Plastic mesh/wool material in fuel tank .....

Crazy Horse · Jun 28, 2018

Looking at the small engine from an old 2-man hand-held post hole auger. Engine is a small Tecumseh 2-stroke engine that powers it. When I looked inside the gas tank, I noticed it seems to be pretty much filled with what appears to be black plastic mesh, looks like a plastic Brillo pad inside. Never saw anything like this before. Anybody fill me in on what it's there for?

Engine hasn't been started or run for years and years. I wonder what shape the plastic stuff is in and if a guy could pick it out somehow?

Janicholson · Jun 28, 2018

Probably anti splash/surge material. Unless it seems to be deteriorating, leave it. Jim

Barts Dad · Jun 28, 2018

Antisplash baffle material. It can usually be removed if it?s gunked with stale fuel, carb/throttle body cleaner works well for that. Soak it well and roll it around in a clean shop rag, reinstall.

jeffcat · Jun 28, 2018

Agree with the others. Anti surge. Old railroad lanterns had a special type of paper rolled up in the tanks on the lamps that served the same purpose. They also used cotton waste stuffed in the tank. If it ain't broke leave it. Just be careful because some types of cleaners will destroy it. Had a Briggs and Stratton on a generator with a very large oiled sponge foam air filter. Perfectly fine. The next spring just checking stuff and unscrewed the big metal cover can. The whole sponge filter just collapsed in front of my eyes! New one was cheep enough but it was like a souffle, just Phhhht.

T.R.K. · Jun 28, 2018

It works like a fuel cell in a race car. If it is tipped over, the fuel doesn't all come out at once.

Lots of the old Briggs 5 hp engines had that in the tank.

Briggs also put some green foam in some of their plastic tanks. They said at service school that it was supposed to absorb something that the gasoline leached out of the new plastic from the new plastic tank. They also said if it appears to melt, not to worry about it it would not hurt anything not being there since by the time the foam melted the tank was no longer new.

Plastic mesh/wool material in fuel tank .....

Crazy Horse

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Janicholson

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Barts Dad

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jeffcat

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T.R.K.

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