vinegar for cleaning
 

I have read several post where vinegar has been used in cooling systems to clean up rust deposits with good success.
I was wondering if this procedure could also be used to clean up the fine rust particles that are so insidious in gas tanks. Has any of you tried or done this and if so was it successful? Did it create any new problems? etc?

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

Ive heard it being done with great success but i think it was when the tank was out of the car, usually have to fill it with nuts and bolts (count how many you put in...) and vinegar, seal it up and start rolling it around so the nuts and bolts bang around and scrape/knock the rust loose off the walls. Ive heard of people doing this then strapping it to a farm tractor rear wheel and driving around with it. Essentially turning the tank into a cement mixer lol.

Vinegar takes a few days to really work so may need to rotate it around and let it sit a few days then rotate it around and let it sit at a different angle for awhile sorta thing.

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

Use WHITE VINEGAR. No need to fill with nuts and bolts. The baffles in the tank won't let them go far. Just fill it up and wait a few days.

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

I suppose that would work to some degree, but then after the 10 or 11 gallons of vinegar how do you keep it from rusting again?

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

I've never done it but I think I would do the soda treatment after the vinegar, then try and run some hot air in it to dry it out quickly, then fill it completely with alcohol or maybe diesel to stop any more rust from starting before using gas.

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

George,

I put 12 1/2 gallons of Food Lion white vinegar in the truck's tank and left it in there for a month. I rocked the truck every day or so for agitation (I stuck a drill-powered paint stirrer in there, but it seemed more trouble than it was worth). Then I drained it (vinegar does a good job killing moss on bricks), rinsed it with water and compressed air, and dried it with an old hair drier duct-taped to the fill hole for several hours. I then put in seven gallons of gasohol, sloshed it as good as I could, and drained the remaining water/alcohol out of the carb drain into a coffee can. -I have a clear filter in the line after the firewall shut off, so I could see when the fuel was clear. I did have to rebuild the gas gage afterwards.

Did it work? I think so; it looks pretty clean inside but I have less than five miles on it; I still need to drop and clean the oil pan.

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

Thank you all for your input. Running with rust in the tank is a time-bomb. You never know when the fuel line is going to close off with those insidious fine rust particles and you know its gonna happen at the worst possible time too. I think I'm going to try the vinrgar cleaning method and go from there. Thanjs again to all of you in the "brain trust" who have contributed.

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

I would flush the tank as has been described on here several times, then install the fine screen in the shut off valve. If you still have problems then I'd install the "dirty leg" as Vince described on his website.

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

You should also consider one of the chelating agents like Metal-Rescue or rust911. Very effective w/o the acidity of vinegar. It does work better. To prevent rerusting, look into Pickle-x.

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

If the tank is out after cleaning use one of the tank sealing products from POR can be purchased from Eastwood or speedway/summit and other on line sources. we did the sealing on a 1966 ford and it worked really well the POR kit included the cleaning solution to use before sealing
geoford41

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

What were the results? Any signs of rust now?

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

i did this to a 32 tank a couple weeks ago it was loaded with heay rust i poured 3 gallons of apple cider vinegar and let it sit about 2 months (i got busy and forgot about it) where the vinegar was up to is white clean metal after shaking it up and rinsing out a couple times. now i have to fill it up all the way and wait again but im a believer for sure.

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

i should mention that this method broke loose large particals that would be hard to flush from a tank still installed in a model a

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

When I bought my truck in 1970 there was so indication of rust in the gas. Nothing in the sediment bowl, ran good. The tank has been empty for 40 years and unfortunately has some rust internally now, but I see ONLY light surface rust. No signs of scaling or pitting. I have inspected it superficially with a borescope (new toy from China). As I figure out how to adjust it (and add some alternate illumination) I will check it more.

It is NOT installed and won't be (unfortunately) for some months.

How does this plan sound?

1- Fill it up with white vinegar (my wife swears by that stuff), and seal all openings.
2- Roll it around for a day or two.
3- Drain it and let it dry.
4- Pour two quarts of motor oil in the tank.
5- Turn it every which way.
6- Repeat step 5 every day for a week.
7- Drain the oil.
8- Store in a dry place until ready to assemble truck. (Late this summer?)
9- Fill with gas and drain a gallon after it sits a week.
10- Report back here on how that worked.
11- Install long gas tank screen as an abundance of caution.

I'm ready for all of you to point out my errors.

Ted (1929 Ford Model A Roadster Pickup in one thousand pieces, restoration started in 1970 and interrupted by life. Making progress slowly.)

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

Hey Ted,
#2...'day/two'
I'd let it for a week/two as that seemed to work good, but day/two for slight rust problem might be enough, but I doubt it.
#4...'two qts motor oil'
I use diesel fuel, which will do the job well and not create as much 'mess' as oil.

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

Vinegar will do nothing in a day or two or even a week or two

be serious about it for at least a month!

patience patience patience....

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

Keep those comments coming, I've got plenty of time to let it sit and pickle!

Hummm, my son said diesel. I can use that and then use it to light some fires I need to light this summer to burn brush piles.
Or, I guess I could strain it through a loaf of bed and burn it in my tractor. NOT!


Ted

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

I'd skip vinegar altogether in a slightly rusted (powdery) tank. Dump in a few quarts of ATF mixed with a gallon of diesel instead. Household vinegar is ~95% water. I wouldn't want that in my fuel tank.

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

Hummm, that is a thought, I will consider it after I search a little deeper into the tank with the borescope.

Re: vinegar for cleaning
 

I filled my sport coupe cooling system with cleaning vinegar about 2 weeks ago. I'll drain it in about 2 more weeks. I have high hopes.