Rear Fuel Tank Cleaning - Dear God

TexasTruck

Registered User
Joined
Aug 27, 2021
Posts
60
Reaction score
31
Location
Houston, Texas
Thanks Frankenwrench.

Update: I got most of the tar crap out of the rear tank using lacquer thinner. Thank you for that. Quite painless just messy. I used dawn and water to break that and rinsed out the whole tank. Got most of the larger strainer pieces out. What's left is a lot of grit sticking to the walls. I can't tell if it's plastic or dirt. After it's dried out maybe hit it with the compressor and shop vac a few times should get it. Then hit it with some gas to make sure.

For the front tank I'm not even gonna fool with it. I will just buy new.
 

Selahdoor

How can I help you, or make you laugh, today?
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Posts
2,253
Reaction score
2,004
Location
Index Wa
I stuck a brass tee and hose on my uptake tube. Have a perfectly good showerhead. Just chose to go with the tee because the showerheads are so prone to breaking up.

Set the sender/uptake/return in the tank loosely. Looked through the filler neck, and shined a flashlight through the vent hole, and got the tee positioned to where it barely touches the bottom.

Used vinyl hose, not rubber.

I don't regret it one bit, at this point. Usually can't get the truck started when facing uphill, when the level hits 1/4 tank.

Now... I am running that front tank until it dies on me. (I'll just pull over, switch tanks, and run the electric pump until it primes again.) I want to know exactly where empty is. 293 miles so far, since full. Needle hit empty 30 miles ago. Still starts, when facing uphill, and hasn't died yet.


I also used the same method as above to adjust the sender unit so that the float almost touches the tank at both the top and the bottom of it's travel. Filled the tank, and the gauge pegged way above full. Kind of worried for a while, then it started going down. And it went down normally. So I actually KNEW when the tank was all the way full, and had a very good idea of where the level actually was, because I had a good idea where the float was, when it started to come down.

Bottom line, on that tank, I am not going to be driving around thinking I still have a full tank, when I have already used a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the full tank. And when it reaches empty, I'll know it actually is close to empty.

What is the point in having a 1/4 tank of fuel that you can never use? That's what that showerhead gives you. You always have a 1/4 tank of fuel that is just sitting in there stagnating, growing algae, letting tiny particles gather into bigger chunks, etc.
 

Jbone36

Registered User
Joined
Nov 8, 2018
Posts
87
Reaction score
7
Location
California
Thanks Frankenwrench.

Update: I got most of the tar crap out of the rear tank using lacquer thinner. Thank you for that. Quite painless just messy. I used dawn and water to break that and rinsed out the whole tank. Got most of the larger strainer pieces out. What's left is a lot of grit sticking to the walls. I can't tell if it's plastic or dirt. After it's dried out maybe hit it with the compressor and shop vac a few times should get it. Then hit it with some gas to make sure.

For the front tank I'm not even gonna fool with it. I will just buy new.
Call your local radiator shop they our here will clean and boil them out for a good price
 

Old Goat

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Posts
1,581
Reaction score
1,570
Location
Northern Nevada
I stuck a brass tee and hose on my uptake tube. Have a perfectly good showerhead. Just chose to go with the tee because the showerheads are so prone to breaking up.

Set the sender/uptake/return in the tank loosely. Looked through the filler neck, and shined a flashlight through the vent hole, and got the tee positioned to where it barely touches the bottom.

Used vinyl hose, not rubber.

I don't regret it one bit, at this point. Usually can't get the truck started when facing uphill, when the level hits 1/4 tank.

Now... I am running that front tank until it dies on me. (I'll just pull over, switch tanks, and run the electric pump until it primes again.) I want to know exactly where empty is. 293 miles so far, since full. Needle hit empty 30 miles ago. Still starts, when facing uphill, and hasn't died yet.


I also used the same method as above to adjust the sender unit so that the float almost touches the tank at both the top and the bottom of it's travel. Filled the tank, and the gauge pegged way above full. Kind of worried for a while, then it started going down. And it went down normally. So I actually KNEW when the tank was all the way full, and had a very good idea of where the level actually was, because I had a good idea where the float was, when it started to come down.

Bottom line, on that tank, I am not going to be driving around thinking I still have a full tank, when I have already used a 1/4 to a 1/3 of the full tank. And when it reaches empty, I'll know it actually is close to empty.

What is the point in having a 1/4 tank of fuel that you can never use? That's what that showerhead gives you. You always have a 1/4 tank of fuel that is just sitting in there stagnating, growing algae, letting tiny particles gather into bigger chunks, etc.

Do you know what the life span is for the Shower head?
It does sit o the bottom of the tank and has a screen to filter out any thing big.
I have read many threads where a piece of hose has been installed with a V cut into it so it doesn`t stick to the tank bottom when sucking fuel. But then there isn`t any type of filtration.
Something big say a broken piece of SH gets sucked up and then stuck in the FSOV and you cant switch tanks.

If you have a missing SH and run out at a 1/4 tank, that fuel isn`t sitting there stagnant growing anything,
It sloches back and forth while we are driving stirring up what ever is in the tank.

I have read guys don`t want to get the tank too low and start sucking off the bottom...where exactly do they think the fuel is sucked from?

When I added the 38 gallon tank, I bought 20 gallons of fuel, dumped 2 gallons at a time to see exactly where the fuel gauge read. So when I got to 19, I was at 1/2 tank. Been pretty accurate, but now after 2 years seems like it stays on the top 1/2 longer than the bottom half.


Goat
 

Cubey

Van dweller
Joined
Oct 18, 2017
Posts
4,066
Reaction score
1,580
Location
USA
but now after 2 years seems like it stays on the top 1/2 longer than the bottom half.

Most every car/truck/van I've had was like that. Makes it feel le you're getting better mpg.

Often the quarter between 1/2 and 3/4 moves the slowest when it comes to our IDIs.
 

Old Goat

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Posts
1,581
Reaction score
1,570
Location
Northern Nevada
Thanks Frankenwrench.

Update: I got most of the tar crap out of the rear tank using lacquer thinner. Thank you for that. Quite painless just messy. I used dawn and water to break that and rinsed out the whole tank. Got most of the larger strainer pieces out. What's left is a lot of grit sticking to the walls. I can't tell if it's plastic or dirt. After it's dried out maybe hit it with the compressor and shop vac a few times should get it. Then hit it with some gas to make sure.

For the front tank I'm not even gonna fool with it. I will just buy new.

I mentioned I used gas for a final rinse, that was all I had at the time..Be careful with the Shop Vac., the vapors are explosive. Well so would be Lacquer Thinner.

Goat
 

Old Goat

Full Access Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2021
Posts
1,581
Reaction score
1,570
Location
Northern Nevada
Thanks Goat. This tank definitely looks like what you described. Lacquer thinner is cheap and easy it sounds like. I don't have any place to dispose of flammables so I will have to burn it all off when I'm done. I was thinking about polishing that fuel I took out to re-use it. I've got about 15 gallons of it still. Some have told me don't bother. Some have said polish it and add it to clean diesel as I go.

Thank you for the links to the tank and the senders. A bit pricey but if they work and I can get the tank cleaned out then I will be back in business at least on one of them. I think this tank is 19 gallons. I don't know if the spectra will fit in the cradle but if I go that route I will call them and make sure before I order it if I need it.

As cool as it would look to have an aux tank mounted on my truck with smokes stacks and all the fixings the costs are too much. I can weld and do basic fabrication. But that's not a project I want to get into right now as I have no place to work except outside in the open skies. My flat bed is my welding table.

My dream is to have this truck completely restored and go to shows. The reality is it will probably only ever be my farm/work/motorcycle transport truck.

The 38 gallon F26E is the same size, except 7" deeper. Should fit right in there. When I got mine there is a bag with all the goodies including the longer rear bolts for the bottom straps. They were too short, by an inch or so.
I looked at mine today and measured from the top cross frame to the bottom of the lower bracket is 6". So you will need a bolt 7 or 8" longer.

Here is a guy installing one in a 97 with pictures.


Goat
 

TexasTruck

Registered User
Joined
Aug 27, 2021
Posts
60
Reaction score
31
Location
Houston, Texas
I understand about the gas, vac and flammables. Being that the tank is mostly "clean and dry" now I will just use that one. I've not gotten a response from Gas Tank Depot about the sender/shower head yet.
 

Selahdoor

How can I help you, or make you laugh, today?
Supporting Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2015
Posts
2,253
Reaction score
2,004
Location
Index Wa
I have read many threads where a piece of hose has been installed with a V cut into it so it doesn`t stick to the tank bottom when sucking fuel. But then there isn`t any type of filtration.
Something big say a broken piece of SH gets sucked up and then stuck in the FSOV and you cant switch tanks.
Why would you put a pickup back into a tank that has pieces of old showerhead still in it?

If you have a missing SH and run out at a 1/4 tank, that fuel isn`t sitting there stagnant growing anything,
It sloches back and forth while we are driving stirring up what ever is in the tank.
Good thing, too! Otherwise we'd have people making posts asking about how to clean up their fuel tank!

Wait... LOL
 

chillman88

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2017
Posts
6,022
Reaction score
6,152
Location
Central NY
Why would you put a pickup back into a tank that has pieces of old showerhead still in it

Because some of us get ahead of ourselves and don't take the time to think about it.... Until it's too late.... Not that I would know, just... A friend, yea that's it, a friend did it LOL
 

TexasTruck

Registered User
Joined
Aug 27, 2021
Posts
60
Reaction score
31
Location
Houston, Texas
The thought HAS crossed my mind. Just have to admit that. I am eager to get it running again. It's still sitting upside down the flat bed until I get the parts to fix it the right way. :cool:
 
Last edited:

DOE-SST

1994 E350
Joined
Apr 17, 2010
Posts
318
Reaction score
22
Location
USA
I dealt with an identical mess ten years ago and am now going thru it again. Replacing the tank with one from a junkyard would have been the easiest and cheapest solution, but they use forklifts to move vehicles and every tank I looked at was crumpled as well as having drain holes crudely punched in them.

This IDI sat for 6 years so I knew the fuel was contaminated. I did not try to start the engine, to avoid pumping algae into the rest of the fuel system.

I dropped the tank, drained all but 3 gallons of diesel out and scooped out the majority of the red algae slime by hand using paper towels. The algae would not mix with the diesel fuel.

Next step was to kill it to stop it from re-growing and spreading throughout the fuel system. I used DieselKleen in the silver bottle ten years ago, using a full bottle for a 38 gallon tank. It seemed to work but I have since found better solutions. I first tried a half dozens household cleaners but none seemed to do anything. Then I tried a biocide sold at Autozone and found it much more effective. It is Power Service's BIO KLEEN and cost about $30 a quart. I poured 2 ounces in the tank, sloshed it around and let it sit for a few hours.

It clearly dissolved the slime into the remaining diesel, turning the fuel bright red. This allowed me to drain the slime out of the tank easily. I now had a tank with a thin film of residual dead slime inside. I had quite a few industrial cleaners available, but some of them, like M.E.K. were fairly expensive and I estimated 2-3 gallons were needed. I tried a few in various small spots to see how they worked. Surprisingly, GOOF-OFF pro-strength remover was the clear winner. I never even considered it ten years ago, assuming the goofy name meant it was a weak household product.

I poured a half gallon in the tank, sloshed it around constantly for ten minutes and drained it out. It left the inside of the tank squeaky clean. I wished I'd known this ten years ago, It would have saved me many hours of miserable work.

Next will be replacing fuel lines and filters. I plan to use cheap clear plastic $5 filters and bypass the factory filter for around 500 miles. The cheap filters will trap dead algae still in the system and be less expensive than the $50 factory filters. The first full load of diesel fuel will contain a few ounces of biocide and of DieselKleen cleaner and I plan to run the engine non-stop for a few hundred miles.

A mistake I made ten years ago was to get the fuel system cleaned out, and run the engine for 15 minutes to verify all was working correctly. This allowed trace amounts of algae into the injection pump and the injectors, and it locked them up so tight I had to replace them. This algae was like superglue. I could coat my fingers in it, press them together, and need a screwdriver to pry them apart.

Hope this post helps fellow IDIers. I'll update it if asked.
 

DOE-SST

1994 E350
Joined
Apr 17, 2010
Posts
318
Reaction score
22
Location
USA
Does anyone have a lead on fuel quantity senders for these old vehicles?
 

DOE-SST

1994 E350
Joined
Apr 17, 2010
Posts
318
Reaction score
22
Location
USA
This what you are looking for?



Goat
Close.

They don't carry anything labeled for E350 vans.

Really don't want to pay $200 for a part that cost $5 to make.
 
Top