[SEL] gas tank help

[Elden]

Tom:

You can dissolve a lot of that stuff (and rust and your eyes
and skin) by using sodium hydroxide, commonly known as lye
or caustic soda.

It can be found in the detergent section of some stores
under the brand name "Red Devil".  You can also get it at a
chemical supply house.

Use caution with this stuff.  It will burn your skin
something fierce if you get any of it on you.

It is exothermic.  In other words, when you mix the dry
chemical with water, it will get HOT and boil until the
reaction with the water is complete.

What I've done is to (outside!!!!) put the tank on the
ground and, while it is still dry of water, pour in a
generous amount of the caustic soda.  Then, with a hose,
VERY CAREFULLY fill the tank (be ready to jump back if it
starts spewing) about half full and then just let it sit for
a day or two, giving it a careful slosh once in a while.

The caustic soda will go after rust and most petroleum
products like grease and paint but will not attack the clean
metal after the rust is gone so you can just let it sit for
a while.

Remember hot dip tanks at radiator shops and engine
rebuilders' places.  They used caustic soda.

Take care - Elden
http://www.oldengine.org/members/durand


-----Original Message-----
From: sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com
[mailto:sel-bounces at lists.stationary-engine.com]On Behalf Of
Germoamer at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 5:46 PM
To: sel at lists.stationary-engine.com
Subject: [SEL] gas tank help


My kerosene tank under the Famous engine has 100 years of
gunk in it.
Probably a good 3/16 inch layer on the bottom side.  The
only access is  thru a
1 1/2 inch pipe flange adapter on one side at one end.  The
tank is 9 tall
x 13 wide x 40 long.  About 1/3 from each end is a pipe
going from top to
bottom and is where the mounting bolts go thru the tank to
hold in place.
So, putting a chain in it and sloshing around does not work
due to the thru
pipes getting in the way.  I can put a long scraper thru
the pipe flange
on the end and scrape lots of nice gunk!  I can only scrape
from one side to
the other and for a distance down length of a few inches.
The gunk is
pretty dense and hard from all the years.

What I am thinking about doing is to cut a hole on the top
side in the
middle about 3x3 to access the tank.  I believe with this I
can scrape the
majority of the tank bottom and up the sides an inch or so.
After doing that,
then use gas/etc., and some rocks/nuts//chain, I can then
rock it for a
while and get most of the junk scraped out.  Having this
access hole would
ensure getting all the cleaning parts out.

Next make a new cover, JB Weld with pop rivets.  Next put in
tank  sealer
everywhere.

Anyone ever done this or have a better idea?  The gunk in
the bottom  is
starting to give me running problems.

Thanks,

Tom  Schmutz