stevofoxono Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Hey all I have a new problem the fuel tank. There's a lot of junk in the tank..It clogged the factory fuel pump so i've got a new fuel pump and in front of that a serviceable filter. I'm assuming the filter is clogged (going to take it all apart again tomorrow..) If the filter's clogged i'm looking at draining my tank and getting it cleaned/find another 280 one/buy a new one. What would be the best option? How much does it cost to get a tank cleaned? How much would a brand spanking new tank cost? i wouldn't mind a 60L tank instead of the 80L (any tanks off other cars fit?) Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsandwhich Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 I used one of these por15 3 stage fuel tank sealer kits, cost around $100 http://www.ppc.au.com/kits3.htm Has a cleaner that cleans out all the gum and residues, then a metal prep and finally the sealer. You need to drop the tank to do the job properly but it comes out looking like new inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevofoxono Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Does it take long to do? was it hard to do? I might put in a order tonight if thats the best way of going about it cheers for the link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsandwhich Posted November 23, 2011 Share Posted November 23, 2011 Not hard to do, just time consuming and waiting in between the stages as you need to get it thoroughly dry and clean to get the best results. You could do it over a weekend, but the final "sealer" part needs to set rock hard before you can put fuel back in it so better to leave it for a few days at least. In the sun or heat would be good, or keep pumping compressed air inside the tank after it has set a bit. Also have to make sure you don't block off the fuel lines with the sealer. I just shoved some plastic bags inside the lines and made sure I pulled them out before the sealer could harden too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevofoxono Posted November 23, 2011 Author Share Posted November 23, 2011 Are there good instructions that come with it? The websites pdf is pretty basic. I recon this is the way to go Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsandwhich Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 The instructions you see on the website is what you get with the kit. If you can manage to take the fuel tank out, I'm sure you can manage to do the sealing kit as well. You just need to make sure you don't get impatient and not wait for the tank to be fully dry before proceeding to the next stage. This takes by far the longest time as the water/cleaner gets stuck in all the little seams and divets in the tank and takes a while to dry up. The kit I got also had a little inspection mirror that you could stick inside the tank to see if you had got to all the nooks and crannys and whether it was fully dry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevofoxono Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 was raining today and i still need to track down 80L of container for my fuel, But i may give it a crack tomorrow ^^ I payed for the kit last night $150 all up and hopefully it won't take to long. How long did you leave for the marine clean and metal prep? How did you apply it? Cheers for the help so far mate! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsandwhich Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Just do what it says on the instructions. Without reading it again, I think you mix half of the marine clean with hot water, put that in and shake it all about, do the hokey pokey and you know the rest. Rinse out then put the rest of the cleaner in etc etc, then put in the metal ready and repeat process. Make sure you plug all the holes so all the crap doesn't come out while you are turning/shaking the tank around obviously. I'm thinking of flying up there just to do this for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevofoxono Posted November 24, 2011 Author Share Posted November 24, 2011 hahaha if you do all the beers on me I'll see if i can smuggle a few kinder gardeners and get the technique just right lol. Hopefully i get the kit soon i'm keen to have a crack. Wonder if I can get it finished so i can go on the brizzy Z run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottz Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 I've cleaned and repaired a few fuel tanks over the years. After the first one was a success, friends / associates would turn up with their car or boat tank like I was some some kind of expert. Thing was at the time I worked at a facility that had steam generation (boilers). So the trick was to run a steam hose into the tank and have the tank tipped over so one of the penetrations (Fuel fill, breather or return) was at the low point to let the condensate drip out. Steam is a great cleaner and left on all night it will strip out anything in the tank. For really dirty tanks it is done a few times with water washing in between steaming. Warning (all readers): If you intend to do hot work (cutting, welding, soldering) you will need to do more than just clean it, so don't try my tip and think that's enough. If you don't have access to steam, then a chemical kit as handsandwhich has suggested is next best option for cleaning. Steveo, if you had gunk (fuel bacteria) you should flush out all your fuel lines as well. Otherwise the bacteria will return over time. You can treat it with some 'fuel doctor' (bug killer) mixed with your first 2 or 3 fill ups. You can buy it at Repco & Autopro. (Last time I bought it anyway). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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