gas tank crud

[mike n]

hello.working on my 65 evinrude 3 hp.fuel tank had bad gas.i took the tank off and shook the tank with new fuel about 6 times.i still see crud or sludge in it.what is the best way to clean it out.bringing engine on vacation next week.all suggestions welcome.thanks

mn

[mike n]

can i use boiling water and dawn soap?

mn

[jerry-ahrens]

I like Castrol super clean. Be careful though, as it can damage paint. Mix with hot hot water. Keep the tank under a flow of water while soaking to protect the paint.

[dave-bernard]

I had a crud tank and used lacuare thinner. left it for 2 days and was super clean to the line of the level

[jpatti75]

Ammonia is another good, cheap option for removing old gas. Swish it around with some nuts and bolts for really stubborn crud. Keep it away from brass parts, as it causes oxidation.

[Steve A W]

I’ve had success with E85 fuel.
And it’s cheap.

Steve A W

Member of the MOB chapter.
I live in Northwest Indiana

[amuller]

One thing to consider is whether you are about removing the plating in the inside metal. Doesn’t matter if you intend to coat with POR or something else. But if you intend to leave it bare the plating is desirable.

There is crud and there is crud. I have a tank with sticky brown crud on the bottom. It’s been sitting with E-85 (ethanol) for months and the crud hasn’t really even softened. Normally in this case I would use acetone, but maybe I"ll try ammonia as has been suggested.

[Tubs]

quote amuller:

There is crud and there is crud.

Yep. Gunk left from old oil and fuel will likely respond
to a solvent base solution while rust or aluminum corrosion
is a result of moisture so a water base solution should
produce some results. As its rarely just one or the other
and the percentage of one to the other varies, what works
great one time can do little the next.

A "Boathouse Repair" is one thats done without having tools or the skills to do it properly.

[Author]

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