Flushing of gas tank

[Tractor Rod]

I have quite a bit of debris (rust) in my gas tank. Is there anyway to effectively flush the tank out without taking it off the tractor. I have poured diesel fuel through it and it still gunked up the sediment bowl and stopped the gas from flowing?
Any suggestions?

[staninlowerAL]

If you have a large volume of air supply available you could try some vinegar as a cleaner and use an air sparge wand through the filler so it could be moved around and provide some agitation to keep the rust moving while you drain the tank from the bottom outlet. I suspect that you will ultimately remove the tank and clean/coat it with a sealer or install a fine mesh screen in the neck of the outlet shutoff valve to keep the rust inside the tank. Check the HOW TO section/fuel topic for some ideas on the latter option. JMHO Stan
EDIT: You might also try installing a couple of magnets on the outside/bottom of the tank and hope the magnets keep the rust in the tank. DON'T use a vacuum unless you have a way to inert the tank!!! The arc from the vacuum motor could cause an explosion!!

[Mike in Louisiana]

It is not really that hard to take the tank of.

[Glen]

Hi,
Below is a page from the 1950 Cub owner's manual telling how to remove the hood, if you need it.
https://farmallcub.com/rudi_cub/www.cle ... e%2035.jpg

It's easier to get to the gas strainer under the tank if you move the Touch Control arms to the rear or down position before shutting off the gas valve.

[inairam]

early on I was intimidated to take the hood off. It really is not that hard. You will do a better job of cleaning it off.

That said I have used a cleaning vinegar ( home depot or lowes ) that is about 30% Acetic acid as opposed to ~5% of standard. I mixed it 50/50 with water and let it sit for about a week and moved the tank as much as I could. When I flushed it I also used baking soda or maybe a little simple green cleaner with water to make sure the acid is neutralized.

[Dale Finch]

At some point you WILL need to remove that hood... guaranteed!!

Postponing the inevitable is the hard way to go. The hardest thing you face is rusted/frozen screws, especially at the doglegs. Take your time removing them, because they are small and VERY easy to break off. If the screwdriver slots in the heads are messed up, I've had good luck using a Dremel to cut new slots 90° to the worn ones. Then just small little wiggles back & forth with lots of PB Blaster (or equivalent).

When you are ready to lift the hood off, don't forget to unhook the wiring harness on the right side... it's held in place by clips underneath the hood. I forget about 1/3 of the time & you don't get very far!!

Good luck!

[JimCub48]

I would agree with taking the tank off to clean it, seal it, and then maintain it with using non oxygenated gas and a rust inhibitor . You will have a clean tank for years.

[Eugene]

I suspect that you will ultimately remove the tank and clean/coat it with a sealer.

My suggestion. Empty tank and remove from tractor. 3 or 4 feet of light chain with wire attached to chain and end outside of the tank. Water and chain inside the tank, slosh the chain around to loosen up debris.

Remove chain and flush the tank with water. Thoroughly dry inside of tank, set in the sun for several days.

Coat/seal inside the tank with POR or Red Kote.

[ScottyD'sdad]

If you follow Eugene's suggestaion, when you flush the tank with water, empty it intoa white bucket. That way you'll see the rust that came out. Continue flushing and dumping into a clean, white bucket, ntil you see no more rust. If you dump the water onto the ground, you won't be able to see when the rust is all rinsed out.

Ed

[Glen]

The gas tank has a baffle in about the middle of it, going crossways.
There could be rust and dirt in the rear part of the tank that you can't see also.
Below is a picture of a cutaway gas tank.

[JimCub48]

Do all early cubs have a baffle in the gas tanks?

[Gary Dotson]

As far as I know, all Cubs have a baffle.

[D Reid]

I agree 100% with Stan. I first tried some stupid quick way of doing it on YouTube that didn't work. I then used the complete POR-15 fuel tank kit and followed the directions exactly and, used that fine mesh screen in the neck of the tank strainer/shut off valve too. That was a year ago and the inside of my tank is still a shiny silver color with no rust or corrosion. It took a few days with my limited time to do it but it was well worth the effort. Zero problems since. I can't recommend it enough. Good luck.

[Tractor Rod]

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. On Amazon there are several POR rust cleaner/remover products…..which one do you suggest? I have a lot of rust in the tank. Thanks so much.

[staninlowerAL]

POR 15 gets a lot of positive comments on this forum. The best results will depend on following the instructions exactly, especially the cleaning part. JMHO. Stan