Return to the home page...

Go Back   Moyer Marine Atomic 4 Community - Home of the Afourians > Discussion Topics > Fuel System

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1   IP: 72.130.53.199
Old 12-20-2020, 09:14 PM
SubtoSail SubtoSail is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: Oahu
Posts: 23
Thanks: 2
Thanked 9 Times in 7 Posts
Fuel tank cleaning

I would like to give my fuel tank a cleaning. It’s been at least several years, if ever. The tank is white plastic and ratchet strapped down to a 2x4 cradle. I could try to wrestle it out, but it would be much easier if it can be done in place. What’s the best way to go about this?

I could use the mechanical fuel pump to drain the tank, but I think I’m more likely to use an outboard style squeeze bulb. A few cycles of fill and drain with some type of cleaner?

How often do we think this should be done?

Thanks!
-Joe
Reply With Quote
  #2   IP: 8.9.84.110
Old 12-21-2020, 05:21 AM
prstack7's Avatar
prstack7 prstack7 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Rochester, NY
Posts: 71
Thanks: 1
Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts
cleaned tank in place

I cleaned my Monel tank in place 8 years ago. I pumped all the old gas out with a mechanical siphon pump through the fill tube, then filled with a gallon of acetone, sloshed it around by rocking the boat, then pumped that out, getting the last bits out with a rag (my fill tube goes straight down to the lowest point of the tank). I don't know if a plastic tank should be cleaned with a different solvent.
Reply With Quote
  #3   IP: 209.6.133.136
Old 12-21-2020, 12:24 PM
TimBSmith TimBSmith is offline
Afourian MVP
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Brookline, MA USA
Posts: 162
Thanks: 2,239
Thanked 80 Times in 42 Posts
Here is what I did to sample, filter, and then clean tank in place.

Inspired by others here I filtered and scrape tested my monel tank this fall to see condition of fuel and tank.

Filter and scraping rig
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kzhjGWWnZNce86HQ8

I used the pvc pipe to scrape the bottom of the tank to see if sediments appeared. They did not. If they had, I would have agitated tank in addition to adding cleaning detergent and soaking.

Here is what I added to tank to soak for 2 days before filtering.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/jESiFaGLHnqC6bGdA

If I needed to agitate. I planned to used a small palm finish sander to externally agitate the tank all around from below deck. Pearson 30 tank access. I would have done 2 one hour session over 2 days and checked again after filtering.

After soaking, here is what the filtering process looked like.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/6syyeCvL5vBBQUhNA

There is a fine filter before the intake on the pump I bought. There is a gross filter that I added upstream. Don't recall the micron rating for either. I found very little passing through.

I also tested electronic fuel pump function while I was at it. Jumped the oil pressure safety switch.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wNjZmtjAGQdVWpje7

I was fortunate. All evidence upstream fuel system in good shape and found that PO had replaced fuel lines recently.

Before buying this boat I had little to no experience with engines. Initiative, study time, this forum and Moyer Marine have taken me a long way safely effectively and quickly. Here is the entire album of my upstream fuel system adventure. I have not gotten around to captioning key pictures yet.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pDpgEJST4Kj2GF9B8

Happy holidays.
__________________
Tim Smith
Oasis
Pearson 30
1974, Number 572
Boston, MA USA

Last edited by TimBSmith; 12-21-2020 at 12:29 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #4   IP: 32.211.28.40
Old 12-23-2020, 10:00 PM
Al Schober's Avatar
Al Schober Al Schober is offline
Afourian MVP
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Uncasville, CT
Posts: 2,002
Thanks: 16
Thanked 578 Times in 405 Posts
I would NOT put any solvents into a plastic tank. Soap & water should be OK. If brave you could try the Zep Purple stuff, but thats alkaline and eats aluminum - not sure what it would do to poly.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Fuel Tank Cleaning ArtJ Fuel System 21 01-31-2020 09:53 AM
Engine runs for a couple minutes, stops hard, no fuel flow pdecker Troubleshooting 30 05-28-2015 01:17 PM
Fuel Shutdown Issue gdasw Fuel System 17 06-20-2013 08:53 AM
Experience Cleaning a Dirty Fuel Tank in Place BobA Fuel System 16 09-21-2012 09:02 AM
Fuel Tank Cleaning S1lverfox Fuel System 2 09-18-2012 09:07 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 02:36 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.


Universal® is a registered trademark of Westerbeke Corporation

Copyright © 2004-2024 Moyer Marine Inc.

All Rights Reserved