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mopartec

  • Karma: +0/-0
cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« on: July 20, 2010, 07:05:22 PM »
Anyone have any ideas on cleaning out the aluminum gas tanks on my jet boat.I found out the hard way that there is some type of sludge build up in the rear portion of my tanks.Im hoping to avoid the expense of new tanks or the radiator shop if I can help it.
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crewchief22

  • Karma: +66/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #1 on: July 20, 2010, 07:16:57 PM »
Are you planning on removing the tanks from the boat?
  • Boat #1: '77 Hondo Pantera GT Jet
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"Racing is life!  Anything that happens before or after, is just waiting"    Steve McQueen

The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?

mopartec

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #2 on: July 20, 2010, 07:51:27 PM »
Yes.already have one removed.
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GT Jets

  • Karma: +192/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2010, 10:13:53 PM »
Denatured alcohol and a large bag of marbles....Don't laugh, it works pretty good... :sly:

Besides, its fun, sort of like huge maracas  :D

GT
  • Boat #1: 1992 Carrera 20.5 Elite (I/O bitches)
  • Boat #2: 19' Bubble deck Jet BBC Berkeley
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If i get some free time tonight at work, ill play with it and post it for everyone to see.

Time to man up and yank it John!  :banghead:
Ray

crewchief22

  • Karma: +66/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #4 on: July 21, 2010, 07:09:38 AM »
Denatured alcohol and a large bag of marbles....Don't laugh, it works pretty good... :sly:

Besides, its fun, sort of like huge maracas  :D

GT

  :thumbup:
  • Boat #1: '77 Hondo Pantera GT Jet
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"Racing is life!  Anything that happens before or after, is just waiting"    Steve McQueen

The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?

oldmxdog61u

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #5 on: July 21, 2010, 02:02:04 PM »
diesel and a bag of ss screws and nutrs and a shaker
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Any man whose errors take ten years to correct is quite a man.
J. Robert Oppenheimer

Tio Pancho

  • Karma: +11/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #6 on: July 21, 2010, 02:09:46 PM »
Semi thread jack here - what if you don't want to remove the tanks? How would you handle it then?
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Brendella Pickle

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #7 on: July 21, 2010, 02:10:48 PM »
Semi thread jack here - what if you don't want to remove the tanks? How would you handle it then?


Same method only you'd have to shake the whole boat, lol
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Tio Pancho

  • Karma: +11/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2010, 02:26:06 PM »
Smart Ass! I almost spit my soda out.
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oldmxdog61u

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #9 on: July 22, 2010, 03:56:22 PM »
well, not as good but in place cleaning can be done  with several lengths of heavy rope iserted into a high speed drill motor. Make sure all gas is drained as gas goes boom with ignition source. Once all gas is removed and there are no residual fumes and it is safe (your responsibility) put the rope in with your dril motor connected and spin the hell out of it and get the thing whacking everywhere. . Do this several times, repalcing the rope when it gets all grungy, then you may still have to get all the leftover sludge out by repeated filling then draining. A true royal PITA. You are far better having the tank removed. Again, this is a gas tank, be careful. Gas is explosive and flammable.

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Any man whose errors take ten years to correct is quite a man.
J. Robert Oppenheimer

quick olds

  • Karma: +3/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #10 on: July 22, 2010, 04:12:37 PM »
Ok how would u shake the boat hit a whoop section at 70? Lol i would u alc and ss nuts and bolts they break sludge pretty good did u leave gas in the tanks or how did they gum up
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IRRebel

  • Karma: +16/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #11 on: July 22, 2010, 11:47:27 PM »
I think I remember reading somewhere where someone, half filled the tanks with water and a heavy concentration of detergent, then drove through a neighbor hood with speed bumps several times with shot bags full of brass nuts and bolts. When he got back, he used his already rigged his shop vac with duct tape and several pieces of PVC and then to copper tube to suck it all out........Sounds crazy, but makes kinda sense!  :screwy:

I'll see if I can find it, wasn't here I don't think.

Ray
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"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways totally worn out shouting 'Holy Shit what a ride!"---Crewcheif22 AKA Keith

mopartec

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #12 on: July 23, 2010, 09:11:29 PM »
just a quicl update. i pulled one tank out after sucking out all the fuel.took one of the tanks to the loacl high preasure wash bay. filled the tank with high preasure. first blast got a lot of brown junk out of tank. several blasts and fills tank came out clean.so that worked. got that idea from the local  radiator shop.
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crewchief22

  • Karma: +66/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #13 on: July 23, 2010, 09:24:22 PM »
Good deal.

You have to be careful cleaning parts at the car wash.  One local to me won't even let you spray off your engine (guy comes to check if you have your hood open in the wash bay).
  • Boat #1: '77 Hondo Pantera GT Jet
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"Racing is life!  Anything that happens before or after, is just waiting"    Steve McQueen

The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?

eaglerider94

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #14 on: July 25, 2010, 07:10:02 PM »
I have lots of moisture in my tanks causing the engine not to run. I ran the fuel line into a clean container of fresh fuel and she ran beautifully. Tanks are not removable so how do  I get the remaining fuel out? I thought of applying an air line to one side and blowing it out.  ???
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Brendella Pickle

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #15 on: July 25, 2010, 07:27:50 PM »
I have lots of moisture in my tanks causing the engine not to run. I ran the fuel line into a clean container of fresh fuel and she ran beautifully. Tanks are not removable so how do  I get the remaining fuel out? I thought of applying an air line to one side and blowing it out.  ???

Disconnect your fuel line from your carb put it in a bucket and turn on your fuel pump. When the tanks are empty put a few gallons of gas in them with berrymans and repeat. This should solve your problem. Oh and post some pics of your float.
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mopartec

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #16 on: July 25, 2010, 09:05:05 PM »
my tanks turned out pretty good thanks for all the ideas.
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eaglerider94

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #17 on: July 28, 2010, 05:23:21 PM »
Disconnect your fuel line from your carb put it in a bucket and turn on your fuel pump. When the tanks are empty put a few gallons of gas in them with berrymans and repeat. This should solve your problem. Oh and post some pics of your float.

The boat has a mechanical pump so this method wouldn't work, would it? How about hooking up a low pressure air line into the fuel inlet and inserting the fuel line into a large gas container? Safe?
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Willow Wog

  • Karma: +6/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #18 on: July 28, 2010, 06:29:55 PM »
I have a radiator shop here in town that dips em for $65 bucks. we picked one up today and the guy didn't have time to fish out evrything (its clean just some hard shit rolling around inside) so he only charged us $35.  great guys super honest with you. A-1 radiator and a/c in chino or maybe pomona its right on the border.
  • Boat #1: 1977 Hawaiian model? southwind splash
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btnhtillidie

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #19 on: August 02, 2010, 06:33:40 AM »
MEK and a big Effin Chain. I let the tanks sit for about a week to let the fumes and stuff out. half filled with MEK sloashed it around let it sit over night. Next day drop the chain in and have fun! Remember to have a magnet handy to get the chain back out.
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Brendella Pickle

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #20 on: August 02, 2010, 06:47:19 AM »
MEK and a big Effin Chain. I let the tanks sit for about a week to let the fumes and stuff out. half filled with MEK sloashed it around let it sit over night. Next day drop the chain in and have fun! Remember to have a magnet handy to get the chain back out.

Be very careful with MEK around fiberglass. This is the hardener for Fiberglass resin and can damage your existing stuff.
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btnhtillidie

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: cleaning out aluminum gas tanks
« Reply #21 on: August 02, 2010, 06:49:08 AM »
Opps I should have stated Spun tanks and tanks removed from the boat.
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