Cleaning my fuel tank with warm water ?

[tocoo]

I have removed the tank in order to install a manual petcock, but since my tank has no m16x1.5 thread, I had to use a fitting in aluminum and adapt it  by cutting it. It tuns out that now plenty of little particles of aluminum are in the tank.
The tank was already a bit dirty from what I saw on the previous vacuum petcock, so it is time to clean everything. I will change also the fuel line afterwards.

My problem is that I do not have much products for this. I have
-fuel, less than 1liter and I need a quarter of a liter to go to the station to get fuel once everything is clean
-acetone, about 3/4 of a liter
-isopropyl alcohol
-warm water
-a garden hose connected to cold water

Since I cannot use my scooter, if I need another product, the best I can do is to order it on amazon.

The gas tank has a volume of 6 liters.
I was thinking of first, removing the fuel gauge, then pouring several casseroles of warm water in the tank, hoping to catch all the particles and remove the water, then let it dry one night, then bath the tank with acetone and then with a bit of fuel, then pour the clean fuel that remain to go to the station.
Is it a good idea to use water ?
 

My fuel tank looks like this, if this helps

[KSR Moto]

I wouldnt do that if i were you, fuel tank is cheap and if acetone or paint thinner cant get it cleaned water wont clean it for sure

[tocoo]

I was hoping that particles would be removed thanks to the pressure with the garden hose combined with the great quantity of water that I have.

[KSR Moto]

The junk you are trying to wash out does not disolve in water

[pinkscoot]

With plastic tanks I just spray it with Simple green then put some water in and shake it around. I have a brush I can get in one of the holes to do some scrubbing. Then I spray with a garden hose and rinse. I then let the hose run in it for awhile, dump it and repeat. Blow it out with air and leave it as upside down as I can over night. Blow with air in the morning and inspect that the inside is dry. I've never had a problem. Gunk doesn't stick to the plastic like it does metal.

For a petcock you can do this:


Its a large fuel hose with a barb then hose clamps, go shopping in the plumbing section. You'll need to add a filter and a manual valve, both available in the lawnmower section at Lowes.  Or spend the money and get this. If you want to keep the vacuum petcock use this.

[tocoo]

Mar 17, 2018 9:59:27 GMT -5 pinkscoot said:

Its a large fuel hose with a barb then hose clamps

can you tell me if I understand this : you wrap a large fuel hose around the outlet of the gas tank, you put a silver clip around it [in the picture, the topmost clip], then the large fuel hose is longer than the outlet of the gas tank so that you can plug, in  this fuel hose, a barb hose whose external diameter is precisely the internal diameter of this large fuel hose, you put second silver clip on it,  then you plug, in the output of the barb hose, the usual 6mm [or 1/4 inch] fuel line going to the valve and the fuel filter.

If I understand this, then how do you avoid leakage between the outlet of the gas tank and the entry of the barb hose? is it really so tight that no leakage can occur?

[pinkscoot]

tocoo The hose clamps hold it tight. There may have been another fitting. Just go to the plumbing aisle with the hose you get from Autozone and start playing. I plan on replacing that set up with the Malossi valve I have hanging on my wall.

[GrumpyUnk]

Ah, don't worry about it. That's why you have a filter. Any particles should be trapped by the filter, and you have(will) removed the vacuum petcock, so that valve cannot get jammed up or have particles caught allowing the valve to leak. Just using compressed air should remove 90% of anything left.
You can use water if you wish, but you definitely want to leave it in the sun for a while after to get hot and evaporate any droplets left behind. The flow should flush out any particles. You might upend the tank, and flow from a garden hose into the tank filler neck, and allow flushed water to flow out through the filler(around the hose) to get a good flush, better than the flow through the normal outlet fitting.
If nothing else, get some isopropyl alcohol to absorb any water that doesn't evaporate(HEET is a brand name water-absorbing fluid).
tom

[FrankenMech]

I use a length of small chain and shake well to provide some 'scrubbing' action inside the tank. Warm soapy water will work on some deposits, rinse with clear water. Scrubbing with acetone and the chain will also help.

[tocoo]

I cleaned my tank with warm water, then let it dry and then put alcohol in it, then let it dry and put fuel in it. THe water leaves little stains of dry water. The tank is mostly clean, but I still can see shining particle in it

It turns out that I cannot mount a manual petcock at all because it is too lengthy to sit on the plastic protection of the rear wheel, and this protection is where the License plate is mounted, so it is required. My trick of using a silicone tube of OD 15mm on a 10mm barb<-> m16x1.5 male works well [there are no leaks of fuel] but it is just too lengthy.



Instead, I will skip the petcock and buy this



www.aliexpress.com/item/3PCS-12mm-12mm-Hose-Barb-4-Ways-Cross-Shaped-Brass-Pipe-Fitting-Straight-Copper-Barbed-Couple/32733441569.html
www.aliexpress.com/item/3Pcs-6mm-Hose-Barb-Tail-To-1-4-PT-BSP-Female-Thread-Straight-Barbed-Brass-Connector/32721934049.html

those are fittings : 10mm barb<-> 1/2 BSP male and 1/2 BSP female<-> 6 mm barb.
I choose the size of 1/2 BSP, because I imagine that a smaller size would restrict the flow of fuel.

[FrankenMech]

1/8" pipe would have been OK.

Plastic HDPE fittings are available at US Plastics.