How would you get MEK or the denatured alcohol through the gas lines, or would you just replace the gas lines? In my case I'm trying to get an old lawn mower started
I was tasked with cleaning a steel motorcycle fuel tank that had gasoline in it since 1998 and it reeked of varnish. After watching your video, I used M.E.K. along with drywall screws and a two hour soak and shake. Complete success. Thank You for posting, and your generous sharing of valuable information.
MEK for the win. I have a 100 gallon diesel tank that had 1/4 inch of tar. MEK broke the sludge right up. Tomorrow I will add 25 gallons of diesel fuel to the MEK and pump the debris out of the tank.
In Australia, Denatured Alcohol is called Methylated Spirits ... why? No idea. Anyway, Methylated Spirits from Bunnings (Home Depot equivalent) worked on my Drill Auger tank and I am now de-varnishing my chainsaw, pole pruner brushcutter (all in use), and my project trike (Big Red). TIP: I have found that this summer in Australia (hot!) when I have an appliance that has an opaque fuel tank (like on the auger), the combination of sun and non-use causes gumming (varnish) to build in the fuel. I left the auger for a week (shame) and the fuel went off, the fuel filter went soft and I had to clean the carburetor. The tank bottom was scaled in varnish. All good now, so many thanks.
MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) Is also available at Bunnings commonly known as "Protek 250ml Clear Priming Fluid" for PVC pipe cleaning. Just read the MSDS for it and its MEK ;)
I have an extreme case of gummidge in a CBR900rr tank and the carbs are completely mutha fukkered in heavy brown gunge - seized utterly solid!!! I have a good sonic cleaner and will fill it with denatured alcohol for the carbs and will try your suggestions on the tank! Thank you, my American pal! PS, I truly think my tank is worse than that!
I went through this. Thick black tar in the tank. 31years the gas polymerizes, it’s turning to plastic. Lye (NaOH) drain cleaner. Get the stuf that says “100% Sodium Hydroxide” Worked great, fast and turns it water-soluble. Its kinda dangerous, it dissolves your skin. But it eats that tar!! (It eats steel same as Muriatic) so don’t leave it on steel any longer than necessary. Also laquer thinner cuts the tar. But the Sodium Hydroxide did the deed, just ate all that black tar. It was thick and then it hosed off with a garden hose.
You are awesome to have done this. Can I run it in the gas tank to clean out the carburetor with the Denatured ETOH? My Toro keeps stalling out after 15 minutes. I let it cool and it will start right up. Seems to be when it gets hot. I changed the refuel filter, figure it is the jet valve choking off the gas.
HI ,,,, thanks so much the denatured alcohol worked 100 percent ,,,, I had 1974 triumph gas tank that was sitting for 30 years I put in one gallon and some pieces of metal chain and every few hour for 2 days moved it back and forth ,, can out spotless ,,, thanks again
That looks like a 1983 Ch80 Honda scooter. 2-stroke. I had the same model. Flipped it doing wheelies, I would sit way back on the seat and punch it and when it shifted to 2nd, up and over it went. I sold it to pay bills, wish I still had it. It was $799 brand new, man I miss those days.
Awesome and extremely effective testing method. Denatured alcohol saved the most sludged/varnished up motorcycle tank I've ever seen in my life. I used a gallon of denatured alcohol, agitated over the course of the day, emptied, then pressure washed with hot water, dried immediately, and hit it with WD-40. The tank looks unbelievably good. Thanks for this comparison!
If you have ever used Berkebile 2+2 gum cutter carb cleaner I think one of the ingredients is MEK I have used that for over 40 yrs it works great butmany years ago they used to sell it in quart cans but no longer do but still sell the spray cans
Thank you for this video! I have a fuel tank that sat for 14 years and the outlet was completely plugged. Added about a pint of denatured alcohol, let it set overnight, and viola! Free flowing tank!
Just wanted to say Thank You. You saved me from having to buy a new gas tank. I found the denatured alcohol worked really well at dissolving the gummy varnish in my tank.
I used a gallon of methyl hydrate in my gerry gerry can, with half box (50) 5/16" nuts and shook it up, then let it sit for 15 min, then shook more, rinsed a few times with half gallon more of methyl hydrate, and it came out spotless, remoVED ALL varnish . Thanks for your vid as it gave me proper direction with what to use.
I found it doesn't really like water very much, I'm not sure about that dried shit you have there, but if it's just that really sticky stuff that gets in the bottom of the fuel tank, it pretty well just washes off with water.
Oh wow...so I just went and bought muriatic acid to do my take. Pulled the petcock and since I do glass work I had denatured alcohol and I was blown away at how clean I got it with that. Good video 🤘