Gas tank sealer removal
- Thread starter Beechtech
- Start date
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
From my perspective (-and experience) the answer is 'not really' to be able to get it 100% clean. I use hot caustic to soften it (submerged for 3-4 days) and then scrape the coating away with a putty knife. In the hard-to-get-to areas, we use media under pressure to blow the softened coatings away.
DougVieyra
Well-known member
I had the same problem with my '28 Phaeton, which had the 'Sealer' installed during restoration in 1979.
After reading about 'solutions' for a year, covering a great number of website, magizine and book articles, and talking to experienced 'shade tree' and 'back-yard' mechanics, I did four things:
1. Drained gas out of tank and filled gas tank with 10 gallons of ChemTool B-12 carburetor cleaner. I let it 'set' for about a week. * This stuff is expensive, so buy the 5 gallon pails to save considerable money.
2. Drained out B-12 Carb. cleaner (saving it, to use again), and let tank set empty for another week. I then squeezed a toilent bowl brush down into the tank and scoured the bottom as much as I could. Remember that there are two baffles in the tank, which will restrict your scouring to only the center-most portion of the tank bottom. I then vacuumed out the bank bottom as best as I could.
I then ran another 'bath' of the (now strained and 'cleaned') B-12 Carb. Cleaner into the tank, to sit another week. Then drained it out of the tank (again, saving the Carb. Cleaner to use (filtered) again. I then poured about two gallons of gas into that tank, sloshing it around (one person on each running board - thrusting up & down) for about 10 minutes, and drained it out of the tank.
3. I then installed the famous 'Dog Leg" plumbing valve, etc. (found on another Forum thread) into the tank. I ran the car for about six months with the 'Dog Leg', draining out fine rust from the 'clean out' of the 'Dog Leg'.
4. After six months, I removed the 'Dog Leg' and installed the original factory shut-off valve, with the recommended 'Pencil' filter screen up in the gas tank.
I have been driving the car for about six months now, and so far have had no gas issues.
*There has to be a caveat - some will say your car may blow up if you vacuum your gas tank. Others will say other things. But, as you asked - I thought I would tell you my experience with cleaning out the goo and gum that filled my gas tank after the 'sealer' failed.
- Doug Vieyra
After reading about 'solutions' for a year, covering a great number of website, magizine and book articles, and talking to experienced 'shade tree' and 'back-yard' mechanics, I did four things:
1. Drained gas out of tank and filled gas tank with 10 gallons of ChemTool B-12 carburetor cleaner. I let it 'set' for about a week. * This stuff is expensive, so buy the 5 gallon pails to save considerable money.
2. Drained out B-12 Carb. cleaner (saving it, to use again), and let tank set empty for another week. I then squeezed a toilent bowl brush down into the tank and scoured the bottom as much as I could. Remember that there are two baffles in the tank, which will restrict your scouring to only the center-most portion of the tank bottom. I then vacuumed out the bank bottom as best as I could.
I then ran another 'bath' of the (now strained and 'cleaned') B-12 Carb. Cleaner into the tank, to sit another week. Then drained it out of the tank (again, saving the Carb. Cleaner to use (filtered) again. I then poured about two gallons of gas into that tank, sloshing it around (one person on each running board - thrusting up & down) for about 10 minutes, and drained it out of the tank.
3. I then installed the famous 'Dog Leg" plumbing valve, etc. (found on another Forum thread) into the tank. I ran the car for about six months with the 'Dog Leg', draining out fine rust from the 'clean out' of the 'Dog Leg'.
4. After six months, I removed the 'Dog Leg' and installed the original factory shut-off valve, with the recommended 'Pencil' filter screen up in the gas tank.
I have been driving the car for about six months now, and so far have had no gas issues.
*There has to be a caveat - some will say your car may blow up if you vacuum your gas tank. Others will say other things. But, as you asked - I thought I would tell you my experience with cleaning out the goo and gum that filled my gas tank after the 'sealer' failed.
- Doug Vieyra
Last edited:
Joe K
Well-known member
I have a small Kawasaki KG550 generator I picked up at the dump for free.
Yes, I know. Things come to the dump for a reason.
But I have yet to meet the engine I could not have fun with. And this looked like it had possibilities.
The problem I found was that the gas tank was coated FROM THE FACTORY with some sort of gookum-pucky which I suppose is similar to the stuff everyone has used on their Model A Ford gas tanks. This stuff had lifted with the alcohol in the gas and the carburetor system was PLUGGED with crap. (The generator was produced in the late 1970s/early 1980s and this is when gas tank sealants first became popular.)
My partial solution so far was to use a handful of square nuts, and a gallon of old fashioned MEK paint remover. Both have gone into the tank and been allowed to sit - agitated for a while - allowed to sit - agitated for a while. And then removed (the nuts with difficulty)
I saw a LOT of coating in that paint remover stuff.
After washing the tank out with water it is now dry and waiting for re-assembly.
It looks good inside.
Of course it does not have the baffles that a Model A tank has.
I also have bought one of the plastic inline gasoline filters to use alongside the original pot metal filter. Why spend $12 for a replacement filter (elements don't seem available) when I can spend 99 cents at NAPA Boys for the same effect.
Joe K
Yes, I know. Things come to the dump for a reason.
But I have yet to meet the engine I could not have fun with. And this looked like it had possibilities.
The problem I found was that the gas tank was coated FROM THE FACTORY with some sort of gookum-pucky which I suppose is similar to the stuff everyone has used on their Model A Ford gas tanks. This stuff had lifted with the alcohol in the gas and the carburetor system was PLUGGED with crap. (The generator was produced in the late 1970s/early 1980s and this is when gas tank sealants first became popular.)
My partial solution so far was to use a handful of square nuts, and a gallon of old fashioned MEK paint remover. Both have gone into the tank and been allowed to sit - agitated for a while - allowed to sit - agitated for a while. And then removed (the nuts with difficulty)
I saw a LOT of coating in that paint remover stuff.
After washing the tank out with water it is now dry and waiting for re-assembly.
It looks good inside.
Of course it does not have the baffles that a Model A tank has.
I also have bought one of the plastic inline gasoline filters to use alongside the original pot metal filter. Why spend $12 for a replacement filter (elements don't seem available) when I can spend 99 cents at NAPA Boys for the same effect.
Joe K
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
Gas Tank ReNu cuts holes in the tank to access the inside. They weld plugs over the outside which are always visible. Why not recommend a company that restores these tanks that produces a job that is virtually undetectable after it has been welded back together?
tbirdtbird
BANNED
such as
Mikeinnj
Well-known member
Well that may be possible living in your part of the country. Lucky you, for now.
Here in the north-east, New York metro area we have no chouce. E-10 and soon to be E-15 is all that is available here.
jkeesey
Well-known member
I have a guy out here in PA that does all my tanks. Hes actually my radiator guy too. He cuts them open from the bottom and sandblasts every square inch inside and then does professional body work quality job getting the cut pieces back in. We had a problem with sealer turning to tar and ruining the engine in one of my customers cars. This was the only way to fix it. The sealer itself is designed to resist most chemicals.
Mike V. Florida
Well-known member
Thanks for all the info. I will try some carb cleaner, MEK didn't do much to it. Worst case I will just send it off to get cleaned. On the west coast we don't have much of a choice on whats in the gas. Are tanks available that are in good shape and how much would they go for?
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
A couple years ago I passed up a nice looking 1929 tank for $75. I just didn't need it, but if I needed a tank, I'd rather pay up to a couple hundred for a clean tank over having one cut open and coated.
BRENT in 10-uh-C
Well-known member
The real issue is, ...how do you know if you are getting a good clean tank?
Many of the problem tanks we see have what appears to be a good floor but are rusted up in the corners of the top, -oftentimes behind the baffles. These are tanks that looked all nice & shiny by peering inside thru the gas filler and the gas gauge flange. Sometimes you can stick your finger inside of the gas filler neck and rub the perimeter around the top to feel for any rust however sometimes the soldered joint extends out a little further than your finger can reach.
Also remember that a tank that was stored ½ full of fuel will preserve the floor yet leaving the roof metal bare and exposed, --thus causing the rust. Sloshing fuel while driving removes the fine rust creating sediment which the now bare metal created after the rust has been washed away then rusts more which creates more sediment.
It is worth noting that if a tank is restored properly by cutting it open, it really is not a big issue to repeat the process some 10 years down the road should some of the present-day sealer fail sometime down the road.
Cool Hand Lurker
Well-known member
To get the old sealer out you might try Xylol. That stuff will clean out a never-cleaned, hardened paint brush so it looks like new. I used it to soak some parts in an ABS plastic container overnight and in the morning the Xylol was all gone. It had eaten through the 1/4" thick ABS and the floor took about two weeks to completely lose the smell. I have not tried it on tank sealer, but it is certainly worth a try. Get it at the hardware store. Keep it in a metal container!
C26Pinelake
BANNED
Just as a precaution / reminder, you should always flush the tank very thoroughly prior to introducing another chemical to the tank. Even if the chemical reaction does not cause an explosion it may create noxious or very harmful fumes. Wayne
H. L. Chauvin
Well-known member
Short version summary of just one (1) sealed gas tank experiment & one (1) successful experience which was already mentioned a few years back:
1. My Model A was stored for about 30 years with no gas in a formerly sealed tank ...... most probably the "Permatex/Alcohol" sealer recommended in the early 1970's by MAFCA, in "The Restorer", prior to the introduction of ethanol gas.
2. Put ethanol gas in tank, allowed it to sit for several months while rebuilding engine, later drove about 20 miles during my oldest son's wedding whereby engine started missing.
3. Found black tar like substance coating in carburetor & intake manifold, & black flakes with rust when draining tank.
4. Tried soaking tar coated areas with PB Blaster, Kroil, Kerosene, gasoline, acetone, lacquer thinner, carburetor cleaner, rubbing alcohol, all of which was "not" cleaning the carburetor or the intake.
5. Hit the jackpot with a 1:3 mix of POR 15 Marine Clean mixed with (3) parts of about 170 degree tap water -- this warm mix aggressively attacked the hard tar coating & broke it down about as efficiently as a large wild beach cow peeing on a tall beach sand castle.
6. Next, mixed a large batch of POR Marine Clean with hot water, poured it in the tank, sloshed it around, & drained the tank through a cotton sock filter, into a bucket.
7. After seeing the cleaning action, repeated step 6. about (5) times ....... then ordered a $30.00 pump from Amazon & pumped POR 15 mix through the tank for about (3) hours ....... untold amount of debris.
8. Rigged up a hair dryer to a (6) feet long vacuum cleaner hose to dry tank ..... poured about (2) quarts of lubricating oil in tank, filled with water ...... oil stayed on top of water & oiled the tank as oil rose ..... slowly drained tank & allowed oil to oil the metal in the tank as it drained ..... installed an in tank cylindrical filter plus a NAPA 3039 filter in sediment bowl, added (4) ounces of Marvel Mystery oil to gas on every refill & never had a problem since.
(Note: POR 15 Marine Clean will remove petroleum products deep down in the pores of porous metal ... if metal is left clean as such it can quickly acquire rust through oxidation).
Never be against formal education; however, if you ever have to solve a very difficult problem that has not been addressed, just remember that if Thomas Edison would have acquired a formal education, the University jackasses would have explained "why" it was impossible to make a light bulb -- just think ..... everybody has an unused computer between their ears.
Hole this helps Model A guys to try different unheard of things & never give up.
1. My Model A was stored for about 30 years with no gas in a formerly sealed tank ...... most probably the "Permatex/Alcohol" sealer recommended in the early 1970's by MAFCA, in "The Restorer", prior to the introduction of ethanol gas.
2. Put ethanol gas in tank, allowed it to sit for several months while rebuilding engine, later drove about 20 miles during my oldest son's wedding whereby engine started missing.
3. Found black tar like substance coating in carburetor & intake manifold, & black flakes with rust when draining tank.
4. Tried soaking tar coated areas with PB Blaster, Kroil, Kerosene, gasoline, acetone, lacquer thinner, carburetor cleaner, rubbing alcohol, all of which was "not" cleaning the carburetor or the intake.
5. Hit the jackpot with a 1:3 mix of POR 15 Marine Clean mixed with (3) parts of about 170 degree tap water -- this warm mix aggressively attacked the hard tar coating & broke it down about as efficiently as a large wild beach cow peeing on a tall beach sand castle.
6. Next, mixed a large batch of POR Marine Clean with hot water, poured it in the tank, sloshed it around, & drained the tank through a cotton sock filter, into a bucket.
7. After seeing the cleaning action, repeated step 6. about (5) times ....... then ordered a $30.00 pump from Amazon & pumped POR 15 mix through the tank for about (3) hours ....... untold amount of debris.
8. Rigged up a hair dryer to a (6) feet long vacuum cleaner hose to dry tank ..... poured about (2) quarts of lubricating oil in tank, filled with water ...... oil stayed on top of water & oiled the tank as oil rose ..... slowly drained tank & allowed oil to oil the metal in the tank as it drained ..... installed an in tank cylindrical filter plus a NAPA 3039 filter in sediment bowl, added (4) ounces of Marvel Mystery oil to gas on every refill & never had a problem since.
(Note: POR 15 Marine Clean will remove petroleum products deep down in the pores of porous metal ... if metal is left clean as such it can quickly acquire rust through oxidation).
Never be against formal education; however, if you ever have to solve a very difficult problem that has not been addressed, just remember that if Thomas Edison would have acquired a formal education, the University jackasses would have explained "why" it was impossible to make a light bulb -- just think ..... everybody has an unused computer between their ears.
Hole this helps Model A guys to try different unheard of things & never give up.