since my car is sitting idle while wainting on a part i decided that i'm going to take down the gas tank and clean it out. i'm only doing this because the car sat for 2 years after i was in an accident and was then sold to the previous owner last year. i get right at 10 gallons when i fill up so i know there's some stuff in it b/c all my previous Civics got 11.

Any advise that someone can give that's done this before or what i can probably use to clean it out. i looked online and a few site just said to use some detergent and warm water then rinse out and let dry

 

Check out some hot rod sites. There are special cleaners and detergents you can use, but you're generally better off just getting a new tank (especially if yours is rusting from the inside).

Most of the cleaners require you to have an air compressor available, so keep that in mind when shopping.

 

I think you should just go for it and get a new tank. I had a gas leak in mine (didn't know where) so I just decided to replace it. I got one of the ebay gas tanks and have never looked back.

Here's the link to my gas tank thread if you're interested.
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2256797

 

Ebay gas tank FTW!!!

Direct replacement and install was simple. I think i paid like $120 for it.

 

Take out your fuel pump an take a peak inside. See how bad the damage was. If it was pretty bad Make sure to change out your fuel filter too.

 

well i don't know if there's any damage but i do know something is causing me to come up a gallon short at the pump...but if my new distributor doesn't fix my problem, i'm going to get an OEM replacement fuel pump and look on eBay for a tank

97SS - how long did it take for you to do everything?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BLU CIVIC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">well i don't know if there's any damage but i do know something is causing me to come up a gallon short at the pump...but if my new distributor doesn't fix my problem, i'm going to get an OEM replacement fuel pump and look on eBay for a tank

97SS - how long did it take for you to do everything?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Hmmm well when I had my CRX HF gas tank (capacity of 10 gallons) I never was able to get much more than 7 gallons. Now that I swapped it with a 12 gallon tank I get about 10 gallons in it everytime I fill it up...so if that's your only concern I wouldn't go overboard and replace it. It's just that our older gas gauges aren't up to snuff that's all.
To answer your question between me and a friend it took us about 2 hours and that was being careful and cautious...if I had to do it again it would take about 1.5 hrs since we now know what to expect and do.

 

well 2 hours isn't too bad...but if my problem isn't fixed with my distributor then i'll just go ahead and replace the fuel pump and gas tank

 

Maybe the original tank is dented? Why not just drained all the gas out, and then refill it from 'empty' and see how much it takes?

Most people don't drive it until 'empty', so saying you can only put 10 gal in and you drove it there, doesn't mean it's empty.


crx = 10.5 gal iirc, HF = 10

 

i think you are right^^^

 

drove it till the car was on the verge of cutting off...cruised into the gas station right as it cut off...took 10.1 gallons to fill up

 

easy way to drain the tank is to remove the return line at the fuel pressure regulator and have that drain to whatever jug you are putting the old gas. then turn on the engine and let it run and let the fuel pump do the draining. cut the engine off when the jug is full and switch.

MUCH cleaner way to draining the tank. otherwise you end up splashing a lot of fuel trying to set up the drain plug, have it drain into your container and then switch when its full...

 

that's for that info Tyson...wasn't sure how i was going to go about dong it

bought a walbro 255lph fuel pump yesterday, so this weekend the wife and i are going to work on the car

 

FYI....Some of the new replacement tanks don't have the exterior drain plug so you HAVE to drain it using the method Tyson has mentioned.......good luck....

 

and dont drop the tank with a full gas tank. the weight will crush the tank in.


right joe?

 

I don't remember that one, but I did almost break my big *** nose a couple times trying to drop the tank with gas in it....When did the tank crush in?....I'm glad those fuel related problems are gone.....
Remember, many tanks are dented "up", from people using the tank as a jacking point instead of using the rear towing eyelet to jack up the car, possibly reducing the capacity....
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BLU CIVIC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">...so this weekend the wife and i are going to work on the car</TD></TR></TABLE>
P.S. IMO, she is a "keeper".......JB

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JOE BD-0 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Remember, many tanks are dented "up", from people using the tank as a jacking point instead of using the rear towing eyelet to jack up the car, possibly reducing the capacity....</TD></TR></TABLE>

or that i suppose

 

well it ain't gonna happen this weekend...didn't think and filled up the car when it was almost on E but i did change my fuel filter and the fuel inside was dirt brown...is it from the filter or the gas tank? starting to contemplate replacing the whole gas tank...either way i'll post pics when i get in the house

 

so, could it be just the filter or the gas tank? dirt or rust?

brown stuff on the ouside came from the fuel

 

lick it!

regardless if its dirt or rust, you gotta change the tank out. theres nothing in the filter itself that would cause that.
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=2172969

i would consider cleaning out the whole fuel system to the injectors.

ive never seen anything so bad.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

i would consider cleaning out the whole fuel system to the injectors.</TD></TR></TABLE>

that's what i was told i needed to do

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ive never seen anything so bad.</TD></TR></TABLE>

not very encouraging

 

Wow, keep us updated on this. Looks pretty bad

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by BLU CIVIC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so, could it be just the filter or the gas tank? dirt or rust?

brown stuff on the ouside came from the fuel



</TD></TR></TABLE>

my fuel filter looked the exact same way when i pulled it recently. car was running like ****, cutting back, gas mileage dramaticly reduced, idling like crap etc etc etc. drained my tank when i did my swap cuz it had sat up for about a year but that didn't get all the "gunk" out. walbro and new tank ordered, picked up a new filter to hoping that solves it.


Modified by nfereorhatch at 3:05 AM 8/30/2008

 

my situation sounds the same as yours...but i'm going to replace the fuel lines, fuel rail and injectors as an extra precaution