Cleaning the fuel tank?

[Chug-A-Lug]

Hi all.

Giving the fuel system a bit of a service and restoration. Does anyone have any tips for rinsing/cleaning a diesel tank?

Thanks for any tips,

Sam

[YorkshireDextaMan]

Have it sand blasted. have the outside done if your going to paint it.
If we are talking Dexta tanks, it will more than likely be very rusty and could leak.
If you have lots of energy lol , get a small packet of Drywall screws and shake rattle and roll for half an hour.
To be serious though , these methods work but there are other ways to get the inside clean, You should then wash it out with very hot water and fairy liquid, rinse and put a hot air gun in for an hour or two.
To go a step further use a sealent , You only need something like "Tank Cure" item 260589074731 it's on e-bay. be carefull to plug the injector leak off pipe on the inside of the tank.
Jim

[Bensdexta]

..... get a small packet of Drywall screws and shake rattle and roll for half an hour.
To be serious though , these methods work but there are other ways to get the inside clean...

Jim,
I am currently trying to get failed sealer out of my tank using stripper and dry wall screws as you say. Tedious...

What other methods do you suggest?
Thanks,

[YorkshireDextaMan]

Well i don't know why the sealant you have there failed in the first place Ben, But my thinking is you have to follow the instructions to the letter , "and then some" but instead of trying to remove the old sealant, just give it another layer.
The instructions on the stuff i used says if you need to remove old sealant there is a product to do that, maybe your already useing that ,i don't know. Jim

[Bensdexta]

The instructions on the stuff i used says if you need to remove old sealant there is a product to do that, maybe your already useing that ,i don't know. Jim

It was a botched sealing attempt by a so-called radiator shop. Fortunately I have now had the corrosion cut out and welded - it's a neat job. Now I'm getting out the remains of the sealer with KBS Paint/Tank Strip, which I think is pretty much the same as Nitromors. Not cheap but does the job - slowly. Putting the tank in a plastic bag to keep the vapour in, so as to let it work seems to help.

[Bensdexta]

Got a patch welded on the bottom of my original fuel tank near one of the bolt holes, see RH bolt hole in photo.

Then stripped out old failed sealer inside by sloshing around with dry wall screws and Dichloromethane (DCM or methylene chloride) stripper - nasty stuff beware . which took quite a few hours.
Before:


Then my friend, who does stunning work with old motorbike tanks coated the inside with Caswell Tank Sealer - said to be the best, proof against biodiesel. Then he sprayed it up with 2 pack, Refinish Systems Ltd, Yeovil, AGRI 7019T EMPIRE BLUE FORDSON.

[marcusgs]

Proper job on the tank, hope I can get mine looking something like that