crap in fuel tank - best remedy.

[Rollin'in'Zona]

Howdy All!

Seems there's a bunch of particulate matter in the tank of my FJ62.

I was thinking I needed a new fuel pressure regulator, but as I had a new filter laying around I threw it on just to see, and the truck ran perfect - for a few hours! I noticed when I removed the "old" filter (4 months old) a whole heck of a lot of crud in it. I back-flushed the old filter and was amazed at the volume of crud!

My first ever real offroad "epic" involved this phenomena on a solo trip deep in the Utah desert in an FJ60 way back when I was a "kid" - bad fuel from a station in BF nowhere.

I think this is the same thing, as I just pulled this tank a couple years ago to install a new fuel pump (at the same time I cut a new hatch in the floor of the 62 so I would not have to remove the friggin tank to access the pump)

Anyway, what I intend to do is plumb a length of fuel hose from the pump, through a huge cheap filter and back into the filler tube. This way, by activating the pump, I can recirculate the tank contents through this filter and hopefully remove the crud w/o having to pull the friggin tank again! I now have only a sloping gravel driveway to work in, so that job would be extra fun!

If anyone can think of an reason to not do this, or offer any suggestions, please let me know! I'm all ears!

Thanks!

 

[cahilc]

FWIW,

Haven't cut a fuel tank apart but I do believe there are baffles inside of a fuel tank. Motorcyclists "cream" the inside of their tanks after fabbin' to seal them on the inside.

Just random thoughts,
Cahil

 

[Rollin'in'Zona]

Yeah, I was thinking that the return flow would stir things up and if left on for, say, 24 hours, would eventually get most of it. BUT - I forgot about the baffels...

Maybe I'll position a strong magnet in the tank - that would help if it's rust from an old gas station.

Any ideas on cleaning this crap out?

 

[Landpimp]

how about pulling the drain plug in the tank for starters? Now I have never replaced a fuel pump in a 62.........but I would sware there is an access hole for it under the carpet. I know there is for a fj80 as thats how I replaced the pump.

 

[archie]

Don't clean it out yet. There was a recall on some 60 series fuel tanks. Do some research and have it cleaned out on toyota's expense(if it hasn't been recalled and changed already).

 

[archie]

Here's a thread leading to a site about the recalls. Good luck! https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=917&highlight=fuel+tank+recall

 

[Rollin'in'Zona]

replacin 62 fuel pump.

how about pulling the drain plug in the tank for starters? Now I have never replaced a fuel pump in a 62.........but I would sware there is an access hole for it under the carpet. I know there is for a fj80 as thats how I replaced the pump.

The 62 has, of course, a 60 body. The hatch in the 62 is set up to access the FJ60 fuel level sending unit. Toyota did not redesign / reposition the hatch for the 62 high pressure pump, which is several inches off to the side of and bigger than the hatch ( hey Toyota ). You can look at the top of the pump assembly through the hatch, but you can not get it out without dropping the tank. I've had to do this TWICE - once in a 100 degree parking lot on the Navajo reservation 250 miles from home (the first "rebuilt" pump from TPI crapped out after two weeks). I tried everything to get that pump out through the hatch!

So after dropping the tank the second time I cut the hatch, fabed a steel "porthole" and she's good to go!

Incidently, the Toyota dealer got me a new OEM pump cheaper than the rebuilt! I looked everhwhere for one (1999), called all over the US, and the only pump I could find was the rebuilt unit. The ONLY source I did not check was the damn dealer. Lesson learned! But because of the confusion w/ TPI, I now have an extra pump which lives in my recovery kit.

I'll check the recall on the tank.

Thanks!