Oil Tanks Cleaning

[JustDave]

Looking for suggestions on how to clean out an old Merlyn oil tank that has been sitting as it was left minus the oil for 30 years. The only openings are the filler neck, inlet and outlet fittings

Thanks for any and all ideas

Dave C.

[BeerBudgetRacing]

Haven't tried this and maybe I misunderstood the free advice I received...

Go to the hardware store and buy some of the drain conditioning enzymes.
Fill it with the enzymes and warm water. Apparently they eat oil etc.
Probably need to rinse and repeat. Let the tank sit in different orientations...

[kea]

25c car wash (more like $1.75 now).

[John LaRue]

I would see if there was someone who could clean it in an ultrasonic tank, especially if it is a casting. We lost an engine because the idiots on the team decided to hand wash an oil tank prepping the car for qualifying for the 98 Indy 500 and didn't get everything. Cheap insurance.

[DanW]

I broke my crank and block during the last weekend of the season. So I built a new motor for the new season.

The oil tank on my Zink could not be opened. I cleaned it with solvent, then hot soapy water, then more solvent with agitation, then hot soapy water again.

I installed the freshly rebuilt motor with the tank I and cleaned and all new oil lines. The second race weekend my freshly built motor developed a rod knock.

This time I sent the oil tank to this shop:

http://www.ultrasoniccleaningcorp.co...arts-cleaning/

They returned my clean tank and included a plastic bag of the metal they recovered from my tank. Trouble free oil system since.

Dan

[R. Pare]

Being that it has sat that long without oil in it, it is possible that there is corrosion inside that even ultra-sonic cleaning may not remove. i'd check with the shop that Dan mentioned to see what they think, and if a caustic bath may or may not be required in addition to the ultra-sonic cleaning.

[JustDave]

The tank is aluminium.
Thanks for the suggestions and advice.

Dave C.

[john f]

Go to Walmart and buy a gallon of Super Clean. I have used this to remove cosmoline on 50 yr old NOS master cylinders. It will work on your oil tank. Another good way is to put a handful of pea gravel with a gallon of fuel oil in the tank, seal it up, tie it to your garden tractor wheel and cut the lawn. When done wash out and it will be spotless.I have cleaned fuel tanks this way and it works well. Just my $0.02.

john f

[R. Pare]

The tank is aluminium.
Thanks for the suggestions and advice.

Dave C.

Bare aluminium can still corrode over time, especially if there happens to be any iron particles on the surface - leftovers from inadequate oil filtering.

[HayesCages]

Go to Walmart and buy a gallon of Super Clean. I have used this to remove cosmoline on 50 yr old NOS master cylinders. It will work on your oil tank. Another good way is to put a handful of pea gravel with a gallon of fuel oil in the tank, seal it up, tie it to your garden tractor wheel and cut the lawn. When done wash out and it will be spotless.I have cleaned fuel tanks this way and it works well. Just my $0.02.

john f

(Pre-fuel cell requirements) We used that method at a race once, minus the Super Clean: guy had a Fiat spider with a rusty tank that kept plugging the fuel filter. Drained fuel, removed tank, filled part way with crushed pit-side gravel. Had him do all of the shaking about. Cleaned similar to new. Good times followed.

[Bob Coury]

If an ultrasonic cleaner is used, make sure that the chemical and time in the bath are appropriate for aluminum. I have seen a titanium turned to junk when thrown in and left for too long.

Super clean and regular Simple Green will etch the aluminum. I would use Aircraft Simple Green.

[JustDave]

Bare aluminium can still corrode over time, especially if there happens to be any iron particles on the surface - leftovers from inadequate oil filtering.

Good info.

Thanks Again

Dave Coughlin