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AJ 
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Location: mo
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 Topic: Gas Tank Issue
Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 6:09am |
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So I have a gas tank off an industrial that has the horizontal tube along the bottom inside of the tank to the center for fuel flow. This tank has been sitting for quite some time so I have been trying clean it out. There is a clot or something in the middle of the tube that I can break loose. I have triee, forcing air, water, wire etc in there both directions. I've been shooting carb cleaner down the tube everytime I pass by it hoping it will break loose and open up sooner or later. You guys have any other ideas on how to get the tube opened up?
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jaybmiller
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 6:28am |
Maybe fill tank to above the tube with pure Acetone and let sit overnight ? If it's 'varnish', Acetone will soften it up ,over time so you gotta have patience.
I'm assuming there's no easy way to remove the tube ?
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AJ
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 7:06am |
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Tube is attached as part of the tank. And it's inside. I can shoot a picture later today if you all want to see what I'm up against.
I even used a left over piece of 6 gauge ground wire from a job to try to ram it loose. Not budging.
Edited by AJ - 11 Mar 2019 at 7:07am
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Gary Burnett
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 7:39am |
 AJ wrote:
Tube is attached as part of the tank. And it's inside. I can shoot a picture later today if you all want to see what I'm up against.
I even used a left over piece of 6 gauge ground wire from a job to try to ram it loose. Not budging. |
Maybe a small piece of flexible cable in a drill would get up in the tube and work the plug loose?On my 460 Long that has something similar I finally just drilled a hole straight thru the outlet hole in the tank.
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jaybmiller
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 8:36am |
hmm how about a piece of 'piano wire', hooby shop sells them for RC planes... I'd get one say 1/4 D of the hole, grind a taper to the end ( "D" shaped , chiesl profile). That should go through, if not, put vice grips on wire and tap with small hammer.
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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MikeinLcoMo
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 10:19am |
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Drop it off at a radiator shop and have them boil it out????
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Steve in NJ
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 3:38pm |
Not sure if you can get to this tube from the outside bottom of the tank, but if you can, how bout' a drill bit in a drill a few sizes smaller than the tube size and run the drill up the tube real slow to clean the blockage. Just an idea..... Steve@B&B
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39'RC, 43'WC, 48'B, 49'G, 50'WF, 65 Big 10, 67'B-110, 75'716H, 2-620's, & a Motorhead wife
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AJ
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 4:55pm |
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The angle to work with on this tube is ridiculous. I have removed the gauge to try another angle still not getting anything through. Drill bit will not work for this situation. Needs to be long, flexible, yet rigid enough to apply forcefull pressure on whatever is in there.
Thinking of filling the bottom with acetone over night like suggested and see what happens. Couldn't hurt, just make the tank that much cleaner.
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DiyDave
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 5:43pm |
Try a piece of electrician's fish tape, chucked in a cordless drill. You can sharpen the end, into a drill bit shape... Interesting conundrum, when you get it clear, let us know what it was... 
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mdm1
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 6:10pm |
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Could you put a flexible pincher small part retriever thing in a drill? They are just a long spring. Small ones are pretty flexible.
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Everything is impossible until someone does it! WD45-trip loader 1947 c w/woods belly mower, 1939 B, #3 sickle mower 1944 B, 2 1948 G's. Misc other equipment that my wife calls JUNK!
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jaybmiller
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 7:23pm |
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you could try to rig up an 'IV drip' to trickle the Acetone through the tube. I 'see' a can with acetone on the workbench with some hose running to the gas tank outlet. The idea is that gravity will pull the acetone to the tube and it'll 'eat' away or soften the blockage. Could be a slow process, overnight or longer.
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
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AJ
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 10:50pm |
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I set the tank up for the night and dumped a gallon of acetone in it. We see what tomorrow evening brings.
(Yes I closed the tank up so it won't evaporate)
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allis g
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Posted: 11 Mar 2019 at 11:01pm |
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Get a piece of an old speedometer cable chucke it up in a drill and spin away
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chaskaduo
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Posted: 12 Mar 2019 at 11:41am |
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Acetone evaporates pretty fast even if you mix in a mineral spirits type solvent. So keep an eye on it, also keep in a well ventilated area.
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AJ
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Posted: 12 Mar 2019 at 10:03pm |
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Success! Acetone worked very well. She is open and flowing and clean.
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jaybmiller
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Posted: 13 Mar 2019 at 6:29am |
NICE !! I assumed the blockage was 'varnish'. Dried up gas residue. Acetone slowly dissolves it back into liquid. Be sure to rinse tank out with clean acetone/ brake cleaner AND clean out the gasline as well ! It probably has a layer of 'varnish' on the inside as well.....
Jay
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3 D-14s,A-C forklift, B-112
Kubota BX23S lil' TOOT( The Other Orange Tractor)
Never burn your bridges, unless you can walk on water
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AJ
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Posted: 13 Mar 2019 at 7:45am |
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Yep that's what it was plugged up with. I shot a half a can through the tube to be sure it was clear and flowing well then flushed it with a couple gallons of gas.
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chaskaduo
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Posted: 13 Mar 2019 at 8:09am |
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The Walter Huston Treasure Dance.
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1938 B, 79 Dynamark 11/36 6spd, 95 Weed-Eater 16hp, 2010 Bolens 14hp
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CTuckerNWIL
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Posted: 13 Mar 2019 at 8:51am |
chaskaduo wrote:
The Walter Huston Treasure Dance. |
[TUBE]3w4B7QxL_n4[/TUBE]
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chaskaduo
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Posted: 13 Mar 2019 at 9:05am |
That'd be it. 
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Don(MO)
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Posted: 13 Mar 2019 at 11:34am |
AJ it sounds like you will not need a gal of gas and a match to clean it out. You might tell Randy you didn't try the big bang cleaning idea he talked to you about. 
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AJ
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Posted: 13 Mar 2019 at 6:46pm |
For those of you who haven't ever looked down in the tank of industrials here's that tube I was dealing with on the clog.  Don, I decided that Randy's idea wouldn't help me get my tank situation figured out. I would just have to find another tank if I went that route. I told him I need him to show me the correct way to do it anyway. He's yet to show me...lol
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