What is the best way to clean gas tank, so I can get some welding done

[fatride]

What is the best way to get all the gas out so I can get some welding done to the tank? Is there some kind of cleaner to use, or just keep washing it out?
Thanks

 

[BandAid]

I had some welding done once and at the shop, which was outside, there
were a couple of gas tanks that needed repairs. The gas tanks were first
filled with hot water, left to sit for 10 minutes or so, then drained.
Then, they would light a sheet of paper rolled up and give it to a guy who
would run past the tank and shove the lighted paper into the filler
nozzle. The tanks I saw went *whump* and had 2 feet of flame, but did
not distort. Then the welder went at it with oxy-acet. I was suitably
scared sh*tless when I saw what they were going to do. But evidently
this was common practice. The gasoline sold there was 72 octane - not
very volatile, actually, and the altitude was 7600 feet.

found this for ya nick....:wink:

I am sure Gary is pretty fast on his feet..

 

[tom j]

Clean it out with DAWN dish soap, This takes all the gas fumes/vapors out. I learned this when I took a gas tank to have a sump put it.

 

[klrv6]

l always flushed them with degreaser and then soapy water. Fill with water, just up to the repair area. Position the repair area to be the highest point of the tank. All of this should be done outdoors.

 

[Scott-N-GA]

You can run a hose off an exhaust pipe into the tank. Run it until it is warm to the hand. The carbon monoxide will kill the fumes off. No oxygen equals no "Boom".

Scott

 

[JST A 6]

The gasoline sold there was 72 octane - not
very volatile, actually, and the altitude was 7600 feet.

I thought the lower octane level fuels were actually more volatile, and higher octane numbers meant more controlled combustion???

 

[fatride]

Thanks guys!!

 

[87GN.Rickie]

You can run a hose off an exhaust pipe into the tank. Run it until it is warm to the hand. The carbon monoxide will kill the fumes off. No oxygen equals no "Boom".

Scott

+1

 

["Turbo-T"]

I've actually heard a radiator shop can put it in a vat and it will remove the vapors. Then again I've also heard gas tanks actually absorb some of the fuel too....anyone ever heard of that one?

 

[salvageV6]

Drain the tank as best as you can via the sender hole, then use a 3/16" or 1/4" piece of fish tank hose and siphon the rest out of the sump.

You can fit your hand in there with a dry clean rag to get the rest of the wet residue out of there.

After that air dry it with some compressor air with a fan nozzle.

Then fill it with water and look to see how much floats on top, should be little to nothing there, keep the water running and flood the tank with the hose in the bottom downhill so you don't get your feet wet.

Drain the tank and check for fumes, refill and flood as necessary and allow to dry overnight near the furnace, well not too near it.

You shouldn't smell anything after that procedure.

Braze, solder, weld as necessary.

 

[85HOT-T]

My welder rinsed it out then put a vacuum pump to it. Weld it with the pump on.

 

[kingots2004]

i used the castrol engine degresser in the purple jug and used hot water .i ran the entire big jug through the tank and had no vapor afterwards and if you use a sprayer for the hot water dont spray it cause you will knock the internal baffel lose and its a bi..h to get back right

 

[getchasum]

Then, they would light a sheet of paper rolled up and give it to a guy who would run past the tank and shove the lighted paper into the filler
nozzle. The tanks I saw went *whump* and had 2 feet of flame, but did
not distort. Then the welder went at it with oxy-acet. I was suitably
scared sh*tless when I saw what they were going to do.

Good laugh.....I bet this guy was scared sh*tless.

 

[Brer Rabbit]

Wash it out?

What is the best way to get all the gas out so I can get some welding done to the tank? Is there some kind of cleaner to use, or just keep washing it out?
Thanks

Man U guys are wimps, just fire up the torch and make ur hole. I can't believe ur afraid of a lil fire! I'll tell u what, I'll come over to Prasads garage, we can put it up on the lift and I'll do it for U right after I put on my fire suit!

 

[turbofabricator]

Purge the tank with Argon from the TIG welder. Argon is inert and will displace all the oxygen which equals no BOOM!

A co-worker of mine's Dad was welding on a gas tank many years ago, and it blew up in his face. It literally RIPPED his chest open and blew him across the back yard. He ended up against the back fence with his lungs and heart exposed for the whole family to see. He did surprisingly survive. I guess his Dad was a regular Tim Taylor (Tool Time). He was always hurting himself fixing things.

With the costs of new gas tanks, why not just buy a new one and sell your good factory unit to some one that needs one. With a sump, you don't need the factory baffles installed. And you don't have to watch someone get POPPED!
Have the sump spot welded (with a MIG or TIG) and then use silicon bronze to seal it all up. Looks cool and seals better than a steel weld. Silicon bronze flows better into the seam than steel rod. One recent car mag showed the process. They liked the look of the silicon bronze that they clear coated the sump instead of painting it, so you could see the silicon bronze bead.