · Jul 26, 2014

I was a liner guy until this year. I've had several done in the past. Had a Cub done in the 90's and now the red liner coating all disintegrated into crud like coffee grounds! I've had it off 3 times and hot power washed it out as best could (it has a baffle so its not a straight shot). Another one I had done caused the gas to flow red colored for several years. I haven't looked in that one lately. So I'm not real sold on the liner stuff.

Will Herring · Jul 26, 2014

Thanks for all the feedback guys; I am listening intently to all of you.

Small update: I was out today trying to get the gas tank off, but the two bolts underneath the tank are being obstinate (the strap came right off though). So I soaked them in all manner of penetrating oils and liquids I had on hand thoroughly and will try again tomorrow (or if nothing else; soak them again tomorrow). I assume the bolts are threaded internally somewhere? And that breaking them off would be very bad?

rustyfarmall · Jul 26, 2014

(quoted from post at 21:14:31 07/25/14) matthies: Has the best way I know of to clean a tank. Then keep it full of fuel. As any tank will rust above the fuel.

As for the tank treatments and liners. I have seen too many come off to ever use one on anything I own. Most of them will really screw up your fuel tank

Count me in as a believer in muriatic acid. I tried it many years ago in desperation, 'cause nothing else was working. I did not yet have a computer, or access to the internet. I came up with the idea of muriatic acid all on my own. After the tank was clean, I did use that liner stuff. 3 months later I had to use the acid once again to remove the liner because IT was causing problems. No problems in over 10 years now.

Rocks, chains, and assorted other hardware junk should NEVER be put into a gas tank. That stuff will become lodged in behind the baffle, and you'll never get it out.

Will Herring · Jul 26, 2014

There isn't a baffle in an Allis Chalmers WD tank is there? I always assumed it was a one piece.

Frank 41 · Jul 26, 2014

E85 will take the rust out.

Will Herring · Aug 3, 2014

Just figured I'd give everyone an update... Gas tank is off and I've started with the nuts and bolts method (farm and home store had 'em on sale for $1.49 a pound last weekend). Unfortunately I haven't rigged up a way to have something spin it for me... So I've been doing it by hand. About 15 minutes is all my poor body will take in one go. Have gotten quite a good deal of rust out already. Been taking the parts out at the end of the 15 minutes to clean the rust off them, then start again fresh the next time.

Will Herring · Aug 3, 2014

Here's the rust in my sediment bowl and that came out of my tank just when I took it off before I even put anything in the tank to knock it loose with!

Hobo,NC · Aug 3, 2014

Once you shake and bake it whats your next plan of attack...

Will Herring · Aug 3, 2014

(quoted from post at 22:12:11 08/03/14)
Once you shake and bake it whats your next plan of attack...

Probably just swish it out several times with gas (or mayhaps diesel instead) to try and get the loose particulate out, and put her back on. I'm not ready to commit to lining it, yet.

John_PA · Aug 3, 2014

Will,

Not sure if you have a tractor supply near you, but, they sell a product called evaporust. Home depot and lowes carry one called wd-40 rust remover soak. I personally prefer the evaporust.

It's about $20 a gallon. You fill the tank up to the top with the stuff and walk away. It won't eat the steel, it just bonds the iron oxide and turns it black and it floats to the bottom. After half a day of soaking, just dump the stuff out, strain out the biggest chunks, refill it some, swash it around, dump out, then refill. You don't need to buy new solution each time you dump it, just strain it out. It might take 2 days of soaking but it will convert it all.

Using a garden hose to flush all the loose stuff out works good, as does a shop vac. Of course don't shop vac the tank if there is any gas or fumes. haha

spraying wd-40 into the tank and getting it all coated well after rinsing is the best way to prevent rusting. the "WD" in WD-40 actually stands for "water displacement" formula 40. It will make any remaining water bead up, and you can use a shop vac and air hoses and anything else to get the last bit of moisture out. You can also save all that $20 a gallon solution to dunk any rusty parts or tools in. It works unbelievably well. I have used it several times to unfreeze rusted pliers and threaded or geared things.

Hobo,NC · Aug 4, 2014

You need to tread the metal with something what you do is your call if you do not line it the rust will win you loose... Even if its a rust treatment the rust will return as metal has no defense... The metal they used originally and in most cases was a metal (there's a name for it I forget the name) that was coated to resist rust...

If that's all you plan to do treat it with acid, mix up some baking soda with water to neutralize it then treat with metal prep... At least try and kill whats there to buy you some time...

Will Herring · Aug 5, 2014

(quoted from post at 22:44:47 08/03/14)
Using a garden hose to flush all the loose stuff out works good, as does a shop vac. Of course don't shop vac the tank if there is any gas or fumes. haha

spraying wd-40 into the tank and getting it all coated well after rinsing is the best way to prevent rusting. the "WD" in WD-40 actually stands for "water displacement" formula 40.

Actually when I went out to shake this up again last night I ran it with my pound of nuts and bolts by hand for a good 20 minutes, and stopped every 3 to 4 minutes to put the shop vac on it for about a minute and let it suck out the crap that was floating airborne in the tank. I tell ya what, I plugged that filter bad enough to have to clean it out 3 times in just one session last night. About 20 minutes is all I can muster to shaking that thing at a time and keep twisting it in the air and getting everything to spin around within the tank (I think I'm out of shape! Or just dumb!).

Also picked up a small container of 2000 zinc BBs on the cheap. Figured I'd try tossing them in there as a last attempt to roll something around to knock any lingering crap off, then I like the idea of using some WD-40 inside the tank (after I swish it out some with some gas or diesel for any loose crap, and after I blast it out with some more air/vaccuuming).

Gas Tank Cleaning?

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