Gas Tank

[latecomer]

'Id like to get some ideas on boiling my gas tank. Good or bad idea? thanks

[Tom Wesenberg]

I've never had a tank that needed more than a rinse to be sure nothing was inside.
If I had a rusty tank I'd put some Black Beauty inside and tumble the tank by strapping it to a cement mixer, then rinse it out.

Be sure to install a filter in the tank valve, as the first line of defense against blockage, or scratching the valve sealing surface.

[Mike V. Florida]

Professionally done is the way to go.

[Dennis Pereira]

How bad is it ? Rusty with lots of loose stuff or just gummed up from old gas ? I used a shop vac with a soft garden hose to clean a lot of the loose stuff out . Then washed with marine clean Then metal ready and flushed real good . What I can see is looking down the filler neck is nice and clean bright metal . And no more pieces rattling around . This was with tank off .

[CarlG]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

...
If I had a rusty tank I'd put some Black Beauty inside and tumble the tank by strapping it to a cement mixer, then rinse it out...

My friend did this with the tank for his 39 Chrysler, used ice for the tumbling media. Worked great.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

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First off, --most radiator shops that still "boil out" tanks are using a hot caustic (Sodium Hydroxide) solution. This would be anywhere between 8%-12% strength. Sodium Hydroxide attacks organic matter but does nothing for rust removal.

I guess my views are different than others, ...and I know what we see on tanks that have been "tumbled" in a failed attempt to clean them. Generally speaking, very little actually gets cleaned by tumbling due to the internal baffles obstructing the 'media' from reaching the rusty areas. I am including a couple of pictures with the tank opened to show exactly what I am speaking of...

.

[Brentwood Bob]

a vacuum motor will generate sparks. If you were able to vac out a gas tank you were lucky.
I think flushing a tank numerous times is a safer alternative. Worked for me several times.
Bob

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

If it weren't for those DANGED BAFFLES, by now, some GENIUS GUY would have developed a FUEL CELL, that could be "BLOWN" into the tank. AMERICANS are famous for doing "IMPOSSIBLE" THINGS!!
Bill W.

[Pickupman]

Seems like this is always an ongoing topic and probably always will be one. Here is a 30-31 Tank we cut open.

[Dennis Pereira]

Originally Posted by Brentwood Bob

a vacuum motor will generate sparks. If you were able to vac out a gas tank you were lucky.
I think flushing a tank numerous times is a safer alternative. Worked for me several times.
Bob

I must be real lucky I just finished cleaning another tank . Not a whole lot of danger in a tank that's been open to the elements for years .

[Pickupman]

Originally Posted by Brentwood Bob

a vacuum motor will generate sparks. If you were able to vac out a gas tank you were lucky.
I think flushing a tank numerous times is a safer alternative. Worked for me several times.
Bob

I've never heard of any one blowing up a Model A Gas Tank with a vacuum.

[J Wade]

I had mine off and took it to a radiator shop. From what I can see it (not much) it looks good. I just have to keep it from Rusting until I get ready to use it. I thought about putting a gallon of diesel in it and tumbling it ever so often.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Pickupman

Seems like this is always an ongoing topic and probably always will be one. Here is a 30-31 Tank we cut open.

When I saw the hole on the bottom I would have cut the bottom open and sold it to a hot rodder that could install gauges in the face of the tank. There are enough better tank so you don't need to bother with one that rusty. In the meantime I've seen hot rodders cut up very nice tanks to install gauges.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by J Wade

I had mine off and took it to a radiator shop. From what I can see it (not much) it looks good. I just have to keep it from Rusting until I get ready to use it. I thought about putting a gallon of diesel in it and tumbling it ever so often.

That should work fine. You could even mix in a quart of oil to be sure.

[SSsssteamer]

Originally Posted by Pickupman

I've never heard of any one blowing up a Model A Gas Tank with a vacuum.

Its not the gas tank that blows up, it is the vacuum that blows up. Buck Edwards of Bellingham watched a vacuum blow up several years ago. Buck said that the fellow was using his wife's vacuum to clean out the fuel tank debris, when the vacuum blew up from the gasoline fumes. The vacuum went flying across the street into the neighbor's yard. Luckily, no one was hurt. If someone would have been in the vacuum's path, it could have been lethal. When I vacuum out a fuel tank, I use a jet vacuum hooked up to my air compressor's hose. No sparks using the air powered vac.

[Pickupman]

Originally Posted by Tom Wesenberg

When I saw the hole on the bottom I would have cut the bottom open and sold it to a hot rodder that could install gauges in the face of the tank. There are enough better tank so you don't need to bother with one that rusty. In the meantime I've seen hot rodders cut up very nice tanks to install gauges.

Tom, were not trying to restore this tank. Just cut it up because of the holes and saved the top for a hot rodder.