Real-Time Advice Needed - Fuel Tank Cleaning

[tarbe]

I am replacing both fitted hoses at the tank and cleaning the pick-up screen tonight.

I was amazed at how clean the screen was...probably 95% open.

I was equally amazed at how much crud is in the bottom of my tank. I stuck my finger up in the pick-up screen hole and could feel what seemed like at least a quarter inch deep pile of rust and who knows what (dead algae?) as far from the edge of the hole as I could reach.

I had a couple gallons of gasoline handy, so I shot it into the tank as fast as it would pour, hoping to flush the crud out the large hole (I made a catch apparatus with heavy plastic sheet from above the axle to keep the gas off my cv boots and allow me to catch it).

A bunch of crud came out, but there is a whole lot more in their according to my finger test.

I am wondering if I could blast the tank with a garden hose for 15 minutes to flush the crud and then put a hair drying in the filler tube for a couple hours to dry it out?

What do you guys think?

Tim

[estate1997@yaho]

Tarbe,
I just cleaned mine out with a garden hose and liquid laundry detergent.
I filled the tank and added one cup of detergent. Drained, filled, and drained again.
I was not able to remove my fitting so I pressurized the tank from the rubber hose and an air compressor. Crud shot out on the first flush then was clean after that. I pressurized the tank maybe ten times.
Filled the tank with fuel and life has been good.

[Stevo]

What I did on a 123 is take the fuel sending unit out and wash the tank out with diesel using a hand pump pressure washer. I got allot of crud out that way. Not sure if you can do that with a 126.

[tarbe]

Cool. I hoped there was not some weird baffle system that would make it useless to flush that way and near to impossible to get all the water out.

Thanks,

Tim

[sixto]

How about a citric acid flush like MB recommends for the cooling system?

Sixto
93 300SD 3.0

[tarbe]

Ok - here is what I did.

Ran the hose at full blast into the filler with the screen out - let it go for about 5 minutes. Lots of crud came out.

Closed her up. Added a half-gallon of Simple Green and put about 10 gallons of water in. Bounced and rocked the car off and on for 5 minutes. Filled it up the rest of the way and bounced and rocked for another 5 minutes. Let it sit 10 minutes.

Pulled the screen out and flushed for 5 minutes with the hose while the tank drained. Closed it up and filled her to the brim...did the shake bounce routine and drained/flushed for 5 minutes. Repeated this two more times.

Now I have a blow dryer rigged into the filler (adapted with an old Benz radiator hose!) and she is a-drying.

I will blow the supply and return lines to the back. Then once I have diesel back in I will pull fuel through both from the front with the mity-vac to ensure there is no water waiting to mess me up.

I did cap the supply line before I started the hose treatment, but while cleaning up I realized I left the return line hooked up. So I am going to be doubly sure to clear that pupply prior to starting the car.

Thanks for the responses...it is always re-assuring to get some feedback before you try something new...and strange. Like putting a garden hose in your fuel tank!

Tim

[tarbe]

Forgot to mention: I had run the tank down as low as I dared, so I wouldn't have too much fuel to drain.

Ran 605 miles since the last fill-up...drained two quarts out of the tank!

Would you say I was close to running her dry?

I did have two gallons in a can along with me on my commute...just in case.

[dmorrison]

What I did.

http://www.peachparts.com/Wikka/W123FuelTank

Yes there are small lines int he tank so really run the dryer a long time.

Also consider using an air compressor to blow out the lines.

Dave

[Johnt49]

You might want to try a final flush with alcohol to absorb the water. It also will evaporate much faster than water. Might not be a bad idea to put some dry gas (alcohol) in when you refill, just in case there's any moisture left in there.