I've always had some terrific luck using the metal chain/ice cubes/rock salt, toss around the yard method in the past, but this time there's more sludge than simple rust and scale. Looks like a good solvent and a week's soaking is the way to go, THEN followed by the metal chain method. Can anyone recommend a good solvent that will penetrate, soften, liquify the typical sludge that usually forms at the bottom of an old partially gas filled tank? Thanks, Rob—



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-02-03 12:28 PM by NSFW.

See if Ye Olde Fashsioned Radiator Shoppe will do it for you. They have (or used have to before it became illegal) vats of strong chemicals for cleaning out radiators & such.

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Eric Russell ~ Mebane, NC
1961 MGA #61, 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV6, 1984 Alfa Romeo Spider, 1991 Honda ST1100

I was having heat sink and dirty gas in the fuel lines when I first started work on my 240Z. I dropped the tank, and started by having a radiator shop first clean it out (he doesn't boil). Inspecting the tank, there was quite a bit of rust in it, so I religiously followed the instructions with the POR 15 fuel tank restoration kit. Some say it doesn't work, but I'd would disagree. The fuel filter has been running clear for over a year now, and start up even in cold weather is possible now.

Yes, acetone (aka nail polish remover). A gallon at my local big box store costs $14. It won't touch rust though.

Another option is to take it to a car wash and hose it out yourself, though if innards rust is an issue, you might blow a hole through something.

Here' what I'd do - dump in two gallons of acetone, cover up all the openings, and let it sit a week or so, sloshing things around now and then. Dump the whole works into a metal pail (acetone will dissolve/weaken plastic ones) toss in another gallon and let that sit, dump it. My used acetone gets to sit in a used paint can in the sun, for the acetone to subsume. Fill the tank with straight white vinegar (aka acetic acid) to eat any rust, and let that sit another few days (a week). Dump that down the drain, and once dry, coat the innards with something from Eastwood or Summit, without the sending unit attached.

Go forth and do great things.

By the way, there are inexpensive gas tank sealers you can buy if you end up with pinhole leaks.

Rob,


2X on having the tank boiled out by a radiator shop.
The topic of cleaning/resealing the gas tanks has been gone over many times. Do a advance search here on MGE. PM sent.

John

A new one is only just over a hundred bucks plus shipping. .......said the guy who is at the moment cutting and shaping windshield wiper to cowl rubber seals...........two dollar parts......

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"Time flies like an arrow......Fruit flies like a banana"

????

Rob,

Are you trying to make a replacement wiper blade????

John

Hi John,
No. Making the elliptical seals that go between the outer wheel box fairing and the cowl. Actually just finished. Came out great. .......and now back to your regularly scheduled thread.........

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"Time flies like an arrow......Fruit flies like a banana"

X2 on replacing. My radiator shop charges more than the cost of a new one to clean an old one.

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Gary

Hammer: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate expensive car parts not far from the object we are trying to hit.

After you’ve gotten your tank taken care of (good suggestions here and John has done a lot of them) you should be able to negate the use of an in line filter. If you’re running a stock SU pump, there’s a filter screen in it. There also should be a screen in each carb float bowl inlet. With a clean system, this is all you should need. Here’s Barney’s page on it. I have had no problems with the stock set up.
http://mgaguru.com/mgtech/fuel/fu100b.htm

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"Time flies like an arrow......Fruit flies like a banana"

Thank you for the advice guys ! I'll try all of them as I haven't seen a radiator repair shop around here in close to twenty years. The tank is the one from the Corvette, specifically shaped so a fuel cell is out and expensive to replace, but that might be the remaining option if the clean-out and sealant fails. Rob—



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2019-02-03 02:09 PM by NSFW.

I have used apple cider vinegar. It’s a mild acid which is environmentally fine. Let it sit for a couple of days and it should take the nasty stuff out. If that’s not doing it try muriatic acid which is significantly stronger. Both can be neutralized with water so it’s not hazardous.