Re: [DML] Need tank cleaning advice

["Walter Coe" <Whalt@xxxx>]

Eric,

There are several ways to clean the tank. Rob Grady suggested using acetone
to dissolve the crud, so that is the method I used. Removing my tank wasn't
necessary, but it made reaching all the inside corners easier. Unless you
have some frame rust in the area to clean up, then it is less work to clean
the tank without removing it. As an abrasive, I've found that shop rags
from the local automotive stores work well (the non-terry cloth variety).
Paper towels tend to be too slick and don't clean well. I wet the rags down
with acetone and with a little elbow grease it cleaned the orange fuel
stains off of all the parts.

There is a small capillary tube (it looks more like a wire) that vents an
air pocket from the rear of the tank to the small vapor opening by the fill
port. Be careful not to bend or kink it. I didn't like the way mine was
banging around in the tank, so I sprung it a little to keep it near the top
and put a gasoline resistant cork on the end it to stop it from scratching
around in the tank.

There is a steel stud at the bottom of the tank that holds the fuel baffle.
Mine looked a bit rusty but was good otherwise. Some people have had them
rust and fall out. This part appears to me to be the same kind of stud that
holds the trailing arm shields on. If it isn't too late, ask the vendor for
a stainless steel nut to replace the original steel one that tends to rust.
Stainless hardware in metric is hard to find locally.

When you put your fuel lines back on, don't try torquing them to spec IF you
are replacing the OEM steel fittings with brass (like the ones I got from PJ
Grady). The brass is much softer and will slip in your wrench if you try to
torque it like a steel fitting.

So have you found a fuel distributor yet?

Walt