Blowing back into the tank from the fuel filter inlet

[scouttster]

I think I have fuel tank issues too. I blew back into the tank from the fuel filter inlet ( gas cap off ) and it was tough get air in there.. I think the screen in their may be clogged up. So, my question is - should blowing back in there be as easy as pie? Hardly any restriction? Or should you have to get your face rosie red just to get air down there?
Thanks

[Highlander]

Did you take the gas cap off? It's got a recirc line so that it doesn't vent to atmosphere-there will be backpressure if you don't remove it. I use compressed air myself , so I don't know how hard it is to do by mouth

[IHblarp]

I did this yesterday to no avail. First tried blowing (with the gas cap off) and didn't get anywhere. Then I decided to cut a bicycle valve stem and shove it into the rubber line and use a hand bike pump. I was getting upwards of 80-90 psi and it didn't seem to actually push anything through. I think it was bleeding out through the gaps in the rubber hose/valve stem connection or through the pump itself.

I'm headed towards dropping my tank and trying to clean it out myself. For some reason no radiator shop in my area can deal with steaming tanks so its either clean myself or find a new tank.

[Petros]

you do not have to remove the tank to inspect inside it. under the rear carpet there is an access plate, under it is the sender unit on top of the tank. It comes out with six screws, pull out the sender and you can inspect the inside of the tank, including the fuel pick up. Than you can decided if it is worth removing the tank. might be possible to clean the fuel pick-up screen from the sender opening.

[scouttster]

I have a 30" piece of aluminim pipe that snugs right into the hose and then I electric taped it in place.. I had to blow pretty hard to get air to go through.. But, I did in fact get air to go through. At first it was difficult and then the more I did it the easier it became.. So, I'm thinking its difficult at first because of the sludge and then as I blow - I'm pushing some of that sludge off the screen filter and it gets easier..

Shouldnt it just a be a free and clear run both to and fro? yes, gas cap was off..
Also, if thats all sludged up in there, then the fuel pump has to work that much harder to pull fuel and probably wont last as long?

Ahh, nice to know about the tank being right there.. I'll go look

[IHblarp]

sorry, I should have made myself more clear. I have already looked into the tank from the sending unit hole and it is in really bad shape. I was hoping that I could just clear the lines and replace the fuel filter regularly for a while but i think my problems are beyond that.

[IHblarp]

I dropped the tank yesterday evening to really get access to the fuel sending lines in the tank. The tank itself is not in too bad of shape, it just has about 1/4-1/2 inch of rust flake sludge at the bottom and sure enough the steel line is plugged right after the in-tank strainer. With the bike pump I can still hit about 80 psi and it just gradually bleeds down. I think I'm gonna soak the sending unit lines in acetone and maybe even use the vac pump to pull some through the lines to see if it will break it up. AS far as the tank goes I'm planning on pressure washing it really good to get all the big stuff out, rinsing with mystery chemical ??? to absorb the left over moisture, and then triple rinse with some gasoline.

Now the question is what mystery chemical to use. My bio-chemist friend recommended ethanol. He said it should absorb the water molecules and let them be poured out with the ethanol, and then a full tank of gas with some residual ethanol should not be a problem. This method will do nothing for the rust but it will clear the tank of all the sludge buildup at the bottom and hopefully make it usable again.

Anyone see a problem with this train of thought?

[scouttster]

Ihburp-
I pm you before I see your post.. Ok, sorry about that..
I'll probably remove my tank and hit it with a long cylindrical wire brush and just keep hosing it out with the garden hose.. Thats right I said garden hose.. Then when I feel as though I got most of it - I will blow it out and sit it directly in the Florida sunshine for a day or two.. Next hit it with a spray of WD 40 and let her sit it out for another day or two.. Then re-install.. Any pics of the screen?
Thanks
John

[IHblarp]

scouttster,

it's all good, I didn't take any pics of the strainer but I might be able to later this evening. I think 84's have the fuel gauge sending unit access in the trunk area next to the spare, when I took out that sending unit i could look down into the tank and almost directly forward was the fuel pickup/strainer. It's basically a plastic cylindrical cage 1.5 inch diameter and maybe 2.5 inch long at the bottom of the tank. I couldn't really see much until i dropped the tank though. On mine, the strainer itself does not seem too clogged its just the steel pickup tube that seems to have gotten full of varnish scum. I'm not sure where to source one but I'm thinking someplace like napa will probably have something.

Who woulda thought about wd-40?? sometimes I just don't think of simple stuff like that I'll prob still give it a rinse with 95% ethanol after the pressure washer to prevent water from sitting in there for too long. and then bust the wd-40 spray.

[scouttster]

Ihhbarp-
Your method sounds about right.. You could go with that. I was thinking about using Coka Cola along with that long clylindrical wire brush as I scrub at the rust in the tank. I remember someone talking about Coke being a good rust-inhibitor? I drink alot of it - no rust under my arm pits yet - so it must work pretty good

FYI to all - Auto-zone is running an oil special - 5 QT jug of AZ motor oil and the oil filter for $11.00 USD... Not a bad deal...

I'll try to take some pics as well..

Thanks

[IHblarp]

my only recommendation if you decide to use Coke is to use a diet Cola, that way you wouldn't have to worry about the massive amount of sugars (just massive amounts of artificial sweeteners) left behind.

[Petros]

Coke is not a rust inhibitor, it is corrosive and it will take the lose flaky rust off if left in the tank long enough. Hydrochloric acid would be faster and probably cheaper (they sell it in hardware stores as "muriatic acid" for cleaning bricks), or just use regular old "Navel Jelly", wash either one out with soap and water. Either the muriatic acid or the navel jelly will take all the surface rust off, final clean with soap and water and than use ethanol to take out the remaining moisture.

There is no real rust inhibitor you can use: WD40 or similar will just wash off with the first tank of gasoline, do not waste your money or effort with it. The best would be some kind of coating, there is a rubbery paint they sell for sealing fuel tanks, but there is always the risk that it will fake off and plug your lines and filter. Best to leave it bare and hope for the best.

The darn ethenol/gasoline mixture is causing the rust. IF it does not sit too long in the tank, new rust should be minimal. Thank you EPA for such foolishness (fuelishness?). Save the planet by turning all the cars into rusty heaps, causes us to buy more cars more often. What a stupid waste of resources.

I would clean out the fuel line with a long pipe cleaner, or even a long fine bore brush (looks like a tiny bottle brush, available from auto parts store), and replace the screen. Flush out with the muriatic acid, and final clean with soap and water, than ethanol wash.

Good luck

[IHblarp]

this evening i decided to go ahead and give the gas tank a good wash at the car wash. It worked surprisingly well and got 95-98% of the big stuff loose and out of the tank. I promptly spayed a lot of wd-40 in there in the hope it would keep the moisture from bonding with what little surface rust is left. I didn't use ethanol because i too broke and cheap to buy a bottle of everclear (the highest percentage of pure ethanol i could think of). I came home and put a small fan blowing into the tank while i tried to think of something better, and luckily I stumbled upon a 1.5 hp electric leaf blower motor my bother left here when he moved out (finally his pack rat tendencies worked to my advantage!!!!) which made quick work of drying the tank. followed by a rinse with a small amount of gas and then a bit more gas. So far the tank looks pretty good except fro a few places that i couldn't get to with the pressure washer. I'll let you guys know how it looks tomorrow and hopefully it will be going back in the car tomorrow evening!!!!

[scouttster]

Yea, I'll just go with water from the garden hose and the wire brush.. Thanks for the heads up on the coke, petros...
Here is a pic of the send

[4wdchico]

Coke is not a rust inhibitor, it is corrosive and it will take the lose flaky rust off if left in the tank long enough. Hydrochloric acid would be faster and probably cheaper (they sell it in hardware stores as "muriatic acid" for cleaning bricks), or just use regular old "Navel Jelly", wash either one out with soap and water. Either the muriatic acid or the navel jelly will take all the surface rust off, final clean with soap and water and than use ethanol to take out the remaining moisture.

There is no real rust inhibitor you can use: WD40 or similar will just wash off with the first tank of gasoline, do not waste your money or effort with it. The best would be some kind of coating, there is a rubbery paint they sell for sealing fuel tanks, but there is always the risk that it will fake off and plug your lines and filter. Best to leave it bare and hope for the best.

The darn ethenol/gasoline mixture is causing the rust. IF it does not sit too long in the tank, new rust should be minimal. Thank you EPA for such foolishness (fuelishness?). Save the planet by turning all the cars into rusty heaps, causes us to buy more cars more often. What a stupid waste of resources.

I would clean out the fuel line with a long pipe cleaner, or even a long fine bore brush (looks like a tiny bottle brush, available from auto parts store), and replace the screen. Flush out with the muriatic acid, and final clean with soap and water, than ethanol wash.

Good luck

I hear you on the ethanol content of the gas these days. I have been using this Redline product: http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=81&pcid=12

i have been using it a couple of times a month in the summer and a very small amount in every fill up in the wet months. Been doing this for years and have had no fuel system issues, of any sort, since the ethanol contaminated (dreck!) was foisted upon us. i also don't ever let my tank go very long with less than half a tank before refilling, seems to make sense in helping prevent condensation in the tank.

Thanks again for the splash guard, I spent way too much time looking for one here in California.