Cleaning inside a fuel tank

[-Cappo-]

I’m still deciding what to do with my old Kettle, but step 1 is definitely “get it running”, which I have, using a temporary tank.

I’d like to give it a run, so I dug out the actual tank. I thought this was empty but it wasn’t, so I’ve drained about 4 litres of evil, brown, stinking liquid out of it.

The inside is therefore obviously not very clean! There’s also a bit of surface rust - fortunately not a lot. I know of the nuts and bolts option but I’m not sure what liquid to use. Suggestions I’ve seen range from proprietary stuff to white vinegar, caustic soda, or other types of acid.

Just wanted to see what people here have used, so I can get on with it?

(secondary question - how do I get rid of 4L of murky brown liquid which used to be petrol? My local HWRC won’t take it….altho they take old oil )

[cliffords]

I bought a gallon of vinegar from e bay and added a fair bit of bicarbonate of soda. Fizzed up a lot and looked a bit dramatic. I left it in a tank for a few days, regularly shaking. The tank that is .
It did a remarkably good job .

I did the bad thing with the stale petrol in my garden. Nothing stopped growing

[SS427 Camaro]

White vinegar, works a treat, leave it for 3 days then drain it.
Then flush it straight away with a 2 T mix,, dont delay as it will corrode super quickly otherwise !

[-Cappo-]

Thanks both, I’ll get some vinegar ordered and crack on.

Fuel disposal option noted!

[podman]

If the home brew stuff doesn’t work, I can wholeheartedly recommend VapoRust, done a few tanks and other items init over the years, for a rusty chromed brake lever to a OE tool kit…it’s reusable as well .

Good luck.

[Marquezs Stabilisers]

Fairy and hot water for inside the tank. Then you can upgrade if necessary.

For the old petrol, put in a bowl, and add a long taper and some fuel that will burn. Could be wood, if you want to live on the edge, real petrol. The actual fuel will burn off the crap when you light it

[Biker 1]

4 litres of petrol will make a massive fireball!
Maybe decant into old beer cans & put them one at a time on a bonfire. Charred cans can then be put in the recycling...

[stang65]

I'd just add a litre of "fuel" to the old oil on each oil change and get it into the tip that way, although it would take a while to get rid of all of it obviously. I wouldn't risk lighting it, maybe I'm too risk averse though.

[s p a c e m a n]

My tip never check what I'm pouring into the old oil tank as long as it's in old oil bottles. In fact I've poured old oil in there from a 5 litre paint pot before so I don't think they give a fk about much

[bimsb6]

Jenolite is awesome for removing/ treating rust , just paint it on and the rust disappears, i had some in the workshop ( no idea where it came from) used it to treat the underside of a ktm petrol tank , it came out better than i hoped for .

[flushedmonkey]

Mix a bit into the old oil you take to the tip as others have said. I couldn't dispose of old fuel any other way. I tried burning some, but it took a remarkably long time, and it absolutely stank.

[Milkyway]

cliffords said:

I bought a gallon of vinegar from e bay and added a fair bit of bicarbonate of soda. Fizzed up a lot and looked a bit dramatic. I left it in a tank for a few days, regularly shaking. The tank that is .
It did a remarkably good job .

I did the bad thing with the stale petrol in my garden. Nothing stopped growing

Where would we be without White wine vinegar & Bi-Carb.
(Or Steradent... The strong one)

I seem to remember an Aussie doing that on one of Mike Brewer's tours.
But the guy did that on the cooling system.
Brewer was amazed at the resultant residue that was flushed through.

NB: Henry Cole's preferred method uses stones... Shake, shake, shake.
(Flat cap & Prat Fall is optional).

Edited by Milkyway on Thursday 6th August 12:16

[Bob_Defly]

If you do vinegar and bi-carb, it looks fizzy, but you're basically neutralising it before it can work. Just do vinegar.

[Steve Bass]

Bob_Defly said:

If you do vinegar and bi-carb, it looks fizzy, but you're basically neutralising it before it can work. Just do vinegar.

^^^^ This

If you add them together, you've just made salt water and carbon dioxide gas.
As Bob says, use vinegar then rinse with clean water and repeat if needed.
If the rust is a little heavier, a soft aggregate can help to remove the heavier parts with gentle agitation before using the vinegar. Doesn't actually take too long to get a really good scour going.

[ModZ1R]

always found a mixture of full fat coke and harpic cleans the inside of a tank a treat

[hondajack85]

Biker 1 said:

4 litres of petrol will make a massive fireball!
Maybe decant into old beer cans & put them one at a time on a bonfire. Charred cans can then be put in the recycling...

As much as a lunatic solution as the original.

[Milkyway]

hondajack85 said:

Biker 1 said:

4 litres of petrol will make a massive fireball!
Maybe decant into old beer cans & put them one at a time on a bonfire. Charred cans can then be put in the recycling...

As much as a lunatic solution as the original.

Fill up with fresh fuel... & drip feed the stale back in.

[-Cappo-]

Milkyway said:

Fill up with fresh fuel... & drip feed the stale back in.

From a visual and smell test, it’s way too far gone for that! I usually chuck old fuel in my old Defender but this stuff isn’t even good enough for that!