rusty gas tank...just not on a tercel

[dlb]

so my vw van ran awesome for over 1500 km and then all of a sudden, after running for about an hour, it had an intermittent loss of power and lurched and bucked, even backfiring out the exhaust when it really bogged down. i had noticed that the fuel pump was screaming so i got one for the wrecker and threw it in but started it up and the new pump was screaming right away too. i thought about it and remembered that i had changed the fuel filter when i was working on the van and noticed a lot of rust in the old filter so i looked there and voila, just full of rusty sludge. cracked it open to get a good look. replaced it and the van runs fine again.

here's my question. we don't use the van too often, it's just our spare vehicle and camper. can i continue to just change fuel filters every 1500 km (they're only $12 and take 20 minutes to swap) and not do any damage further down the fuel system line? i worry about stuff getting past the filter and into the pump, the injectors, and the fuel pressure regulator, but dropping and cleaning the tank would be a big PITA for a vehicle we don't use too often. i also worry that in removing it, more problems might be created. i'd hate to have to cut anything to get it out and replace more parts, like the filler neck or something.

[Petros]

That would work okay. But you might try an intermediate step that does not require pulling the tank, most tanks have a drain plug, just pull it and allow all the fuel to drain out into a bucket. Decant the rust out, and pass it back through the filler/drain a few more times. It will get most of the loose particles out the drain at least. If the fuel is not too murky, filter it and reuse it. Otherwise save it for the lawn mower and the chain saws.

I once had an old farm tractor I bought for $500 to use on my property, and the fuel tank was full of chaff. Way too much trouble to remove it, but the crop chaff in the tank it kept plugging the filter. So I just filled and drained it out several times and it worked fine after that.

[ARCHINSTL]

Note that this is anecdotal - no personal experience...
I heard that someone drained the tank and sloshed gas around in it a few times and repeated the draining. He then inserted a tube in the drain, adapted it to the shop vac and sucked away, all the while wiggling the tube around the bottom of the tank and was able to remove much of the crud.
Personally, I think it was kinda dangerous - but maybe you can figger a way to do it without the risk of fuel fumes being drawn into the vac's motor.
Tom M.

[Don Jorgensen]

I had an 84 Vanagon water cooled engine. I used it as a daily driver for about 3 years in the late 80's. It had about 45,000 miles on it when I bought it. Within the first 500 miles I had to change the gas filter located on the passenger side under the sliding door. I did not have a garage back in those days so I kept a piece of carpet in back and spare filters in the glove box. Once it plugged and motor died on a wind chill day of 50 below zero on the interstate with a 25 mph wind blowing from the NW. So there I am with a dead van, lying on the carpet with the wind whipping snow on me doing the quickest filter change I could manage...when the gas ...(you always get a little on your hands)...hit my fingers. I was able to get the new one in place and jump back in to fire it up and warm my fingers on the not very warm heat vents. When it warmed up that spring I took the tank out. Took about an hour to remove it. It had rubber/neoprene? inserts where all the connections were so I removed everything and banged all over it with a rubber hammer. I shook and bounced the tank around to get the rust gunk out then I sloshed soapy water around and drained that and then added some alcohol/heet sloshed that around and drained that and let it sit in the sun awhile. Reassembled it and never had to change the filter after that.

[Petros]

He then inserted a tube in the drain, adapted it to the shop vac and sucked away,

This usually results in the shop-vac going "whump!" and than it stops working. There is a favorite local mid race entertainment break where they put various shop vacs inlets into a container of gasoline and see which one lasts the longest. Mostly this results in very spectacular "failures" of the vac, much to the crowds pleasure!

see this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6b5eSMnYg8

[ARCHINSTL]

WOW ! ! ! to that video! Forget my anecdotal suggestion!
The perps in that video sure react a lot calmer than I would have thought - and the fire took longer to extinguish than I would have imagined.
I had not realized that "Survivor - Shop-Vac" was a diversion. I wonder if the results are more dependent on gas vapor than on liquid gas? Hmmm - might have to send this in to "Mythbusters"...
Tom M.

P.S. Note that the ancedotal suggestion is NOT from a personal experience!

[dlb]

thanks guys. i'll try draining/decanting the tank in the near future, that sounds painless enough but should hopefully keep it from routinely clogging filters.

[splatterdog]

Fuego! Judging by the reactions of those present, it looks like business as usual at that shop.

If the tank is ugly inside, here's some products to correct it yourself.http://www.por15.com/Fuel-System-Restor ... oducts/12/ Or replace tank if they are reasonably priced. I'm guessing they aren't.

I wouldn't keep circulating rust. Sooner or later and maybe far from home it will be worse than just a filter. Filters don't stop everything either.

[ARCHINSTL]

Fuel tank availability - from last year: http://www.tercel4wd.com/forums/viewtop ... ank#p37090
Tom M.

[dlb]

i just checked out that link, s-dog. i've read some horror stories tank sealer pealing off and clogging the tank but i might be persuaded into putting some fuel preservative in it to try to keep it from rusting more over the winter.

a new tank is $200, which i would consider if i had to, but i'm trying to avoid taking the tank out because i'm worried about shit being all rusted together and having to replace numerous other parts. god knows these VW parts aren't cheap, even though they're all made of plastic. ridiculous.

tom, those are tercel tanks! but thanks anyway.

[splatterdog]

Depending on access, maybe fish a magnet down inside and pull as much out as you can. Do those have an access hole like Jap cars? Or stick a really strong one on the outside to grab and hold the rust in place inside(away from the pickup tube).

[dlb]

that's an awesome idea!!! very creative.

[splatterdog]

Almost forgot. If fishing around a tank with gas in it, it would be wise to have a grounded fishing pole.