Fuel tanks inside cleaning

Discussion in 'Volvo Forum' started by dorlia2, Dec 17, 2021.

  1. dorlia2

    dorlia2 Light Load Member

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    What is the best way to clean the fuel tanks on the inside? There is water and sludge accumulated over the years. Water separator filter does its job well, but you can see it at the bottom of the tanks
     
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  3. Ridgeline

    Ridgeline Road Train Member

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    Go look for a place that will do fuel polishing, they will clean fuel and remove a lot of crap out of the tanks.

    cost?

    Don’t know, I do know that when I was having it done on my old trucks, it was $150 for the cleaning service for the truck. It sounds like a lot but doing it to a 10 year old truck, that was cheap.
     
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  4. bryan21384

    bryan21384 Road Train Member

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    Maybe some additive each time you fuel?
     
  5. Snailexpress

    Snailexpress Road Train Member

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    Park your truck on incline that most of sludge is on the side where is fueling cap. Shut the engine off and let it sit for 30 minutes. Take the copper pipe long enough to reach the tank bottom with some plastic hose attached and siphon sludge in the bucket.
     
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  6. Arctic_fox

    Arctic_fox Experienced mx13 execrator

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    Another option along the same lines if you have several 55 gallon barrels handy or a large fuel storage tank is to burn off all but 25% or so of your fuel then do the above. However instead of bottom sludge you take the uppermost good fuel out via that method leaveing a thin film of good fuel ontop then siphon out the rest into a "disposal" drum then just burn it off as best you can. Then you take whats left and dispose of the rest at a place that takes hazmat in the disposal barrel. There should only be a few pounds left after the burn at most if anything depending on what the sludge is.

    Pull all the valves and plugs off the tank and spray the inside of it down in a kiddy pool with brake cleaner to collect any remaining waste a few times to get the last of the diesel amd sludge out then add it to the disposal barrel. Then you just power wash the holy hell out of it a few times and let it dry over a few days.

    The hazmat should be cheap to dispose of depending on where you live and who you take it to. Especially if you pour your oil change ontop of it.
     
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  7. jason6541

    jason6541 Road Train Member

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    Works well for fuel tanks or anything else you need to evacuate for sure
     
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  8. dorlia2

    dorlia2 Light Load Member

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    Is it a good idea to open the bottom drain plug?
     
  9. Dino soar

    Dino soar Road Train Member

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    The best thing is to run the tanks low and drain one of them.If you do not have shut off valves on each tank, install them.

    Whichever one you drain get a pressure washer or whatever you can and get in there and wash out whatever you can. If you don't have a pressure washer fill up with water and drain it a few times.

    Then get a bottle of aluminum bright, you know the cleaner they use for the trailers.Fill up your tank about halfway with water and put the aluminum bright in it and run the truck for 4 or 5 days.

    There's no environmental hazard with that you can drain it wherever. Flush it out a few times until the water runs clear. Beyond that your filter will catch it.

    Then do the other side and you are all set.

    I did it with my tanks because I had bad algae and they were terribly stained. I probably could have left the aluma bright in there longer but it knocked all the crap out of there.
     
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  10. Snailexpress

    Snailexpress Road Train Member

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    If you quick enough to put plug back. Diesel fuel shower guarantee.
     
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