Fuel Tank Flush In Vehicle (1 Viewer)

[wngrog]

Well I'm already in on this non diluted. Dumping in vinegar on top of soda. It's boiling nicely in there.

Is there any way to avoid using water at all? I was trying to avoid water and rust issues.

 

[NikP]

What JMack said! Soda neutalizes the vinegar so don't go tegether or you'll waste your money. Vinegar in and let it set. I wouldn't get in a hurry. Time is your friend.

 

[wngrog]

What JMack said! Soda neutalizes the vinegar so don't go tegether or you'll waste your money. Vinegar in and let it set. I wouldn't get in a hurry. Time is your friend.

It's chock full of 24 gallons of vinegar but it also has the soda in it. It boiled a lot.

So, how long do you think I should let it sit? I'm in no hurry. It's running good enough on the 5 gallon tank I've got in there to move it around.

Desmog stuff Coming from Jim C next week......

 

[J Mack]

It's chock full of 24 gallons of vinegar but it also has the soda in it. It boiled a lot.

So, how long do you think I should let it sit? I'm in no hurry

The bubbling you are seeing is the soda neutralizing the vinegar essentially making a neutral sludge in your tank, your only option now is to flush with plenty of fresh water and try to remove the sludge before it sets up.

To achieve the results you’re after you need a “LOW pH” solution to sit in your tank for a period of time, the lower the pH the quicker it will dissolve the rust. As I mentioned before vinegar has a low pH of around 2.4 and this would take several days to dissolve heavy rust, a quicker method would be to use Hydrochloric acid and this can be bought at most home improvement stores as “muriatic acid”. Muriatic acid is typically 31% and has a pH around -1.0 pH so used full strength would work very quickly and might be hard to get the timing right, one gallon of muriatic acid pre-dilute with 5 to 10 gallons of water would probably be a better starting point. Better yet is “Phosphoric Acid”. Phosphoric acid can be bought at Home Depot as “Behr Concrete Rust Stain Remover” according to Behr’s MSDS it’s 31% phosphoric acid, phosphoric will not deposit Cl ions in the steel like hydrochloric but cost more up front to buy.

“Soda”, you only want to use the soda after you’re happy with the results of the “LOW pH” solution, once you’re satisfied with the interior of the tank you’ll want drain and rinse with clean water then use a very small amount of soda again pre-diluted in a bucket of water to neutralize any remaining acid or vinegar residue left behind in the tank. Too much soda is not a good thing.

The risk with this method of vinegar or muriatic/phosphoric acid to remove rust scale is it leaves the steel in a vulnerable state to re-rust if not treated quickly, I would run something like Marvel Mystery Oil in the first couple of tanks of fuel.



Good luck!

 

[wngrog]

Off I go to drain......thank you!

 

[J Mack]

Off I go to drain......thank you!

You're welcome,

If you would have only added some liquid soap you could have had the world’s largest erupting volcano pig and made science Bob look like an amateur.


The Erupting Volcano - ScienceBob.com

Good luck!

 

[wngrog]

I had a pretty good volcano when I tried to pour soda in filler.

This am I drained it. Filled it to rim with water.

Flushed and drained.

Then I stuck the shop vac in on blow mode and flushed the Fuel lines and all. Now it's just running air through.

There are still some barnicals on the top but overall I think I will be good

 

[PabloCruise]

Maybe pour a quart of ATF in the bottom before you put the sender back in. Then when you fill with gas it will get dispersed throughout the tank...

 

[wngrog]

The deed is done. I think with the monster fuel filter installed it's fine.

 

[porkysan]

sorry to resurrect such an old thread, how'd this work out for you? same situation with my 55 right now, did you eventually have to drop the tank or did this get it enough?

 

[wngrog]

‘Twas just a band aid. Had to be dropped

 

[porkysan]

yeah I think I am there. Thanks.

 

[PabloCruise]

‘Twas just a band aid. Had to be dropped

What happened? Were you clogging fuel filters?

 

[wngrog]

What happened? Were you clogging fuel filters?

I think it did not get the roof of my tank. Was still rusty but I could not see it looking in the sending unit hole

 

[PabloCruise]

I think it did not get the roof of my tank. Was still rusty but I could not see it looking in the sending unit hole

Darn. It would be cool to have a scope cam!

 

[bobm]

They have them! Matco tools

 

[greenbeast]

Several small cameras exist for your phone, The images are pretty impressive when I got chance to boroscope some aircraft cylinders with one. Didn't know what I was looking at but was reassured it wasn't right!

 

[porkysan]

I actually have a flexible scope that I can run in and will post up the pictures after I do this.

 

[thorslc1977]

Take the tank to an old school radiator shop, have them "boil it out". It cost me $140 last month. And I agree with OP the tank looks like it would be easy to drop. IT IS NOT. It fought me the whole way. Tank came back very clean from radiator shop.

 

[Docktormike]

yeah I think I am there. Thanks.

Me too