Fuel filter

[popkat]

Anyone had success in removing the fuel filter from the tank, it seems larger than the hole, new ones are over £30 for a gauze tube.

[lloydie]

It's not easy but you can do it .

[VTRDark]

Agree. They have kind of an arc to them if that makes sense. In other word you can pull it out so far but then it gets stuck. Give it a squeeze and a bit of a wiggle and it should pop out. £30 what a rip off. As long as there are no big holes in the gauze then I would just leave it to soak overnight in some Viakal or similar then wash off thoroughly. The mesh gets a limescale type substance on it.

(:-})

[Jamoi]

Funny this should pop up, I was swapping petcocks over on a pair of tanks a couple of nights ago.

One filter came right out, the other was a real struggle so i didn't push my luck and risk breaking it and ended up swapping petcocks but leaving the filters alone.

Strange how some fit through the hole easy peasy but others don't.

[VTRDark]

I think they swell up a bit with age and deterioration. Usually from the middle as this is the weakest point so therefore end up arc shaped.

(:-})

[popkat]

Cheers guys, I think I have the most swollen firestorm filter, I can get a bit of the middle bit up at an angle, tried squashing it but no way it's solid, possibly brittle, I'm going to have another go and see if there's a way to remove this particular little bugger..

Got to get it out as need to get rid of rust from the fuel tank, think I'm going to try filling it with white vinegar and leave it for a day, if I can get it cheap enough.

[954luca]

I use Phosphoric acid 75% for treating rusted fuel tanks, excellent stuff, I recently used it on a 27 year old rusted fuel tank. And you don't need to seal the tank after either. Just make sure you get at least 70% concentrate. You will need about 3 litres to treat tank. Remove fuel tap, and bung the hole. And don't get it on your skin.

[popkat]

I use Phosphoric acid 75% for treating rusted fuel tanks, excellent stuff, I recently used it on a 27 year old rusted fuel tank. And you don't need to seal the tank after either. Just make sure you get at least 70% concentrate. You will need about 3 litres to treat tank. Remove fuel tap, and bung the hole. And don't get it on your skin.

I was thinking also of trying electrolosis as enough white vinegar to fill the tank works out quite expensive. but now interested in Phosphoric acid, does it come diluted ? do you mix it with water ? does it need neutralizing after ?. is there a brand you use, Could you do a little write up here on the process that I could follow. want the easiest best lasting solution. I did a little reading and seems to be conflict as to weather it's a rust remover or converter or is this just different brands ? cheers.

[954luca]

I use Phosphoric acid 75% for treating rusted fuel tanks, excellent stuff, I recently used it on a 27 year old rusted fuel tank. And you don't need to seal the tank after either. Just make sure you get at least 70% concentrate. You will need about 3 litres to treat tank. Remove fuel tap, and bung the hole. And don't get it on your skin.

I was thinking also of trying electrolosis as enough white vinegar to fill the tank works out quite expensive. but now interested in Phosphoric acid, does it come diluted ? do you mix it with water ? does it need neutralizing after ?. is there a brand you use, Could you do a little write up here on the process that I could follow. want the easiest best lasting solution. I did a little reading and seems to be conflict as to weather it's a rust remover or converter or is this just different brands ? cheers.

Sure, the stuff I use is
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Phosphoric-Ac ... 35e40d6a46

It comes as 81% concentrate, what i do is remove fuel tap and any filters etc, place a rubber bung in hole , then fill tank with about 6 litres of hot water then add about 3 litres of the acid, poor acid in slowly, then close fuel cap, every hour give the tank a shake for about 5 mins. I normally leave it in for about 7-8 hours, then drain contents into suitable container.

Then thoroughly rinse tank out with clean cold water, you will get loads off loose rust bits coming out, and what does not come out gets converted. Once rinsed out, use a hair dryer or compressed air to remove any remaining water. I then put a couple of litres of fuel in tank and give it a good shake then drain again, If your not going to be using tank straight away, coat the inside of tank with a light oil to protect it while in storage, otherwise your ready to use it.

There is some other methods that you can use, but some of them will cause flash rusting once drained, but not with this method.

I thought the tank I done would not be possible to save, it was that bad, but this method worked a treat, and much cheaper than buying a brand new tank, albeit a bit time consuming, but that don't really bother me.

Just remember to cover any visible skin, and wear gloves and glasses/goggles when working with acid.

To neutralize the acid in the containers(the stuff that was drained from tank) simple add a table spoon of baking powder to 1 litre of water and pour into container, this will then make it safe dispose of.

[popkat]

Sure, the stuff I use is
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Phosphoric-Ac ... 35e40d6a46

It comes as 81% concentrate, what i do is remove fuel tap and any filters etc, place a rubber bung in hole , then fill tank with about 6 litres of hot water then add about 3 litres of the acid, poor acid in slowly, then close fuel cap, every hour give the tank a shake for about 5 mins. I normally leave it in for about 7-8 hours, then drain contents into suitable container.

Then thoroughly rinse tank out with clean cold water, you will get loads off loose rust bits coming out, and what does not come out gets converted. Once rinsed out, use a hair dryer or compressed air to remove any remaining water. I then put a couple of litres of fuel in tank and give it a good shake then drain again, If your not going to be using tank straight away, coat the inside of tank with a light oil to protect it while in storage, otherwise your ready to use it.

There is some other methods that you can use, but some of them will cause flash rusting once drained, but not with this method.

I thought the tank I done would not be possible to save, it was that bad, but this method worked a treat, and much cheaper than buying a brand new tank, albeit a bit time consuming, but that don't really bother me.

Just remember to cover any visible skin, and wear gloves and glasses/goggles when working with acid.

To neutralize the acid in the containers(the stuff that was drained from tank) simple add a table spoon of baking powder to 1 litre of water and pour into container, this will then make it safe dispose of.

Thanks mate is it harmful to paintwork ?, I'll take care not to get it on the paint anyway but handy to know if it'll wreck the paint or not should a small bit get on.



.

[macdee]

I use Phosphoric acid 75% for treating rusted fuel tanks, excellent stuff, I recently used it on a 27 year old rusted fuel tank. And you don't need to seal the tank after either. Just make sure you get at least 70% concentrate. You will need about 3 litres to treat tank. Remove fuel tap, and bung the hole. And don't get it on your skin.

hi luca
just wondering why you dont need to seal the tank is there a covering left behind
thanks

[954luca]

Yes, I would keep it clear from any paint work just in case, I got a couple of splashes on my tank, just used some warm soapy water to wash off, as long as its washed of right away you will have no damage. also when you use the phosphoric acid, best to do it outside, as it smells, and will stink the house/garage out, but once rinsed the smell is gone.

Once treated it leaves a light grey coating behind, and some sort of chemical reaction, been using this method a while never needed to seal tank.

If you use muriatic acid, then you will need to seal tank as this works in different way, muriatic acid will also cause flash rusting.

[macdee]

hi luca i wish i had have new this a year ago when trying to fix a friends tank
turned out ok in the end we just bought a new tank

thanks for the info