Emptying and cleaning gas tank.

[nigilcv]

So I’ve gotten my engine bog down issues fixed on my ‘97 ezgo and took a look in the gas tank as fuel was low. There was lots of trash in it. Besides taking off the fuel line going to the carb, is there another way you guys recommend emptying the tank? And what do you use to clean and rinse it once it is empty. Thanks in advance for any feedback.


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[trig123]

Take some 5/8 heater hose about five foot long or something similar and stick it in tank. Have you a catch pan laying on the floor .

Now take a rag and put it over you tank opening .

Take an air blow gun and put it in the tank with rag keeping it plugged up. Push the air in until you see gas start to flow out hose.

It will start to siphon the fuel into your catch pan or what ever you use.

Keep that hose all the way on the bottom as good as you can.

I then take something I can mop the thing out. I have even used a shop vac.
Works like a charm.

[zingerbateman]

I removed mine but I had the body off and used simple green. Stuck the hose in and blasted all the crap out. Then sat it in the sun for a couple days to dry.

[crash12888]

Originally Posted by trig123

Take some 5/8 heater hose about five foot long or something similar and stick it in tank. Have you a catch pan laying on the floor .

Now take a rag and put it over you tank opening .

Take an air blow gun and put it in the tank with rag keeping it plugged up. Push the air in until you see gas start to flow out hose.

It will start to siphon the fuel into your catch pan or what ever you use.

Keep that hose all the way on the bottom as good as you can.

I then take something I can mop the thing out. I have even used a shop vac.
Works like a charm.

I would not recommend using a shop vac or anything else not explosion proof around where gas fumes are present, PERIOD!!!!

It might of worked for you but you were very lucky!!

[Gearhead1956]

I empty the tank of gas. Put cleaning products and water in tank. Take my air hose and put it in the tank, Turn on the air to move cleaners to all parts of the tank. Depending on how bad the tank is I let the air run from 20 min. to hours. Pump out the water, use a shop vac to get what's left. Let it dry out and your good to go.
Good idea to just replace the fuel lines at this point, then you know you have it. If your all in go ahead and clean the carb. No more trash issues!

[CP241]

Originally Posted by nigilcv

So I’ve gotten my engine bog down issues fixed on my ‘97 ezgo and took a look in the gas tank as fuel was low. There was lots of trash in it. Besides taking off the fuel line going to the carb, is there another way you guys recommend emptying the tank? And what do you use to clean and rinse it once it is empty. Thanks in advance for any feedback.


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What kind of "trash"? Are you talking about debris that has fallen into the tank, or the nasty brown or black sludge that accumulates when gas goes very bad? 2 very different things when it comes to cleaning the tank...

If it's just debris and gunk from water or whatever getting in the tank, then remove the tank and drain the gas. I use TSP, dump in about half a bottle. Fill it half way with water, shake it around real good and dump it out. Then lay it on its side, stick the hose all the way in, turn it on all the way, and let it run for 20 minutes so the water coming out is nice and clean and not sudsy. dump it out, give it one last quick rinse, and let it sit outside in the sun for a few hours to dry up all the water. Then put the tank back together (use new O rings and gaskets, where applicable) and you're good to go.

If it's full of old sludge in the bottom from sitting for many years, The process is similar to above but a couple extra steps. Make sure you remove a gas gauge float (if equipped). First I will dump in an entire bottle of the TSP, and only fill the bottom few inches with water to cover it. Tie a wire or string to about a 18-24" piece of chain (depending on weight of the chain). and pull the string out of the top (makes it easier to retrieve the chain). Shake it around real good. (The TSP will soften the sludge pretty quickly, and the chain will be the agitator. I've heard of guys using nuts and bolts, but have to keep in mind, whatever you put in there needs to come back out!) Once it's good and nasty inside, you can remove the chain and dump it out. Then look down inside with a flashlight. If it's still pretty gunky then you may have to repeat this, but in most cases once is enough. I did restore an 80's Honda 4wheeler a couple years ago that had sat in storage, in pieces for 15 years in a guy's attic. The black "sludge" wasn't even sticky anymore, it was like dried hot glue. It took repeating this process 2 or 3 times but I eventually got it 100% clean.

Once most of the sludge and gunk in the bottom is loosened or removed, then you can do the first process I outlined. I've done this more times than I can count, as recently as last week actually. TSP works GREAT at loosening all the old gunk and stuff in the bottom of the tank, plus it's safe and not going to put you on your butt if you take a big whiff of it like harsher chemicals would.

[CP241]

Originally Posted by Gearhead1956

Good idea to just replace the fuel lines at this point, then you know you have it. If your all in go ahead and clean the carb. No more trash issues!

This is also very important advice as well. Any trash in the tank is also in the fuel pump, filter, lines, and carb. Fuel line is cheap, and they deteriorate over time anyways and can create their own "trash".

[trig123]

Whoops , double post :(

[trig123]

Originally Posted by crash12888

I would not recommend using a shop vac or anything else not explosion proof around where gas fumes are present, PERIOD!!!!

It might of worked for you but you were very lucky!!

I never recommended anyone to do what I did. I just said I have did it. The tank had sit empty for months and no sign of any fumes left, just some trash on bottom that I could not get out. I had blew it with air many times.