JSmith0101

iTrader: (6)

I just murdered two fuel filters in two days, my gas tank is horribly sedimented, I fear. What are some good ways to clean out my tank?

It's got maybe 11 gallons of fuel ATM.

I'm thinking just drain all the fuel and commence with burnination?

dbragg

iTrader: (7)

you need to drop the tank to see how bad it is

burnination?

RW-7

iTrader: (56)

you'll problably have to drop the tank to clean it properly. Check you local auto parts store most of them have a tank cleaner/sealer kit for around $50.

two79rx7's

see my post from a while back at

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/after-13-years-1984-gsl-se-gets-started-pulled-out-garage-673272/

at post #17
I goes through a description of how to recondition a tank.

If you dont have a drain plug and a few big buckets to SAFELY get the gas into, remove the sender or filler neck and siphon with a piece of old garden hose. then continue as I laid out in my post

let us know how you do

regards
two79rx7's

two79rx7's

what ever happened to your problem with the nikki.
if your clogging fuel filters that fast, my experience is you wont get gas to the carb accept for a hopeful burp occasionally.

Man_in_black49464

iTrader: (1)

Drop the tank, empty left over gas into a bucket of some kinds.

Grab the hose, stick it into the fill neck hole and leave it runing, if you do this on a hot day get you bathing suit on and fill the tank to the brim with water and the lift it up and pour it out.

After you do this about 10 times the leaving water will have sucked out the rust and dirt and junt.

After the water is mostly dumped out ither take your wifes hair dryer and sit with the tank for a wile, of just let it air dry.

Dump some PB blast in the tank and swirl it around this should remove most the left over water, and it will help prevent rust.

then reinstall.

dbragg

iTrader: (7)

i heard dumping a bottle of alcohol in the tank will get rid of the water. seems acetone would also. i have no experience with this method though.

Man_in_black49464

iTrader: (1)

That may work i have done this when i had an F Body, and it worked great.

JSmith0101

iTrader: (6)

I'd dump a couple bottles of heet.

I liek where this is going, thanks.

JSmith0101

iTrader: (6)

It (fuel flow) was good til I stirred the tank up when I put in some MMO. Then it went bad. I think the problem was that the tank was really empty when it was stored.

The nikki needed to be drilled out it was so bad, and the floats were both toast, but it didn't cost too much to have done. And it's reconditioned, basically, this guy does top notch work.

Man_in_black49464

iTrader: (1)

YOu should prolly blow out your fuel lines also and runa dual filter set up one befor then fuel pump and after.

DavidMyers53

I had the same problem. I had the tank cleaned at a radiator shop which didn't remove all the crud. I bought a kit off the Internnet that contains Marine Clean, Metal Etch, and PR15 sealer ($65). It takes several days to go through the cleaning/sealing process. I did this a year ago and have had no more problems with clogged fuel filters and crap getting into the carb.

- David

BARF1

When you commence burnination be sure to hit all the peasants and their thatch roof cottages, THATCH ROOF COTTAGES!!!

two79rx7's

DavidMyers53 is on the right track

you have to clean out the tank perfectly first , inspect for outside rust and find and repair any pinholes And CLEAN OUT ALL OF THE METAL LINES! or flow is impeeded. Then seal the tank or the rust and crud just cames back pretty fast especially with the ethanol gas we have .

otherwise continual crud problems my friends. I tried to cut corners, been there done that gave up nursing it and cleaned everything up.

The snippet from my post above from https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=673272

I had one that sat for about that long too.
the gas turned to a turpentine smell from what was left of the fluid part and there was about a 1/2" of black tar in the bottom of the tank from I guess the rest of the organic fraction. I figured this out when the fuel pump would not deliver gas to the carb. This tar also blocked the lines that were part of the tank.
I dropped the tank cleaned it out with denatured alchohol and wires in the lines or wood slats through the sender hole or filler neck to scoop this stuff up. Took time but it worked.

I dried the tank out then: then I found there was still scale and rust in the tank.

Rust and scale in the tank was removed by droping the tank on the lawn. the outside..... go at it with a wire wheel brush.

Pinhole openings from rust spots were all at the top most portion of the tank furthest away from organic layer near the openings. An epoxy putty was used to seal these by application from both inside and out..

I cleaned up the sender port and rebuilt the sender by checking resistance, soldered a weak terminal back in place and applied two layers of rustoleum paint on the outside as well as the rest of the tank. The whole thing looked really good at that pont .
I did not have time to coat the inside of the tank to prevent further deterioration but if you can I would highly recommend it. I think you can get this at the eastwood company in PA or POR15 has it too.

If you see alot or any rust/sediment in your gas filter... OR cant push air back into the tank through the gas line because it is now clogged, I dont think there is any way around doing the above process to renew things.

total cost about $3 for the paint and $5 for the alchoholbut this was a while ago.
Shops would either not do it or wanted about $120

All in all I think you might be OK because you stored the car inside;;;welcome!

hope all this info helps

end snippet.....

Glad you got your carb fixed but I never heard of drilling one out to fix one
Do you know anymore info on this?

regards
two79rx7's

tunafish

You need to drain the gas tank, drop the tank, and take the fuel lines off and fuel-sending unit.
Go to Sherwin Williams and buy one gallon of Muriatic Acid, wash out the tank with water until the water runs clear.
Fill the tank about a third full with water then add about 2 cups of acid always add the acid to the water not the reverse or it will bubble and spit in your face (long sleeves, safety goggles and rubber gloves).
Plug the holes swish it around turn every 15 minutes for about an hour repeat until your out of acid if it is really bad put a chain in the tank and rattle around to break up the rust.
Thoroughly rinse out the tank with water.
Buy the fuel tank restoration kit from POR 15 follow the directions and you will have no more problems with the tank.
Keep the lines clear when you pour the POR 15 in the tank or it will seal them shut.
After the acid bath the tank will flash rust overnight but its cool the product will adhere to the rust. Of course I am not responsible if you blow yourself up but I used this procedure and when done the tank may be better then new. Just be careful and use common sense.

boriqua51371

http://www.stoprust.net/POR-15-Fuel-...-Kit-p-11.html this is the best thing for your tank bar none.

DavidMyers53

That's the kit I used, and followed the instructions religiously. I also had the radiator shop put in new hardlines and braze up the holes where the old lines were. This eliminated a wire screen on the bottom of one of the lines that would have been sealed up by the POR15.

- David

JSmith0101

iTrader: (6)

From what I gathered, the carb was so bad, it's the worst my guy ever saw, and he's been doing this for awhile. Bad gas turns to varnish, bad varnish turns to something similar to cement, I guess, and it's worse when mixed with rust from bad internal components. No cleaning solution could touch the stuff, so he had to very delicately drill it out, but it was pretty easy, I guess, similar to wood, not rock or metal.