Help me fix my fuel tank

My 99 E350 van (diesel) is experiencing a common ford van problem. The fuel tank has a sorta galvanized coating on the inside. Its a known problem that the coating starts flaking off and (best case) clogs the filter or (worst case) damages injectors. I can get a new tank from Ford for $300 and expect the same thing to happen again. I can get a used tank for $75 and expect the problem to happen even sooner. I have not found any aftermarket solutions (i.e. poly tanks or uncoated tanks).

I am toying with the idea of cleaning and coating the inside of this tank. Anyone have experience with that?

Oh... it is a perfectly viable response if you say "buy a TIG welder and make your own tank." That would be a great help when trying to convince the wife.

In the process of restoring vintage cars I often have to do tank repairs. I take them to be acid dipped. Costs $50-75 depending on tank size and they punch a 3/4" hole in them that needs to be welded/soldered/whatever shut. The turn around time of the shop I use is 1 week.

You will be returned a very, VERY clean tank. No trace of anything but metal. Paint the outside and If you choose to seal the insides with something like por15 tank sealant that is up to you. Most of the cars we do are not sealed. The owners just keep them full when they sit. Granted they are the types of cars that sit in heated garages with the rest of the owners collection.

I've had a few nasty, gunked out, rusty gas tanks acid dipped now. It's one of those those things I immediately think of doing when I'm eyeballing another mothballed project. I can't really recommend the process enough. Cost (around here, at least) always come in right around $55, in and out in about 4 days. Not only do you get back a nice fresh tank, but you can also safely weld on it afterwards. Another $25 spent in chemicals from Eastwood is good piece of mind. I would shy away from the Kreem kits, as I have seen a few of them fail on motorcycle fuel tanks.

Buy a new tank and coat the inside with the stuff that the old car restorers/ aircraft types use to seal the inside?. I've used the Bill Hirsch stuff in the past on an old rusty tank.

I've used Kreem. I imagine that it would be fairly expensive to do a van-sized tank with the stuff though.

I think you should buy a TIG welder and make your own out of aluminum.

I had a metal tank in my RX-7 that was in pretty nasty shape after sitting for a couple dozen months. I found a radiator shop (I didn't realize that people still fixed those...) and for a few bucks he dipped it in his tank and sprayed it inside and out with a sealer. I can't recall what he charged me, but it was well under a hundred bucks.

Somewhere, I read about being able to buy a kit to DIY a tank cleaning and sealing, but I seem to recall that it was a bit of a pain to do. The radiator repair guy not only was less work for me, but he did it quicker than I would have been able to, and for less than the cleaner/sealant kit.

Fuel cell?

Pull the old tank. Pour in liquid toilet bowl cleaner, half a package of salt, a little cold water and a bunch of ice cubes. Swirl it around. The salt and ice will scour the inside and the toilet bowl cleaner will eat away rust, etc. I know it sounds stupid, but trust me it works awesome. Rinse very well when your done. If you want added protection, coat the inside with one of those gas tank sealers. Done for under $30. Never did a diesel tank before, so make sure the coating you use is compatible with diesel.

Bottle of "Lime-a-way" and box of sheet rock screws or Star lock washers. Shake shake shake...Rinse rinse rinse, rinse with 1/2qt of Acetone. blow out dry for an hour. When no vapors are smelt go 10 minutes more then use hair dryer to heat and blow dry over night. (get all mosture out) then coat with Caswells "Dragon Blood" sealer. Don't be cheap hear mix more then you think you need to insure you get thick good coating then pour out extra and cure. With proper prep this stuff works the best.

http://www.caswellplating.com/dragons-blood-gas-tank-sealer.html

I guess I'm concerned about getting the faulty coating off the inside. I would hate to coat it with something and then have the coating simply lift of with the faulty coating.

By the way, I found a polyethylene tank.... for $500

914Driver wrote: Fuel cell?

That's not a bad idea. I just don't think I'll find one in this configuration. Its one of those long, skinny tanks that goes between the body skirt and the frame rail. Its probably 10x10x40"

Maybe a marine fuel cell... some of those are designed to fit between the floor stringers.

We always used muriatic acid to clean out tanks. Throw some decent sized rock in there, shake it to break up the loose stuff. Empty it out, cut the acid with water between 50/50 and 70/30. Roll the acid around and let it sit for a few hours, sloshing it around every 10 minutes. Run a ton of clean water through to flush all the acid out. Put it out in the sun to dry, sloshing it around to get rid of any water that's left.

Of course that was rusty tanks, not ones with a coating already. I'm sure if that coating is that bad, the acid will eat it off.

Did later or gas vans have a plastic tank?

Make sure you pull permits and build to code.

+1 for acid clean and POR15 coating.

moparman76_69 wrote: We always used muriatic acid to clean out tanks. Throw some decent sized rock in there, shake it to break up the loose stuff. Empty it out, cut the acid with water between 50/50 and 70/30. Roll the acid around and let it sit for a few hours, sloshing it around every 10 minutes. Run a ton of clean water through to flush all the acid out. Put it out in the sun to dry, sloshing it around to get rid of any water that's left. Of course that was rusty tanks, not ones with a coating already. I'm sure if that coating is that bad, the acid will eat it off.

I think its more than just cleaning. the inside of the tank has a galvanized-type coating that flakes off. I'm not sure that traditional cleaning methods will remove a galvanized coating.

I've cleaned a bunch of fuel tanks with Acetone and some 2B gravel, but I'm concerned that more and more of that coating will keep coming off.

Muriatic acid will remove galvanizing and rust, don't breathe the fumes, they are nasty.

Acid will also remove cad and zinc plating... lead too. I dunno if there's any lead content in the tank seams tho. Muriatic acid won't harm plastic so if the tank coating is plastic based it prolly won't touch it.

I'll be replacing the front tank on my F150 with a plastic tank. Is this an option for you?

F150 has a different tank. I've found one poly tank for these vans but its $500

I'm off to look at some marine poly tanks or some generic fuel cells that might fit.

Keith Tanner wrote: I've used Kreem. I imagine that it would be fairly expensive to do a van-sized tank with the stuff though. I think you should buy a TIG welder and make your own out of aluminum.

This. I have used it on several car tanks and many motorcycle tanks with as advertised results.

And yes get a TIG. I have a very good MIG and still regret not spending a little more and getting a TIG.

How about a monster sized fuel filter and change it every couple of months. Eventually all the coating will be gone.

Something like this with a sediment bowl.

Well, I found some inexpensive Dorman repops on ebay. They are coated just like the factory ones but if they last another 100k it might be worth it.

Toyman, I thought about your suggestion, but I've already been through $80 worth of fuel filters and the risk is that some of the junk will get past the filter, especially when changing it.

Id shake in tank coating the new one when you get it. Shouldn't have to ever worry about it.

And this aftermarket tank will not work?

e350 fuel tank