Hatch Fuel Tank Cleaning Out?

[®evo03]

anyone ever have to clean out a petrol tank, carb hatchback tank. seems last fill I got wasn't petrol, which is what I paid for. can't say if it was contaminated petrol or petrol station dirty tanks, or my tank, which is hard to believe, as its a mint tank, and its the first time its ever happened, but who knows whats on the inside!

 

Complete fuel system is now cleaned, new filter, new pump, flushed lines, injection fuel rail, and injectors. Filter was completely blocked, with brown almost grease, but fine grit at the same time,

same with the injectors. run the car from another clean tank, no problems, checked filter again, clean as a whistle.

 

left fuel from the hatch tank in a jar, and all the contaminated sank to the bottom. Don't know what it is, but the xe didn't like it,

outside of the tank was previously taken back to bare metal, primed, two packed and stone chipped.

so the outside at least is in mint condition.

 

So anyone have any experience of cleaning tanks, what to use, can the fuel sender be removed, and would it be better sealing it when im at it with a fuel tank sealer,

 

http://www.rust.co.uk/0002-slosh-ethanol-resistant-petrol-tank-seal/p405062/

 

[eldoradoCoupe]

I did one a few years ago using the Frost Kit.

 

http://www.frost.co.uk/por15-deluxe-car-tank-repair-kit.html

 

Take the tank out of the car remove the sender rinse out with a hose few times before hitting it with the marine clean. Then rinse out loads more then metal prep before the selaer. You'll probably be amazed at the amount of shit that comes out if its anything like mine was.

 

Don't forget the 1/2 inch pipe that runs up to the outlet. Mine was really caked up on the inside.

[Rick-Manta]

Slightly less professional but I've done it twice now, I've dropped the tank out and removed the sender to clean it out (they're so much harder to put back in on a GTE aren't they!?) and drain all the cruddy fuel. For some reason trying to drain from the filler neck traps a lot of the fuel (and dirt) in there. The first time I did it, I used white spirt to save fuel, but the price per volume of petrol is actually cheaper than white spirit, so it made sense to swish it out with petrol on the second one I did. The good thing with using petrol is that the inevitable spillage will evaporate and it's clear enough to see what rust and bits were floating around in the tank.

 

You could do this with the tank in the car and jack up the n/s/r of the car if you just want to drain it and see what dodgy fuel the petrol station sold you. Perhaps those visible tanks from the 20's and 30's America need to be used here!

[®evo03]

Thanks for the info, tank is coming out, been there before, it was the fitting back on was the hard part,

As im only planning on doing this once, I will wash out with (clean) petrol a few times and get the repair kit. There are no holes in the tank for sure, but going by what came out of it, one the safe side it would be better to do it right once.

 

How do I remove the fuel sender, the coupe is bolts and a rubber seal, I remember looking at the hatch tank briefly, but never removed one, how is it held in place?