Cleaning Petrol Tank

[111Robin]

What's the best method for cleaning old petrol residue out of a tank ?. One of my Minis has sat for 11 years (garaged) with the occasional run up to temperature. Recently the carb jets have become completely seized with a thick brown goop, presumably the petrol has broken down over the years (I have put fresh petrol in a few times but some of it is at least 11 years old). I've stripped the carb's three times now and it runs fine but after a few weeks they're gummed up again. I've removed the tank now but not sure how to effectively clean it out ?. I guess the (mechanical) pump will be full of goop too ?. Are there any proprietary products for cleaning tanks ?

Robin

[robin]

The volatile parts of petrol will evaporate leaving behind a sticky tar/varnish like substance.

Maybe the thing to do is just to keep filling the tank with fuel and then use an electric fuel pump to drain it, via a couple of disposable fuel filters back into a jerry can; repeat until you get bored.

Cheers,
Robin

[ABZ-Elise]

Aren't new petrol tanks for minis quite cheap?...I'd just put a new tank in, it would save alot of hassle. Your fuel lines will be full of it aswell so will need a good flush through. Or put the fuel tank in the dishwasher upside down (just make sure the missus is out when you do it) the heat from the dishwasher might turn the gloop in the tank to liquid and it would hopefully run out...maybe, if not the tank will at least be clean on the outside I used the dishwasher for cleaning loads of engine/car bit and they all come out looking like new. If nothing else works I can get hold of some tetrachloroethylene which will pretty much dissolve any tar like gloopy stuff.

Kev.

[111Robin]

New tank is about £160, not exactly cheap but a lot less hassle than stripping the carb's every few weeks. I might have the tank steam cleaned anyway to see if it'll shift the goop. Otherwise the tank is like new so I'm reluctant to bin it without trying something.

[Rich H]

Xylene is what you need, god knows where you will get it from in any quantity, its sold as carb cleaner spray.

Your local paint manufacturer will have it. Nasty stuff mind!!

Used to work ing a paint factory, and you knew it was good stuff as it washed all the safety markings off your gloves...