Inside Your Gas Tank

[boydg1]

Inside Your Gas Tank

…. Unless you have steam cleaned or equivalent of or replaced your gas tank in the past 6 to 7 years this is what it most probably looks like. Recently in doing routine maintenance I opened up the fuel tank and this is the RUSTY Crud I found ( see pics ). All the more reason why you need to blow your fuel line clear and replace or clean your filters regularly, I think.

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[Damkid]

kinda looks like my GTX tank lol

[wybnrml]

I was in my gas tank not to long ago and it was actually clean. I drained all the gas out and didn't find anything in it. But I did blow out my fuel lines and they were full of stuff. But its always a good idea to check your tank.

[JPT]

EWWWWW!!

Now I'm wondering what mine looks like inside.

[neanderpaul]

I looked in a 20 year old festy tank recently. Squeaky clean.

[sasquatch]

I looked in a 20 year old festy tank recently. Squeaky clean.

same... mine was fine... i think if you dont keep it filled up most of the time rust can forum... if you drive around all the time with like 1/4 of a tank or leave it for a long time allmost empty, rust will forum and next time you drive it will flake off.... i plan to vacuum out the small amount of rust thats in my tank and maybe get it coated on the inside with that rubber/plastic coating that stops rust...

[Maxtiva]

maybe get it coated on the inside with that rubber/plastic coating that stops rust...

If the paint flake off you're going to clog the line and filter

[twopass]

check out this vid http://www.rustymetalpaint.com/Gas-T...lers_c_13.html

[1988festivazoom]

My 88 was clean as can be when I did my tank swap, and I always fill my car, none of that 1/4 tank bs lol

[drddan]

Wowww! That is a crudy lookin tank! I opened up my tank this past fall and it looked like a new tank inside. There was some black "crumb" looking stuff free floating in the bottom of the fuel, but just like a few specks of it. Not enuf to clog anything, but I cleaned it out anyway.
Were there rocks in that tank? Or maybe a bad day at the factory plating facility?

[bravekozak]

Use real gas without ethanol. Ethanol absorbs water.
Change your gas station. They must have water contamination in their tanks too! My tank is bright clean and shiny inside.

[bravekozak]

Dirty Gas
Another problem is gas that has been contaminated with dirt, water or other liquids. Many filling station pumps have a filter that keeps dirt and corrosion that has settled in underground tanks from getting into their customer's fuel tanks - assuming they maintain the filters properly. But these filters will not remove water. Alcohol attracts water, and if there is enough water present it can make the alcohol separate from gasoline.

Underground tanks have to meet stringent EPA requirements to prevent fuel leakage and soil contamination. Regular inspections are a must to ensure their integrity. But nothing is perfect and tanks sometimes leak and allow moisture to seep inside.

We have seen vehicles that were misfiring, sputtering and stalling because they had bad gas in their fuel tanks. In some cases the gas was contaminated with water. In others, there was too much alcohol. We have even seen cars that somebody mistakenly filled with diesel fuel. The not-so-funny part is that hours were wasted trying to diagnose the cause. In the end, it turned out to be bad gas. Draining the tank and refilling it with fresh gas solved the problem completely.

It does not happen very often, but fuel also can be cross-contaminated in pipelines, in storage facilities and distribution centers, and even in transit by moisture and other petroleum distillates such as diesel fuel, kerosene (jet fuel) and other chemicals.

The most common cause of dirty gas, though, is the vehicle's own fuel tank. As the miles accumulate, the protective plating inside the tank can wear away allowing corrosion to occur. This obviously does not happen with plastic gas tanks but it is quite common with steel tanks. The small flakes of rust are then pulled into the fuel pickup strainer where they can clog the strainer, damage the fuel pump or plug the fuel filter.

A lean fuel condition combined with lower-than-normal fuel flow and/or pressure is usually a good indication that the fuel system has a restriction - if the problem is not a weak fuel pump. If you check the filter and find it is plugged with debris, inspect the gas tank and clean it or replace it as needed if the tank is full of dirt or corrosion.

Finally, if a vehicle cranks and has spark but refuses to start, check the fuel gauge. No gas is worse than bad gas.

[boydg1]

.... Your final sentence, words well put.

Thanks

.

Dirty Gas
Another problem is gas that has been contaminated with dirt, water or other liquids. Many filling station pumps have a filter that keeps dirt and corrosion that has settled in underground tanks from getting into their customer's fuel tanks - assuming they maintain the filters properly. But these filters will not remove water. Alcohol attracts water, and if there is enough water present it can make the alcohol separate from gasoline.

Underground tanks have to meet stringent EPA requirements to prevent fuel leakage and soil contamination. Regular inspections are a must to ensure their integrity. But nothing is perfect and tanks sometimes leak and allow moisture to seep inside.

We have seen vehicles that were misfiring, sputtering and stalling because they had bad gas in their fuel tanks. In some cases the gas was contaminated with water. In others, there was too much alcohol. We have even seen cars that somebody mistakenly filled with diesel fuel. The not-so-funny part is that hours were wasted trying to diagnose the cause. In the end, it turned out to be bad gas. Draining the tank and refilling it with fresh gas solved the problem completely.

It does not happen very often, but fuel also can be cross-contaminated in pipelines, in storage facilities and distribution centers, and even in transit by moisture and other petroleum distillates such as diesel fuel, kerosene (jet fuel) and other chemicals.

The most common cause of dirty gas, though, is the vehicle's own fuel tank. As the miles accumulate, the protective plating inside the tank can wear away allowing corrosion to occur. This obviously does not happen with plastic gas tanks but it is quite common with steel tanks. The small flakes of rust are then pulled into the fuel pickup strainer where they can clog the strainer, damage the fuel pump or plug the fuel filter.

A lean fuel condition combined with lower-than-normal fuel flow and/or pressure is usually a good indication that the fuel system has a restriction - if the problem is not a weak fuel pump. If you check the filter and find it is plugged with debris, inspect the gas tank and clean it or replace it as needed if the tank is full of dirt or corrosion.

Finally, if a vehicle cranks and has spark but refuses to start, check the fuel gauge. No gas is worse than bad gas.

[FordFestiva]

I replaced my tank and the old one was very clean - like new on the inside. The reason I changed the tank was due to leaking at the seam as a known problem over the years. Make sure to fill your tanks and drive these cars. The tank is only ten gallons. I understand some people are concerned about the weight and gas mileage, but at least top off the tank once in a while. Also, make sure to change that fuel filter in the engine compartment near the firewall.

[FordFestiva]

My father told me to stay away from old gas stations. The reason being, their fuel storage tanks in the ground can be dirty and/or contaminated over the years. I also pour a little isopropyl alcohol in the tank once a year (usually just before winter). This mixes any possible water with the gas. Then it gets burned off during engine run and not float on the top of gas in the tank.