Brew for cleaning filthy gas tanks

[ERROL STILLINGS]

Thank you Thank you. I now have all sorts of methods to clean this tank with. The inside of this tank is solid bottom to top, with a green and black coating. Very strong nasty odor. I am going to go down the list, and try each one. It is a good sized tank – from a 14hp Neptune.Besides the tank being dirty, the gas line was completely plugged and I have gotten that cleaned out. Thanks to each of you.

[leeinnh]

The local guru here recommends Mag wheel cleaner for aluminum tanks.

[Mumbles]

Undiluted ammonia will loosen up crud in the tank to.

[billw]

quote Jerry Ahrens:

I use Castrol Super Clean along with HOT water. If the tank is really dirty, I mix it 50/50. let it set for 20 mins. or so, dump it out and rinse with more HOT water… repeat if needed. Hot water is the key.
Caution: Super Clean will damage paint if left on to long.

I second this: (Including the paint damage. Also, decal and finger damage.) I use Zep Morado; but it seems to be about the same thing as Super Clean. I cleaned a really nasty JW tank with it, in relatively no time, where lacquer thinner barely would touch it. Also, the thing with lacquer thinner is that it seems to work well breifly and then go dead. You have to keep changing it and it’s kind of expensive. Then, what do you do, morally, with all the waste? I am absolutely sold on Morado/Super Clean.

Long live American manufacturing!

[amuller]

Is this the stuff you are talking about? https://www.amazon.com/Super-Clean-Degr … B000CCM63K

[fisherman6]

It looks like you found it. Apparently it no longer carries the "Castrol" label, but this is the stuff. Someone will surely correct me if I’m wrong.
-Ben

OldJohnnyRude on YouTube

[jerry-ahrens]

Yes, that’s the stuff. Wal Mart carries it in my area. Also available in the 2 1/2 gallon jug.

[chris-p]

I agree with the Castrol Super Clean. Very good stuff. Have also used Release All. As mentioned, do NOT leave it in too long! I have had the Release All eat holes in aluminum tanks when I forgot about it for a few weeks.

That will clean up the gunk.

Then for the rust, I go use Electrolysis.

Now perfectly clean.

[amuller]

It’s well to bear in mind that caustic (alkaline) chemicals are good at attacking grease but they also eat aluminum. I’ll pick up some of the "super clean" and not hesitate to try it in a gunked up steel tank. Before using on aluminum I will try it on a test coupon, though different aluminum alloys will react differently. Oven cleaner on aluminum? It used to be based on lye. Maybe safer and milder chemistry is used these days. Special caution advised.

My grandmother used to make soap from grease and lye. Pioneers who didn’t have lye use wood ashes. That’s the chemistry.

[squierka39]

Amuller, you are right, the oven cleaner is a bit strong on the aluminum, that’s why I only leave it on for a short time then rinse it very well.

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