[Farmall] Gas tank residue

[Chuck Bealke]

On 8/29/2011 10:20 AM, Barney Van De Weert wrote:
> I'd say it used to be Gas and you have whats left after the volitale stuff evaporates.
>
>
> Barney Van De Weert
>
> From: genscan tds.net<genscan at tds.net>
> To: Farmall/IHC mailing list<farmall at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Sunday, August 28, 2011 11:34 PM
> Subject: [Farmall] Gas tank residue
>
> This may be a rather stupid question to you veteran mechanics, but I have
> encountered a gas tank on a Farmall B I just bought that has something like
> an inch of some gunk in it, that I am puzzled as to what it is.  I first
> thought it was just a horrible amount of rust, but when I scrap the bottom
> of the tank, the metal looks pretty good--not much visible corrosion.  I
> would imagine there is a little rust in it, but it almost looks like someone
> poured about three  boxes of Cream of Wheat cereal into the tank and let it
> rot.  The stuff sometimes comes out in actual chucks over 3/4 inch thick.
> It is dark brown to black in color.  Any ideas as to what it is, and any
> suggestions as to the best way to clean it out?
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Ran across the problem frequently eons ago in a motorcycle shop where we 
bought, repaired and sold motorcycles from individuals and other 
dealers.  As Barney noted, it sounds like you have dried out gasoline.  
We used to remove the tank, pour some lacquer thinner (toluene) in it to 
soak overnight or longer.  Then we would insert broken rocks or a chain 
(trickier - some kinds could knot or bunch and seemed harder to remove 
through the gas cap opening) and tumble the tank.  I seem to recall 
reading on the main list that some rig up a way to bungee or rope down a 
tank to the center of a tractor wheel and rotate the tank with a chain 
inside by driving the tractor around, but I have never tried this.  
Seems I recall that this thinner dissolves or swells some kinds of 
gaskets, plastics (and clothing) and that we remove attached valves from 
tanks (replacing with plugs) for this reason during cleaning.  Be 
careful with toluene - wear appropriate goggles and avoid wetting your 
skin with it or breathing the vapors, as it is not as harmless as it may 
first seem.

Chuck Bealke
Dallas