stinky gummy black fuel tank

[husq2100]

Hey all, what is the best way to clean a gummed up, stinky, black stained fuel tank. Tank is aluminium not plastic. I have filled it with acetone to soak over night. I do NOT have a USC.

cheers,
Serg

 

[BroncoRN]

Ive always filled it with gas or a degreaser and when that stuff softens up put the hose in there and blast that stuff out.

 

[CentaurG2]

Can of Berrymans b12 chem tool and a handful of ball bearings. Plug up the holes and shake vigorously. It should clean up like new.

 

[husq2100]

what is Berryman's B12 chem tool? I live in Australia and we dont always get your brands.......

 

[dave_376]

last one I cleaned I used bead chain and carb cleaner. Plug all the holes, and shake. Dump and repeat as needed.

 

[BroncoRN]

Berrymans is a strong carb/fuel system cleaner. Dont get it on painted surfaces.

 

[CentaurG2]

what is Berryman's B12 chem tool? I live in Australia and we dont always get your brands.......

Sorry, I did not check your location. Any solvent will work. Try a tank of mix or straight petrol. You could also use coleman lantern fuel (white gas) if it is available. The ball bearings (lead shot, small nuts, bbs,coins, pebbles, etc) and agitation do the bulk of the work. B12 Chem tool is strong stuff. It will eat through gloves and some plastics. Use with caution.

 

[pioneerguy600]

If you can get this;

It cleaned this out of the tank overnight, there was 3 weighted pickup filter units in there and 4 pieces of old gummy black fuel lines melted into black goo.

 

[husq2100]

Pioneerguy600, can you tell me the active ingrediants in that. A mate has recommended plumbers solvent that is used to prep PVC pipe for gluing. It is know to cause cancer so it must be good. Its a bugger doing this on the Alu tanks as dont want to get it on the good paint.

 

[pioneerguy600]

I know that there is plenty of nasty stuff in that cleaner, smells awful as well. The can is at the shop and I would have to have it in my hand to read it all again. It leaves a real cruddy tank sparkling clean after just soaking with it in the tank overnight, no shaking, agitating with ball bearings ,nuts or stones. It will remove almost anything you could find in a fuel tank, I have restored/ cleaned many dozens of fuel tanks with this stuff. I am leaving on an out of country trip in the morning so I won`t be able to get to that can of cleaner for a couple of weeks.

 

[Opihi59]

Material Safety Data Sheet

Pioneerguy600, can you tell me the active ingrediants in that. A mate has recommended plumbers solvent that is used to prep PVC pipe for gluing. It is know to cause cancer so it must be good. Its a bugger doing this on the Alu tanks as dont want to get it on the good paint.

Appears to contain some pretty nasty stuff, no wonder it cleans so well.

MSDS http://www.kleenflo.com/en/msds/651.pdf

Methylene Chloride/Trimethyl chloride, Xylene, O-dichlorobenzene, get the stuff hot like trying to speed it drying out with hot air gun etc you end up with Phosgene gas and Chlorine gas. Wear gloves and glasses, use it outside. I was a bit surprised it didn't have perchlorolethylene in it as well. Huh, wonder why they left that one out?

 

[Roanoker494]

Going to throw my 2 cents also........ Kerosene/mineral spirits and a hand full of gravel, shake, let it sit for a while, shake again and repeat as needed. Problem with gasoline and carb cleaner is it is so "blow uppie" and starting a fire is possible. A lot of degreasers are acid based and can damage the tank, spray it on your pretty mag wheels if you don't believe me.