Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[JC T ONE]

Hi all,

I have bought a car thats been standing for 31 years.

The old petrol have turned into oil again, and hardened up

Tried to pour some fresh petrol into the tank, but after days of waiting = nothing

So what do I use to attack this with ? Coca Cola ?

good weekend to all
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[kevin2306]

This

http://www.frost.co.uk/cleaner-degreaser-por15-marine-clean.html

Buy the large size and soak with very hot water.
I used it on an old motorcycle tank that had a lot of black petrol gunk (like black thick tar). I insulated the tank before filling it with the solution to keep the temps up for longer...came up like new.

Kev

[JC T ONE]

[COMMAD]

HEAT!!!!! You might blow your head off, Think again, be WARNED!!!!!!

[ukdave2002]

I used some cheap "gun wash" thinners on a wacker plate tank, it had stood half full for about 10 years and gone solid. It seemed to dissolve all the solid contents.

Thinking back to schoolboy chemistry..... what you have is some form of oxidised hydrocarbon, so it should be able to be broken down by water or alcohol?

Dave

[Old Wrench]

Try this:

http://www.starbrite.com/item/star-tron-tank-cleaner

To add to this thread:

Table 1. Composition by hydrocarbon
type of typical automotive gasolines


Composition Range


Alkanes
Alkenes
Isoalkanes
Cycloalkanes
Cycloalkenes
Total aromatics
Benzene
Paraffins (naphthenes)
Olefins
Aromatics

Reference Source here:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fmonographs.iarc.fr%2FENG%2FMonographs%2Fvol45%2Fmono45-8.pdf&ei=ykAdVKDBKsHd7QbdzoHQCw&usg=AFQjCNFTUCqrWvQi4agSsAKJSv819uACuA&bvm=bv.75775273,d.ZGU

Therefore, you must seek solvents to remove all hard deposits.

[Peter_L]

Perhaps consider cutting away a large area on top of the tank to allow mechanical access to remove the majority of the crud, then chemical clean, steam clean and then weld the piece back in. Pretty it up and paint.

[kevin2306]

[ukdave2002]

The more I think about this I think water is the answer. Put hot water into the tank if you have a way of keeping the tank hot without naked flames, great, see if it starts to disolve the solid stuff...it may take a few flushes.

Cheers

Dave

[colwyn500]

I used hot water, phosphoric acid, waterbased degreaser and a few old nuts, bolts and washers which I gently agitated every so often.........and lots of patience.

[JC T ONE]

Hi all & thanks for all your good advice will try some of them (wont cut the tank) and report back.
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[JC T ONE]

Hi all,

thanks for all your advice , tank is now "open" again.

After it had been soaking, i drained it again, and put a light inside the tank, here i could see the pipe & the metal mesh filter on the end.

all looked OK, so I put a thin piece of metal wire into the out line pipe.
It would only go halfway up/in.
I then took a old wire from a bike wheel, and hammered one end flat, and grinded the end like a drill, then fitted it into my drill, and went for it.
A lot of rusty dust came out, but still no clear passage.
I then filled the pipe with alcohol, and left it over night.
Next day the alcohol was absorbed, so I then filled it with diesel, and next day this was also gone.
Then it was time for another go, with the airgun & compressor. I had a friend holding the hose on to the pipe, as I managed the airgun, after a few seconds it cleared.
We then fitted the hose to the tank, and poured 4 liters of diesel in.
When the diesel went into the pipe, and started coming out the hose, we put a bolt into it, this way I was sure to have diesel inside the outline pipe.
I then put 25 different size nuts into the tank, and shook it around.
This was done for the next week, several times when I was in the workshop.
Then the tank was drained, and flushed with petrol.
Some areas do have a little rust on them, should I do something about this? or ?




Here is a link =
http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16456&highlight=



Jens Christian
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[colwyn500]

Jens, I think I used this and it also fixed lots of pinholes and areas where I had filled big holes with epoxy. Full instructions there but I got rust neutralised with phosphoric acid solution.
http://www.rust.co.uk/0002-slosh-ethanol-resistant-petrol-tank-seal/p405062/

[JC T ONE]