Fuel Tank Gunk

TobbyT

TobbyT

Member
You see I bought this 1950 Ford F3 and I have no history on this truck. I suspect my fuel tank has a lot of that nasty, stinky, black, tar like gunk in it from old gas. This gunk has clogged up the fuel pump screen and has coated the collection bowl.

Is there any way to clean this gunk out of the tank ? The tank seems to be in good shape.

I hope it’s not like kudzu. The only way to get rid of kudzu is to sale your land and move away.
 
One of the past posts.... I was one of the ones that tried E-85... Put in 1/4-to-1/3 tank, and slosh it around for a couple weeks. Cleaned real good.
Slosh-around method = put it in the back of pickup, and drive it. I think one of the 'other posters' (in old threads) was transporting a car on a trailer - a few hundred miles - & simply put in the E-85 while he was moving the car - never took tank out.
 
That was yours truly with a 1936 John Deere B from TX to WI . The E-85 turned both tanks from lined with petrified brown crud to brown slime that flushed out & left both tanks looking as silver inside as the day they were made . Took bobH 's advice & threw a 33 tank with much petrified crap in it in the back of the farm pickup - put a couple gallons of E-85 in it . Checked it a while later & same thing - brown slime that rinsed out to leave a NICE gas tank . Remember rusted tanks are not really going to clean up but the crappy old gas will . Someone on that old thread suggested using a secondary fuel supply to drive the car around with E-85 in the main tank . I would guess that would work fine as long as you can get the drain plug out . Would save the hassle of removing the tank . I plan on trying that but I have no candidates with crappy tanks in them at present .
bobH said:
One of the past posts.... I was one of the ones that tried E-85... Put in 1/4-to-1/3 tank, and slosh it around for a couple weeks. Cleaned real good.
Slosh-around method = put it in the back of pickup, and drive it. I think one of the 'other posters' (in old threads) was transporting a car on a trailer - a few hundred miles - & simply put in the E-85 while he was moving the car - never took tank out.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
I used a strong solution of Arm & Hammer washing soda (sodium carbonate). This is the same stuff I use for electrolytic rust removal, so I have it around.

It's a pretty strong detergent and cleaned the tank nicely.
 
Thanks guys for all the good info. It sure is good having experts willing to give advice to a middle-aged flathead rookie.
Tobby
 
I had same issue with my 1950 Ford coupe, after being in storage for 30 years the old gas was sludge ... I took to my local radiator shop, they put it in a large tank and boiled it out, they had to use muratic acid due to the thick crud.... the shop had it for a month.. cost me just over $125 but it's the orig tank and like new when I picked er up...I didn't want to do a DIY job , and possibly have clogged fuel lines some day on the road...
 
On the other hand, you can buy a brand new tank from LMC and many others for $200 + shipping. After you've bought and disposed of all the nasty chemicals to clean your old tank, and found pinholes... you'll wonder why you didn't just buy a new one. :confused:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top