Clean gas tank - 1921 Studebaker. The fuel filter is a mess. Tank has rust and debris

[21sp6]

How should I clean my gas tank. A 21 studebaker. Not used much in past 30 years. I have run the car but after 3 miles it stops. Vacuum tank is working all timing is right. The fuel filter is a mess. Tank has rust and debris 

[Swear57]

I have done this many times the last on a 27 Buick.  With tank removed I put 3 or 4 pices of chain in the tank then I strap it to the rear tire on my John Deere 750, jack the rear end up, put it on jack stands & let it tumble for 30 to 40 minutes. Take it off and flush it with water and do it again until no rust comes out. I have used Pour gas tank sealer and I have also just left it alone. I have not had any problems.

[Rata Road]

If you dont have access to a tractor wheel I have done similar and just spun the tank around and shook it by hand. Tie the chain so it can't all fall in. Ive used hot soapy water but sometimes I start off with vinegar soaking in overnight before the chaining.

I repeat the process until no junk/bits come out with the flush.

Good luck.

[Tonz]

Those John Deere tractors must be the most versatile machines ever👍

[john hess]

5 hours ago, Swear57 said:

I have done this many times the last on a 27 Buick.  With tank removed I put 3 or 4 pices of chain in the tank then I strap it to the rear tire on my John Deere 750, jack the rear end up, put it on jack stands & let it tumble for 30 to 40 minutes. Take it off and flush it with water and do it again until no rust comes out. I have used Pour gas tank sealer and I have also just left it alone. I have not had any problems.

I like your thinking... did same with my 53 pontiac tank. strapped it to my fnh 1920.... 3 handfuls of driveway stones... low gear,low range. 1 hour forward, 1 hour reverse...  shake out stones... rinse.. dry in sun... install.. add gas.. drive.

[Rusty_OToole]

I use a dog chain with bolts thru it every foot or so. Much easier to get out than gravel or loose hardware. If you don't have a tractor you can do the same trick with a cement mixer.

Or just wash it out with a pressure washer.

[Mark Shaw]

• 30 years ago I used crushed pea gravel, hot water & Drano drain cleaner.  I took my 29 Buick tank outside and shook it for about 20 minutes in all directions.  Dumped it out, dried it and put Bill Hirsh's tank sealer in it.  That Buick is still on the road with no issues. 
• Just 3 years ago I took my 12 Buick Roadster tank to a friend who put water & ceramic abrasives in it and put it on his shaker table overnight.  I had to solder a few pin holes before putting Red Kote tank sealer in it.  
• ALCOHOL RESISTANT GAS TANK SEALER GALLON | Aircraft Spruce
• Damon Industries Red-Kote Gas Tank Liner (damonq.com)

[John Bloom]

I think an important question is “how clean do you want it to be?”  There is some great advice given above and each of these will clean a lot of junk out of the tank. Each of them may accomplish exactly what you need, but I would suggest that if you really want the thing cleaned and not be worrying what was left behind, you need to cut it open.  it is  almost impossible to really clean the tank well without good access and visualization of the inside surfaces. There are usually strategic ways that you can cleanly cut into it (it helps to know what/where baffles are), and when you can get inside of it with abrasives and examine every bit of the surface area, you can decide when it is clean.  Weld it back up and grind them down and then seal it.  The amount of time effort and cost to do it this way is why many people choose to get a replacement tank. Depending on the vehicle and what value you place on an original gas tank, it might influence your choice.

 

 

[BearsFan315]

when i had to do my 1930 tank, i drained the tank, filtered the gas, used it in mower, then i rinsed out tank a couple times then tossed in 2 pieces of chain, each about 16" long (links were approx 1 " long), then shook it around by hand, rolled it around, then rinsed out, did this twice. then went to home depot picked up concrete etch/metal prep, sealed up the tank, put plugs in the threaded holes, taped up the open one, and poured in the gallon, let it sit and rotated the tank every 10-15 minutes. made sure all sides were covered, then poured the etch back into its container. rinsed out the tank really good, validate cleanliness, then primed and painted the tank, reinstalled and away i went. still looks great. got to keep the moisture out of it. 

 

fuel dumped out of the tank

 

inside of tank after water rinse

 

tank after chain sloshing

 

tank after etch & rinse

[zeke01]

There is something that I don’t understand about the chain method. I have two baffles in my tank. I can get to the right third through the filler neck, and the center section through the hole that houses the gauge but I can’t figure out how to get to the last section. The holes in the baffles aren’t large enough to let a chain slide through. How is access gained? Zeke 

[BearsFan315]

yeah, the chain method typically works for open tanks, not very good with the baffle tanks.

 

i would do similar to what i noted above minus the chain, as the concrete etch is basically Phosphoric  Acid. the phot above was first round of etch, after 2 rounds it looks like new, and still does. that stuff is great, but be careful it is an Acid.

[dodge28]

Pour in about 2 gallons of Vaporust and leave it for a few days. then turn the tank position and leave for a few days If the liquid turns black throw it  out and replace with fresh liquid. repeat process. If done properly the inside will look like new again. The alternative is send it to Gas Tank Renew in Toronto (I think there are Gas Tank Renew in the US ) They cut the tank open and sand blast , steam it out and use a white stuff to re line it. I did that to my 28 DB. Another method is to use steam. You can set up your own steam pot and direct the steam into the tank. 

Harry in Toronto

[AHa]

I used POR 15 gas tank cleaner and sealer. You don't have to get the tank perfectly rust free. I tried Red Kote and it didn't work for me and when I called the tech line, they were less than helpful. If you decide to use a sealer, follow the manufacturers recommendations carefully. The Tech guys at POR 15 products were very helpful. My project turned into such a disaster I called them multiple times to get things right, each time they carefully walked me through the process. No problems since.

[Lahti35]

1 hour ago, AHa said:

I used POR 15 gas tank cleaner and sealer. You don't have to get the tank perfectly rust free. I tried Red Kote and it didn't work for me and when I called the tech line, they were less than helpful. If you decide to use a sealer, follow the manufacturers recommendations carefully. The Tech guys at POR 15 products were very helpful. My project turned into such a disaster I called them multiple times to get things right, each time they carefully walked me through the process. No problems since.

I used the same treatment on my '26 T tank and it came out nice. I was beyond obsessive about following the directions and it worked with no issues. Prep is everything for these products. My only issue was I got some on the filler neck threads and had to spend an hour picking it out so the cap would screw on.