thecause17

I did a search, and found nothing, but here goes...


I finally solved the rev problem my SE was having. It wouldn't rev past 4k in neutral, and would die at lower rpms under load. After doing a complete tune-up, I was ready to send my injectors out for cleaning, when someone suggesting taking a look at the strainer on the inlet hose of the fuel pump....

I did, and it was full to the top with dirty. I cleaned it out, put it back together, and the problem was gone, took the car out, and it even chirped 2nd and 3rd with 215's out back. But when I got it back to the house, it did the exact same thing as before, it started to idel funny. I think the strainer is clogged again already. So there must be a lot of dirt in my tank. I see no problem in dropping the tank, BUT, what should I use to clean it out inside? I want to get this dirt out all at once, not have to clean the strainer out every 3 miles until all the dirt is gone.

Any ideas? Hell, how much is a new tank, although I don't plan to go that route....

FuLLsMoKe

Don't remember exact cost but tanks = expensive.

Tanks are hard to clean... I'm wondering how other people do it too
There is a drain plug near the driver's side... You could start there.

BTW--What mods u got? I ask because I can't chirp in 3rd

inittab

When I reconditioned my tank I cleaned it out with MARINE CLEAN. It's an excellent water-based cleaner!

--Bob

thecause17

None, although my 215's aren't exactly the stickiest tires....


Anyways, can you get Marin Clean in a store, or do you have to order it? I think even a simple flush would fix the problem, but I want to make sure, and not find out otherwise later...

FuLLsMoKe

What about the purple stuff made by Castrol?

justrx8

remove gas tank an take it to radiator shop they will clean it and put it on a hot plate to dry the inside thats what i did with mine after the car sat for 7 years . now it very clean ...

Sammymatik

I just pulled my tank... had to swap in an FC pump... anyhow, I mine wasn't rusted inside or but the cutting I did left some chunkies so i just washed it out with water about 3 times. clean afterthat!

Left the tank outside in the 100 degree sun for 3 days... it dried quick.

rich367

There is also another screen inside the gas tank that you should replace. And a new tank is over $300.

vipernicus42

iTrader: (4)

Yeah, actually I just called a few days ago for gas tank repair/replacement/cleaning info around town.

I found a gas tank/rad place in Gloucester that's gonna patch up the hole, clean the tank, and install the new fuel level sensor for 170 Canuck Bucks. (about $120 for you yankees). Not too shabby at all! I have to drop it myself, and reinstall it too, but that's no prob.

The drain plug on mine is... wierd. It is very small, my owner's manual and heynes say it shouldn't be there, and it seems to be welded shut.... wtf? I haven't tried to force it open, or rather, haven't tried at all to get it off.. but when I get the tank cleaned, I think I'm gonna ask them to check that, and perhaps punch it and give me a new plug... it would be nice to be able to drain the tank at a whim, I could have used that after the 5 years of sitting the tank did... my car is gonna be so happy to be clean.

But yeah, take it to a gas tank/rad place, they'll do a good job, and probably for cheap, considering all they're doing on mine for such a low price. According to the Heynes "a good shop will flush the tank out thoroughly with water and then steam"... or something like that. Basically, they clean it, use de-gunkifyer, rinse it, then put it on the hotplate as mentioned above so that you have no moisture getting into your gas.

New tanks are like $360USD at Mazdatrix, one of the few places I've found that can get them. All the local places say they're "impossible to get". 360USD is too steep for me for a tank, that's for damn sure!

Jon

MarkPerez

I'm playing the tank game too. After 6 years of sitting
let me tell you : Everything inside the tank,,wasted.
The filter that is attached to the pick-up tube , ******* history ! the pick-up tube clogged, and the return 'line'
tube also clogged. My -SE has a drain plug on the tank.
So far useing water seems to work as to cleaning out the tank. I think i'm going to take it to the car wash and use the hi-presure set-up they got for the final dunk.
I swear after all this, that **** better work, if you know what i mean ?? $300.00 dollors for a gas tank. they fell out of there tree.

DriveFast7

iTrader: (1)

i just restored the 21 gallon gastank on my REPU. Cost about $60 overall.

1 gallon Castrol Super Clean
1 gallon POR-15 Marine Clean (only used 3/4)
1 gallon POR-15 Metal Ready (only used 1/2)
1 quart of POR-15 Standard fuel tank sealer

Dropped tank and flushed it with water 3 times. Then 1/2 gallon Castrol Super clean in there, sloshed and shook a lot, dumped out. Flushed with water many times. Put another 1/2 gallon Castrol in there and let it sit for a whole week. Rotated it onto another side once a day. Drain and flush.

Did the same exact thing again but with 50/50 Marine Clean and water per instructions. Shook it up real good before final drain. Flush with water.

Metal Ready derusted for one day and rotated it several times that day. Then flush and more Metal Ready for another week, rotating one side per day. Drain. flush with 1 quart of 50/50 Metal Ready and water so that it won't flash rust but enough water to neutralize the Metal Ready.

At this stage tank must be bone dry before applying sealer. I stuck my girlfriend's hair dryer into the fuel level sensor hole. Hot air went in, circulated, came out. Went out to dinner, came back watched movie, turned hair dryer off. Next morning more hair dryer for another hour. Tank was quite warm every surface touched.

Applied POR-15 Standard Fuel tank sealer, made sure to rotate and flip that tank down my driveway several several times so every surface gets coated. Flipped it side over side then end over end. Flipped corner to corner Drain excess. Sealed. Done!

And some people say I don't have patience! Simply a matter of how well you want your project to come out.

Excess sealer filled a big pothole in my driveway. That stuff's hard as concrete! Wear latex gloves!

MarkPerez

No **** ?

V8kilr

use gas it works great, J/K LOL

I remember when I was in kentucky with jeremy and we were trying to clean his tank with everything, including rocks and shaking it all around.



It really didnt work that great, since then I purchased a car with a bad tank and cut right to the chase, cut being the key word.

I drained the tank, rinsed well with water and then cut the top open and cleaned it like it was some rusted metal, just some acid and a brillo.

V8kilr

Look heres one of me lighting a lighter to see if there was still gas in the tank

thecause17

Thanks for the suggestions, I will see what I can do....

Randy Nix

Eastwood makes a kit similar to the POR-15 stuff. It works great, have used it twice so far, (different cars). The fumes from the sealer are very strong!

Wankelguy

You may also have to replace the pickup tube itself as once they start rusting internally, they'll continue to spew crud into the filter even if the rest of the tank is clean and has been treated. Very hard if not impossible to line the inside of the pickup tube and even if you could, I doubt that the added restriction would be all that desirable. Here's a trick I learned for inspecting the inside of the tank: Take the EMPTY tank into the garage and close the door so that you are in as near total darkness as you can get. Then shine a flashlight inside the tank and look through the hole for the sending unit. The inside of the tank will light up like you wouldn't believe! About putting rocks in the tank to help scrape out the rust and crud, I don't advise that, myself. Too hard to get ALL the rocks out afterward. Some people use a chain for that purpose so that it can be easily withdrawn afterwards. But the way these RX7 tanks are baffled doesn't lend itself to that method, unfortunately.

christaylor

When I was building my racecar a few months back I was having problems with fuel flow. Turns out the tank was full of basically asphalt (without the rocks ). Got a new tank for $50, and tried cleaning the old one. It took a long time to get rid of the asphalt, but I used Lacquer Thinner (or something like that) from Wal-Mart.

This is what the tank looked like on the inside:
http://www.taylor-racing.net/project...ank-inside.jpg
Pretty nasty ****.

NanaimoRx-7

That's gross man. I should check mine out someday.