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How clean does a petrol tank have to be?
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DavidH



Joined: 14 Dec 2008
Posts: 4
Location: Sydney, Australia

PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:01 am    Post subject: How clean does a petrol tank have to be? Reply with quote

Hello all

Just joined the forum. I have a 53 Morris Minor approaching last stages of full resto. I have removed fuel tank and cleaned using a commercial cleaner designed for the job. Old petrol had been sitting for 25 years and had thickened inside. After cleaning I got out a lot of flakes of hardened material which I assume was hardened petrol. Looking inside with a it now looks cleaner but still grotty and dirty with some pitting. I don't believe there is any really serious rust.

Question is - how clean does the tank have to be? Should I have it professionally cleaned and sealed?
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David H
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Rick
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Joined: 27 Apr 2005
Posts: 22429
Location: UK

PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:17 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi David, welcome to the forum. If there is any flakey or corroded looking stuff in there, a sealant of some kind (either DIY or pro) sounds like a very good idea, last thing you need is bits of crud coming up into the fuel pump. An inline filter will help, but sealing the tank sounds like the way to go

Rick
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peter scott



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
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Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:18 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi David,

Welcome to the forum. In general I would think that if you've removed all loose material from the inside of the tank and you don't have any water in it then you won't have any problems. If you are still unsure about further flaking then you could always mount an in-line fuel filter somewhere out of sight. Preferably a transparent one that lets you see what's being caught.

Peter
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magic9r



Joined: 13 Dec 2008
Posts: 33

PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Get afriend to help you shake it or turn it over & over with ball bearings, parafin and gravel in it, wash it out with soapy water then a hose pipe, dry it with a hot air paint stripper blowing into & through the tank.
Use a slosh sealer and paint the outside with body cavity wax (cavitex or the like) and you'll not have any grief from it,
Regards,
Nick
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Greeney in France



Joined: 06 Mar 2008
Posts: 1173
Location: Limousin area of France

PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used a small cement mixer with one of my tanks, I lashed it to the front of the drum and set it turning, it worked a treat, looked a bit silly but what the heck, I did it to clean it out and seal it with the Eastwood tank sealer, saved standing there sloshing by hand


Up there for thinking down there for dancing Rolling Eyes Laughing
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47p2



Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Posts: 2009
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 9:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

What a clever idea Greeney

Is the mixer engine a Lister by chance?
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Greeney in France



Joined: 06 Mar 2008
Posts: 1173
Location: Limousin area of France

PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

No its a little electric one Rolling Eyes
I forgot to add because the drum is on a pivot too as it turns its very easy just to swing it back and forth, to reach the parts others do not Laughing
Worked really well and no leaks, I had a seam leak before that
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magic9r



Joined: 13 Dec 2008
Posts: 33

PostPosted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 10:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Greeney,
You are truly brilliant, I never thought to do anything but mix cement with my mixer Rolling Eyes , I'll try to be more creative in future,
Thanks,
Nick
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DavidH



Joined: 14 Dec 2008
Posts: 4
Location: Sydney, Australia

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 4:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you everyone

The fuel gauge sender unit is still inside the tank, so wary of rattling around stones, ball bearing etc. I could remove it but the slots on the screws are super thin - I cannot find a screwdriver to fit them! (any advice??) However, I think I will do this as it will allow me to see inside a lot better.

Once I refit the tank it will be time to turn the key and hope! Kind of exciting after four years of restoration! Only jobs remaining then are interior, final bleed of brakes and fitting indicators. I have retained the semaphores but am fitting flashers for safety
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Greeney in France



Joined: 06 Mar 2008
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Location: Limousin area of France

PostPosted: Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nick, I have always been a good problem solver the trouble is everyone around, friends, neighbours even strangers get the "asknick" syndrome Laughing
Do you have a grinder DavidH, just slowly grind a screwdriver down to fit, do it slowly and use a cup of water to stop it heating up and softening the blade. Otherwise just regrind a broken one, I always keep broken ones as they come in handy for all sorts of jobs.
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Jim.Walker



Joined: 27 Dec 2008
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Location: Chesterfield

PostPosted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have built/rebuilt several cars and motorbikes and if the petrol tank has not been used for a long time I always hang a small magnet inside just above the bottom, taking it out from time to time to clean it. You will be amazed how much rust scale you can collect.
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buzzy bee



Joined: 23 Nov 2007
Posts: 3382
Location: South Cheshire

PostPosted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 5:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

A friend has done simmilar to you Greeny, but put gravel and a solvent in the tank, before gripping it in the lathe, then just leave it to run on a slow speed for a few hours.

Mind you, you need a fairly good lathe to do this at home, so a cement mixer is a good idea!

Better to get the rubbish out first in someway, then seal it. You can put a line filter in for added assurance if you like, somewhere handy.

Other option, is there is a few companies that will come and clean them for you, got a big machine that looked like a steam cleaner to me, but I never asked.

Cheers

Dave
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47p2



Joined: 24 Nov 2007
Posts: 2009
Location: Glasgow

PostPosted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 8:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Greeney, what did you use inside the tank when it was on the mixer?
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peter scott



Joined: 18 Dec 2007
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Location: Edinburgh

PostPosted: Sat Jan 03, 2009 8:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

buzzy bee wrote:
Hi

A friend has done simmilar to you Greeny, but put gravel and a solvent in the tank, before gripping it in the lathe, then just leave it to run on a slow speed for a few hours.
Cheers

Dave


This sounds like a real man sized lathe. Shocked

Peter
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Greeney in France



Joined: 06 Mar 2008
Posts: 1173
Location: Limousin area of France

PostPosted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Greeney, what did you use inside the tank when it was on the mixer?


Sorry 47 I didnt see your question for some reason
Firstly I used a french granite pea gravel and wet sand, after flushing it out I used the metal prep that came from Eastwoods as a kit for the fuel tank lining fluid.
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