Cleaning out a steel fuel tank?

[L14MNP]

I have acquired an injection tank for the Volvo, but it sounds a bit flaky inside, and has lay around for a while before I got it.

Given the mad, unpredictable pressure problems I was having before the car came off the road for the rebuild, I wanna make sure that the whole fuel system is tip top this time. Especially as once the gearbox/diff etc are fitted the tank becomes a nightmare to remove!


What's the best way to go about this at home? I have read about filling it with water and adding a bit of gravel or nuts tied onto a piece of string and sloshing it about, but surely there's a better way?

[Bubba]

sandblast? or beadblast?

[nova_saloon]

^ lol. just take off everything off of it you can, get some petrol shake it around and then dump it!

[L14MNP]

Media blast INSIDE the tank? :/ No ta! lol

saloon, everything is off. I have asked on RR too, and wheel nuts and water seems to be the method. Wish it was smaller, it would be in a mixer with a blanket wrapped round it!

[Bubba]

Media blast INSIDE the tank? :/ No ta! lol

saloon, everything is off. I have asked on RR too, and wheel nuts and water seems to be the method. Wish it was smaller, it would be in a mixer with a blanket wrapped round it!

why not? i dont actually know whats inside a tank lmao. seems like a good idea to me

[L14MNP]

why not? i dont actually know whats inside a tank lmao. seems like a good idea to me

It's just bare steel, with fuel is inside usually lol. You would never get all of the blast media back out, and it would be forever sucked up by the fuel pump, clog the filters, lines, injectors... Bad news. lol

Just like when someone has a cam cover blasted and it finds it's way into the oil galleries, pump etc. Kaput!

[GRUNT 16V]

fill with petrol splash it around a bit and then empty it , repeat a few times etc job done

[nova_saloon]

i thought you were joking bubba about blasting the tank. dangerous stuff if you dont get it all out, which could be quite difficult as most tanks are press fitted together so lots of cracks for the sand to sit and come loose and clog up pump filter and if unfortuante the injectors!

[mowgli]

pour something like cooking oil in it, it will suspend the crud & pour it out the sender hole..

personally, i quite like using our steam cleaner in them, then rinse them out, then finally poke the hot air gun up inside to dry them out, then blast an airline round just to make sure.

[brainsnova]

Fill it with some water and small sharp edge stones and shake shake, shake shake

[Bubba]

i thought you were joking bubba about blasting the tank. dangerous stuff if you dont get it all out, which could be quite difficult as most tanks are press fitted together so lots of cracks for the sand to sit and come loose and clog up pump filter and if unfortuante the injectors!

lol nope. my solution to most things is either bash it with a hammer shaped object, or sandblast it

[mowgli]

as long as you keep the blast media moving around & flush the tank out well enough, then it will be fine.

[brainsnova]

Would an acid dip kill the tank.