[Shop-talk] Cleaning out fuel tank (Round II)

[Steve Hammatt Mount Vernon WA USA]

To reply and clarify:
1.  Interesting comments about air powered vacuum.  Will check out.
2.  Don't want to blow out with compressed air because it would 
probably
just create a mess in the tank and I can't reach parts of the tank due 
to partial baffles.
3.  Tank has been "dry" for 24 hours, so concern of fumes is seemingly 
justified.
4.  Difficult to "flush out" with water due to baffles and the fact 
that it is
firmly attached to the body and under the driver's seat.
5.  Magnet idea is still thrashing around in my head.
6.  Comment about tapered plug valve being hard to turn is valid.
I'm getting ready to substitute with a new 1/4 turn ball valve from 
McMaster Carr.
7.  Can't open up the bottom plug without risk of damage and I'm 
needing to
get this back on the road within 9 days.
8.  My side exit on the "bulb" is small and of not much help in 
cleaning out.
9.  Flushing is not a solution (pun intended).
10.  No trips to the radiator shop.  Inside of tank is basically clean 
and coated.
Merely trying to clean out the "bulb" or "sump".  Besides, I'm not 
going to
remove the body from the chassis to get at the gas tank.
11.  Oil suction gun provides minimum amount of vacuum duration.  Not 
suitable.
The engine cleaning gun is an air/solvent blaster.  The only suction 
is for solvent
pickup.  Not suitable.

Super thanks guys.  Keep coming with the suggestions.

Steve Hammatt
Mount Vernon WA USA
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Hammatt Mount Vernon WA USA" <gsteve at hammatt.com>
To: "Shop Talk" <shop-talk at autox.team.net>
Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 5:26 PM
Subject: [Shop-talk] Cleaning out fuel tank


> I'm trying to clean out the very small sump at the bottom of
> an antique (1914) fuel tank.  The tank is fairly clean, has been
> coated with the cream colored coating back in the 1980s.  It's
> also in the car and cannot be removed without removing the body
> from the frame.  The very small sump is cast iron and is sweated
> onto the galvanized steel gas tank shell.  The sump has a bottom
> drain that unfortunately is plugged and sealed;  it has a side
> port where the fuel shut-off is located. The shut-off valve is
> remotely
> operated via a long shaft that exits to the side, near the running
> board
> and the valve is currently removed from the car.
>
> There  appears to be some metallic and/or non-metallic debris in the
> bottom
> of the sump (sump outside diameter is about the size of a hot dog 
> bun
> and about 1/2 as long) and while the tank is empty and the drain 
> valve
> is
> out, I'd like to clean it out.  I'm leery of using a vacuum due to
> fumes
> and possible ignition.  A magnet would simply stick to the side of 
> the
> sump (the 4" diameter fill cover is off-set and it's not a straight
> shot down
> into the sump) when trying to remove any magnetic material.
>
> I'm toying with the following ideas.
> 1.  Use a flexible hose and some sort of angled air fitting that 
> would
> "pull a suction" or siphon to pull the debris up from the sump and
> exit
> it from the sump to the outside.  Essentially a non-electric vacuum
>
> 2.  Insert a magnet, inside a piece of PVC pipe, and try to remove 
> any
> magnetic material while at the same time keep the magnet from
> "sticking"
> to the cast iron sump.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
>
> Steve Hammatt
> Mount Vernon WA USA
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