Gunk in the gas tank

[Anonymous]

My '79 Mustang has some gunk in the tank that keeps clogging up the fuel filter. Looks like rust/carbon. I tried pressure washing the inside and got a lot of it but it's still in there, apparently. The filter on the end of the sending unit's gone and I couldn't find one anywhere so I put it all back in to get going but I have to clean out the filter (replaceable element) every week or so and now the fuel line to the tank is clogged. Is there anything I can put in the tank to dissolve it? Where can I get a poly tank? Gotta be cheaper and easier to put in that the steel one. Recommendations?

P.S. You guys are the best! I've never found any other forum with such a broad base of knowledge and information.

 

[mustang6]

Some of the larger radiator shops have a service where they will boil out an empty gas tank and really clean the gunk out of it. If the inside of the tank is rusty, for an additional charge they will coat the inside with a polymer to seal it from the fuel. I had to do the whole thing to my Ranchero tank because they are not available in reproduction form.

 

[Anlushac11]

8)

Also if its the original tank would be a good idea to have it boiled, checked for pinhole leaks, patched, then coated.

Had to get my 80 Stang's tank done a few years ago.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys! I never thought about a radiator shop. I'll start calling around.

 

[Anonymous]

Anybody know where I can get a filter for the sending unit? My local AutoDiscountPepZone doesn't carry one for a '79 Mustang.

 

[JackFish]

The rad shop I took my car to was able to rebuild the sending unit, so maybe the place you find can help with the parts you require.

 

[addo]

In the past, I've just raided junkyards for stuff like that - assuming it's the push-on style that covers the pickup line's tip.

 

[Anonymous]

Yep, that's the one. My old one was shot. I cleaned out the tank, chunked it, and said.........the tank's clean now and I've got an inline filter before the fuel pump, I won't need it. Famous last words. Fuel line from the tank clogged up the other day. Stuck my air hose to it and in about a second I heard a BOOMPF in the tank and gas came pouring out of the line. So, she's running again but I know it's only temporary.

 

[The Plankster Prankster]

or you could take a peice of window screen or something and wrap that around teh pickup line and tie it on with a hose clamp, itll filter out anything big enough to clog it up, but not fine enough to clog up itself