Inside my fuel tank

[AANDYY]

I need to clean or change my tank strainer, so today I thought I'd have a go at cleaning it in situ but as you can see I couldn't.
Anyhoooo..... I got to see the inside state of my fuel tank
I think it doesn't look to bad, what is the black stuff?
Are the tanks painted inside?

The white hump is the fuel strainer housing, I didn't realise it had this.

Boot with liner removed

Fuel sender removed

Fuel sender

Here's a little vid of me and mi Dad being kids!

 

[SilverSaloon]

did you see the state of my tank strainer after running on veg for a while?

if not search on here for "fuel tank strainer" to see it

 

[AANDYY]

did you see the state of my tank strainer after running on veg for a while?

if not search on here for "fuel tank strainer" to see it

Yup I did, disgusting!

I do need to do mine properlly.

 

[Dieselman]

The tank isn't painted it's galvanised, the black is lacquer from diesel which has been fetched off the inside of the tank by the veg oil and possibly a bit of organic bacteria matter.

You can only get to the strainer from underneath.

 

[GuyFawkes]

The tank isn't painted it's galvanised, .

nope, not on the inside, the zinc would leech into the fuel and kill the IP

 

[AANDYY]

The tank isn't painted it's galvanised, the black is lacquer from diesel which has been fetched off the inside of the tank by the veg oil .

So it's laquered and not painted?

 

[Dieselman]

nope, not on the inside, the zinc would leech into the fuel and kill the IP

Ok, thanks.

That's what I always thought but looking at it it appears to be galvanised and when removed you can see both sides of the metal at the seam. It's as if the tank is made from pre plated sheet so no longer plated where it's stamped out.
The filler neck is definately plated inside.

The tank doesn't rust when pressure washed inside.

 

[GuyFawkes]

Ok, thanks.

That's what I always thought but looking at it it appears to be galvanised and when removed you can see both sides of the metal at the seam. It's as if the tank is made from pre plated sheet so no longer plated where it's stamped out.
The filler neck is definately plated inside.

The tank doesn't rust when pressure washed inside.

Zinc kills injection pumps, so does copper, even though it is quite commonly used as a diesel fuel line, it should never be so, old Board of Trade rules made such things verboten, because diesel fuel will leech microscopic flakes of copper or zinc from the surface in question, the last thing you want inside a fuel injection pump (or injector come to that) are flakes of metal.

What you are looking at is probably (Im guessing based on the picture and experience an interior coating of aluminium, which won't rust, and which doesn't get leeched off by diesel.

HTH

 

[Dieselman]

an interior coating of aluminium,

Yep, thanks.
Strange you should say about the alumised coating, I thought the tank was aluminium until I unbolted it.
It's pretty heavy, which is not helped by the last several litres of fuel not draining out due to being a flat tank.
The copper fuel line bit I do know but have seen it on boats.

 

[GuyFawkes]

For the OP, those flakes are usually a sign of poor quality diesel.

Flush the tank***, refill and add biocide.

Replace ALL upstream filters, that will be three, tank filter, pre-filter, main filter.

*** means remove from vehicle.

 

[GuyFawkes]

Bugger, just seen the biodiesel mentioned when re-reading.......

In progressively worse effects from Bio diesel through straight vegetable oil to waste vegetable oil...

These fuels ALL reacts badly, over time, with the alu coated tanks.

These fuels ALL reacts badly with US terne coated tanks

(Terne is tin/lead in 1:4 ratio, used to coat steel, what the yanks called "tin siding" for houses"

Neither of these coatings has a problem with petrol / gasoline, or pump diesel.

=============================

This (above) is not opinion.

Pull some of the flakes out on a clean swab and examine under a bright light, if when moving them under the light they go from black grey to showing a GREENish tinge then they are bits of aluminium tank coating leached off by "alternatives" to diesel fuel.

If they are green, remove tank and have flushed by a professional, fit all new fuel lines up to the IP and renew ALL filters.

----------------------------

edited to mention the remedy

 

[spock500]

Interesting to see inside of the tank, are those photos taken through the sender unit hole?

 

[AANDYY]

Interesting to see inside of the tank, are those photos taken through the sender unit hole?

Yes.
Sorry for the late reply.

 

[spock500]

Yes.
Sorry for the late reply.

Cool, so what was the end result - are you still using the main tank for svo?

 

[AANDYY]

I should be cleaning the tank this week, parts come on Tuesday.
What is the procedure for removing and reattaching the return lines from the tank, does one need new 'clips'?

 

[Dieselman]

What is the procedure for removing and reattaching the return lines from the tank, does one need new 'clips'?

No, it is just a little wire spring clip. Use long nosed pliers to reach it and retreat the pipe.

 

[spock500]

I am surprised there are no baffles in there to stop the fuel sloshing from side to side?

Does the feed pipe draw from the plenum to the left and exit to the right of the photo?

Just about to twin tank mine and not 100% sure to use the main tank fro wvo or install a bigger tank in the boot.



Cheers,

 

[AANDYY]

Fuel exits below the white thing through the fuel strainer.

 

[AANDYY]

Update - Change the Tank strianer and flexible hose today.

Finally got around to changing the above and tank removal to clean .
MB Blackpool took 6 days to order the bits as they couldn't,t see the flexible hose on there system! Well the kid couldn't who kept on calling me mate! Arrrrrrrrgggggh!

It's a bugger of a job as DM says, the hardest part I found was undoing the clamp on the return hose, I nearly didn't bother to remove the tank because of this but I had to remove the tank in the end as I couldn't undo the strainer, better job all round with removing the tank any way.

Pics pics pics...........

First job was to set up the Hi-Fi in the garage!

Return pipe and flexible hose, tight for space

Tank strainer union (corroded solid)

Tank unbolted ready for removal, a bit this way, a bit that way, jiggle jiggle

Tank out

Strainer! Gross!

Inside the Plenum chamber, eww again.

New strainer installed.

New pipe and a shiny new clip.

Inside the tank after cleaning, not 100% but alot better.

Before cleaning.

The end at last...

 

[SilverSaloon]

wow, glad my car is an estate