Fuel tank clean

[gbren]

Hey All

The lock on fuel cap broke and I've had to drill it out and am wondering what would be the best way to clean it out after all the metal pieces and filings have fallen into it.

Thanks
D

[bikemonkey]

I'd give it a good wash out with petrol.

Then inspect it with a torch through the filler hole.

Other than that there's a filter anyway if you manage to miss something.

[NGneer]

I would start as above with a good wash out. Once it has had chance to dry fully, bodge a length of hose (garden hose or such like) onto the end of the hoover with some tape and give the inside a good suck!

If you cut the end of the hose that you will be poking in the tank at an angle it works better as well

That should get rid of 90+% of any swarf and as Bikemonkey says, there is a gauze filter built into the fuel tap assembly that should catch anything else that you missed.

[Neosophist]

providing the filter in the tank is ok it shouldt get into the system.. when the fuels low if you shine a torch in there you cna see the filter and where the metal will collect... you could get a magnet on a string and fish it aroudn in the tank to pick up the bits providign they are magnetic...

[Ben_OB1]

I would start as above with a good wash out. Once it has had chance to dry fully, bodge a length of hose (garden hose or such like) onto the end of the hoover with some tape and give the inside a good suck!

I wouldn't do this if I was me. Unless of course you want to blow-up (literally) your hoover . Petrol tanks are funny things, the petrol vapours linger even when there is no apparent fluid remaining. There are methods to neutralise the vapours, such as feed exhaust fumes into the tank for a while!


Ben.

[speedy231278]

I know someone who steam cleaned the inside of their tank to get rid of the crud in it, after leaving it empty for a day or two to let the vapour escape. Even after steaming, when he dried it out using a hot air gun, he found the the vapours do hang around for a VERY long time.... lol

[rcv4]

i have welded more than 100 tanks and never had a problem.