How do you clean a fuel tank?

Answer 1

You will need to empty the tank while hooked to the car. (so when you do drop the tank you dont get splashed with gas to much. when the tank is removed you will need to

Flush out the Contents: Empty the tank of all its contents

Clean the Tank: Use new gasoline and clean the tank thoroughly.

Hot Water and Acid Cleaning: Now is the real cleaning step. You will need hot water as much as the capacity of the fuel tank. Fill the tank to half its capacity with hot water. Remember the muriatic acid we just spoke about? Its time to add it to the hot water. You will have to add approximately half a gallon of the acid to the water. Then add in the remaining hot water in the tank. Close the gas tank with a cap, but make sure you do not use the tank cap. Do not disturb the tank for about 2 to 21/2 hours. Let the entire mixture settle in the tank.

• Dispose off the Mixture: Empty the gasoline tank of the mixture. The mixture contains muriatic acid, hence, be careful while doing so. It is suggested not to dispose off the mixture down a drain or in the dustbin.
• Clean with Water: Now clean the tank with water thoroughly. You can use a hand pump to spray water in the tank. The pressure of the hand pump will reach to every nook and corner of the tank, thus cleaning it in the process. There can be several rounds of cleaning with water.
• Dry the Tank: The next step is to dry the tank well. You can use a hair dryer for the same. It means a lot of work. But if you leave the tank to dry on its own, it will take longer. You can use the hair dryer to dry the tank, as the warm air will reach well inside the tank. This is an important step, as gasoline will be filled in the tank soon afterwards.
• Gasoline Rinsing: After you have dried the tank, rinse the tank well with gasoline. This is the last step in the gasoline tank cleaning procedure.
• Fill gasoline in the tank: Attach all the components, which you have removed in the first step. Keep a small quantity of gasoline ready, so that the vehicle reaches the gasoline pump station. Now, do not waste any time and refill the tank back with gasoline. It is important to refill immediately, as the tank can start rusting again.

Answer 2

If the tank is old it's best to just replace it as I have seen too many people have problems when they use the special flush that is used to clean them as it puts a coating on the inside of the tank and the coating breaks off after a little while and starts plugging up the gas lines and filter.