I will probably need to clean my fuel tank, have read some threads and suggestions.

Someone said to see if the tank needs to be cleaned by taking off the fuel sender guage from the top and shining a light in there. So I started thinking, rather than taking the entire fuel tank out to have it cleaned, why not just clean it with a pressure washer from that area? Leave the fuel tank on the car. Run the car low on fuel, drain the remaining fuel, take off the fuel strainer at the bottom of the tank, hook up some kind of a funnel for the sludge to come out into a 5 gallon bucket, put a pressure washer wand inside the fuel sender area, blast it clean, then let it air dry in the nice hot sun for a few hours, and close it all back up?

1991 300d, 205k

I have posted in the archives my description of cleaning my 123 1980 tank... taking it out and to the car wash to pressure clean it.....
I discovered that it had enough large holes placed to where I could spray easily and I would not take it out again to clean it... but do in the car.... I do not know about your model though..

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1980 240d ,

chain elongation, cam marks reference:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?threadid=10414

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/305365-9-degrees-chain-stretch.html

evap fin cleaning:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showthread.php?t=156207&highlight=evaporator

A/C thread

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/diesel-discussion/297462-c-recommendations-mb-vehicles.html

As long as you had access to both top and bottom (or instead of allowing to drain, using a vacuum (how marine shops clean diesel tanks on boats) to suck the slop back up), go for it!

I think at that point, you've done 90% of the work to get the tank out. plus the mess is in your car now?

I don't recall it being any big deal to take the tank out...but then I don't consider it any big deal to take the engine out either.

Kind of like spending a buck to save a dime???

Everyone has their favorite way to tackle a problem - pros and cons for each I suppose.

Try your method and report back. I think one of the issues would be getting it dry afterwards.

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Current Stable

• 380SL (diesel)
• Corvette C5
• Manx
• Baja Bug
• F350 Powerstroke
• Auburn Boattail Speedster replica

Do you have rust in your tank? I ask because mine is rusty, and it's primarily rusty at the top of the tank. Personally I'd want to pull the tank so I can pressure wash it from the bottom port as well as the top, though I don't know the layout of the later models, there's no way I could fit a pressure washer into the top of my tank and hope to get more than a third or so of it clean.

The fuel tank is held in place with 4 large nuts. Most of the work is draining the tank completely. Also with the tank out you can remove the in tank strainer with some channel locks rather than having to get the huge 32mm cut off socket.

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I just think of taking off the tank as a big deal.

I just swapped my 70L tank for a 90L. The hardest part was draining the tank.
http://i.imgur.com/o4e71zU.jpg

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words