Old gas in tank

C

CW Stewart

New member
Hoedy y'all
I'm new here. I was given a 1959 IH Farmall Cub.
It had some reel old gas in the tank.
I was able to get most of it out of the tank,but there is stuff in there that is reel gooey tar.
My question is how do I get that gooey tar out of the tank.
I look forward to your reply
Thank You
C.W.Stewart
 
Welcome to the forum. I'm guessing the tar-like material in your gas tank is left behind from evaporated gasoline and will probably require some sort of solvent to remove it, thus the need to remove the tank from the tractor. Since your post says "new member" I'll offer the following info for that procedure.
First decide where you're going to put it when it's removed. A pair of sawhorses makes a good place to sit it without damaging the sediment bowl assembly.
1. Remove the grill in front of the radiator.
2. Remove the wiring harness from the clips on the bottom right side of the tank.
3. Remove the fuel line either at the carb or fuel shutoff valve (or at both connections).
4. Remove the bolts that hold the rear of the tank to the top of the dash.
5. Remove the 2 bolts at the top of and on each side of the radiator that attach the tank/hood to the radiator.
Get a helper and lift the hood/tank straight up and it should clear all the parts for removal. There's several options for cleaning the interior of the tank up to and including an acid wash/boil out by a radiator repair shop. Good Luck. JMHO Stan
EDIT: Household vinegar used undiluted will probably clean it up but will require some agitation over a couple of days. Be sure to rinse well and use a neutralizer like baking soda in the rinse. After cleaning and as soon as it's dry enough, coat the inside with a thin oil or something like diesel fuel that will prevent flash rusting.
 
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As Stan suggested, a radiator shop can clean it out. Just be aware that it will probably remove the paint. If you plan on repainting, that's a good thing....
 
Hi,
The Cub gas tank has a baffle inside it, crossways, to help prevent the gas from sloshing in the tank.
You probably need to clean the old gas out to the rear of the baffle too.
Use a liquid that will dissolve the old gas, and slosh it many times behind the baffle too.
Below is a picture showing the baffle in the gas tank. :)
 

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staninlowerAL said:
Welcome to the forum. I'm guessing the tar-like material in your gas tank is left behind from evaporated gasoline and will probably require some sort of solvent to remove it, thus the need to remove the tank from the tractor. Since your post says "new member" I'll offer the following info for that procedure.
First decide where you're going to put it when it's removed. A pair of sawhorses makes a good place to sit it without damaging the sediment bowl assembly.
1. Remove the grill in front of the radiator.
2. Remove the wiring harness from the clips on the bottom right side of the tank.
3. Remove the fuel line either at the carb or fuel shutoff valve (or at both connections).
4. Remove the bolts that hold the rear of the tank to the top of the dash.
5. Remove the 2 bolts at the top of and on each side of the radiator that attach the tank/hood to the radiator.
Get a helper and lift the hood/tank straight up and it should clear all the parts for removal. There's several options for cleaning the interior of the tank up to and including an acid wash/boil out by a radiator repair shop. Good Luck. JMHO Stan
EDIT: Household vinegar used undiluted will probably clean it up but will require some agitation over a couple of days. Be sure to rinse well and use a neutralizer like baking soda in the rinse. After cleaning and as soon as it's dry enough, coat the inside with a thin oil or something like diesel fuel that will prevent flash rusting.
Click to expand...
I thank you for that info.
I had already removed the tank form the tractor; I sprayed carb. cleaner into the tank, and it cleaned the old gas (tar) out.
Don't know why I did not think of that before, but it worked.
Again Thanks StaninlowerAL. and to all the other folks that gave me some advice...
 
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Glad that it worked out for you. Lots of good info available about IH/FCubs, etc here and at Cubfest events around the country. Maybe you can schedule one to attend. Enjoy your new to you Cub. Stan
 
I might have tried lacquer thinner, but out here in California, they've reformulated the hell out of it and now has almost no solvent action. Failing that, I probably would've tried some Crown PSC1000 parts cleaner from Tractor Supply. A little pricey at $60 for a 5 gallon drum, but it works great in my parts washer dissolving all kinds of nasty stuff.
 
I've used Berryman Chem-Dip to remove nasty fuel varnish before in other machinery I've had like chainsaws, dirtbikes, etc. That stuff works great! Just pour it in there and let it sit for a day or so, then pour it out. Then you can hit it with some carb cleaner spray. If you still have residue and rust, put some pebbles, nuts/bolts, BB's, etc in the tank, put the cap on, and shake it all around. That will bust up the stuff that's stuck to the tank. I did that trick with a nasty chainsaw fuel tank and it came out spotless when I was done! Of course the Cub tank is much larger.

You might be able to fit some sort of bristle brush down in there too with a bent up handle to scrape off some stuff as well.

When you're done, flush it out good with some gasoline and make sure it's nice and clean before you hook everything back up.
 
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