flush fuel tank in car? - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Legal Eagle · #16 01-10-2005, 01:38 PM

Dry gas is nothing more than a fancy name for methanol/metyl hydrate and it is not recommended for diesels.
When you get your tank back together as yo live in a fairly warm climate, run some high concentration biodiesel in your car. If it doesn't drop below about 45F (6C) then you can run B100. This will clean out anything that is residual in the tank, lines, pump and injectors.
Be prepared to change the fuel filters a couple of times tough. You may get a stalling problem as the BD will loosen everything up inside the tank and may clog up the screen sediment filter in there, but you already know how to remove that.
Hope you get your problem fixed soon.

Luc

Hatterasguy · #17 01-10-2005, 01:51 PM

I didn't read the whole thread to carefully so I may be off a little.

But in the marine world when a boat has a bad algea problem their are compaines that will polish the fuel. What they do is wheel down large filters to the boat and run the fuel through the filters until all of the algea is cleaned out. Usually a very strong helping of an algicide is added to. But in the worst cases the tanks have to be pulled, then you cut holes in them and clean them out. Or just replace them if their old. We just replaced all of the tanks and fuel lines in a Trojan 36 last year, the algea was so bad he was changing his fuel filters every few hours and the engines just wouldn't come up to speed.

The tank in my SDL looks pretty simple to pull, I would just pull it and flush with bleach. Also make sure to purge your fuel lines to kill any that got in their. I would figure out a way to pump bleach through the hard lines under the car and then flush with clean diesel to get rid of the bleach. Also change your fuel filters because they will be full of it. After that fill with fresh diesel and add Biobar for a few months to make sure to kill any that you might have missed.

boneheaddoctor · #18 01-10-2005, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

I didn't read the whole thread to carefully so I may be off a little.

But in the marine world when a boat has a bad algea problem their are compaines that will polish the fuel. What they do is wheel down large filters to the boat and run the fuel through the filters until all of the algea is cleaned out. Usually a very strong helping of an algicide is added to. But in the worst cases the tanks have to be pulled, then you cut holes in them and clean them out. Or just replace them if their old. We just replaced all of the tanks and fuel lines in a Trojan 36 last year, the algea was so bad he was changing his fuel filters every few hours and the engines just wouldn't come up to speed.

The tank in my SDL looks pretty simple to pull, I would just pull it and flush with bleach. Also make sure to purge your fuel lines to kill any that got in their. I would figure out a way to pump bleach through the hard lines under the car and then flush with clean diesel to get rid of the bleach. Also change your fuel filters because they will be full of it. After that fill with fresh diesel and add Biobar for a few months to make sure to kill any that you might have missed.

I would be hesitant with the bleach, thats mighty corrosive.......

Hatterasguy · #19 01-10-2005, 02:05 PM

Yeah bleach might be a little overkill, what about gas?

boneheaddoctor · #20 01-10-2005, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Yeah bleach might be a little overkill, what about gas?

Gas (RUG) and BioBor to kill the Fungi and the little critters that might be in it,

Residues of that aren't going to lunch your IP like Bleach is likely to do.

odie · #21 01-10-2005, 04:05 PM

Bleach is corrosive to stainless steel. Not sure about other metals. Any SS in the MB fuel system.

The gas I used had BioBor in it. I really hope it killed all the algae.

boneheaddoctor · #22 01-10-2005, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odie

Bleach is corrosive to stainless steel. Not sure about other metals. Any SS in the MB fuel system.

The gas I used had BioBor in it. I really hope it killed all the algae.

Bleach is corrosive to ALL metals to my knowledge.

odie · #23 01-10-2005, 05:02 PM

But how corrosive?

I use bleach to sanitize all my beer making stuff and my SS kegs. But I don't let the bleach solution stay in contact with SS more than a few minutes anyway. Just long enough to kill any bacteria. Then I rinse well.

Might be just the trick for algae in the gas tank. remove the fuel lines and cap the barbs. a couple cups of bleach, fill with water. Remove the strainer after 15-30 minutes. flush with garden hose. maybe blow out the tank with a shop vac in reverse or hair dryer for a while. then rinse with RUG to get the last of the water.

You are sure to be rid of the algae, now only about that water

.....

boneheaddoctor · #24 01-10-2005, 05:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by odie

But how corrosive?

I use bleach to sanitize all my beer making stuff and my SS kegs. But I don't let the bleach solution stay in contact with SS more than a few minutes anyway. Just long enough to kill any bacteria. Then I rinse well.

Might be just the trick for algae in the gas tank. remove the fuel lines and cap the barbs. a couple cups of bleach, fill with water. Remove the strainer after 15-30 minutes. flush with garden hose. maybe blow out the tank with a shop vac in reverse or hair dryer for a while. then rinse with RUG to get the last of the water.

You are sure to be rid of the algae, now only about that water

.....

Biobor is sure to kill the Algae...........AND its not harmful to anything in the fuel system.