How To Remove Severe Varnish From Gas Tank With Household Chemicals

[@filmart430]

This is why I love KZbin. I have a problem and after a couple of KZbin searches I came across this perfectly explained video. 👍👍👍

[@timthetortoise]

Awesome and extremely effective testing method. Denatured alcohol saved the most sludged/varnished up motorcycle tank I've ever seen in my life. I used a gallon of denatured alcohol, agitated over the course of the day, emptied, then pressure washed with hot water, dried immediately, and hit it with WD-40. The tank looks unbelievably good. Thanks for this comparison!

[@peterverbyla8149]

In Australia, Denatured Alcohol is called Methylated Spirits ... why? No idea. Anyway, Methylated Spirits from Bunnings (Home Depot equivalent) worked on my Drill Auger tank and I am now de-varnishing my chainsaw, pole pruner brushcutter (all in use), and my project trike (Big Red). TIP: I have found that this summer in Australia (hot!) when I have an appliance that has an opaque fuel tank (like on the auger), the combination of sun and non-use causes gumming (varnish) to build in the fuel. I left the auger for a week (shame) and the fuel went off, the fuel filter went soft and I had to clean the carburetor. The tank bottom was scaled in varnish. All good now, so many thanks.

[@andyj986]

MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) Is also available at Bunnings commonly known as "Protek 250ml Clear Priming Fluid" for PVC pipe cleaning. Just read the MSDS for it and its MEK ;)

[@josstark8124]

Thanks for comparing all the "solvents". Bought a bike that was sitting for 2 years with fuel in it and wasn't sure what would work best. This separates the rumors from the facts.

[@nadanutcase]

THANKS for a clear, simple comparison. I happen to have a good supply of denatured alcohol on hand and it's sure safer to handle than MEK, so you've given me a good, timely tip.

[@donkuwik3390]

I was tasked with cleaning a steel motorcycle fuel tank that had gasoline in it since 1998 and it reeked of varnish. After watching your video, I used M.E.K. along with drywall screws and a two hour soak and shake. Complete success. Thank You for posting, and your generous sharing of valuable information.

[@tomassmith7686]

Thank you for this video! I have a fuel tank that sat for 14 years and the outlet was completely plugged. Added about a pint of denatured alcohol, let it set overnight, and viola! Free flowing tank!

[@jackschmelzle8464]

Just wanted to say Thank You. You saved me from having to buy a new gas tank. I found the denatured alcohol worked really well at dissolving the gummy varnish in my tank.

[@johnmorse8434]

That’s a lot of work you did I appreciate it, I have a generator tank that is varnished nowhere near that Honda.

[@frankjerseytomato8941]

HI ,,,, thanks so much the denatured alcohol worked 100 percent ,,,, I had 1974 triumph gas tank that was sitting for 30 years I put in one gallon and some pieces of metal chain and every few hour for 2 days moved it back and forth ,, can out spotless ,,, thanks again

[@dieselgeezer18]

came here from Dylan McCool 's video. I will give you a sub!

[@mstevensn50]

me too

[@lyledubois8969]

I used a gallon of methyl hydrate in my gerry gerry can, with half box (50) 5/16" nuts and shook it up, then let it sit for 15 min, then shook more, rinsed a few times with half gallon more of methyl hydrate, and it came out spotless, remoVED ALL varnish . Thanks for your vid as it gave me proper direction with what to use.

[@johnfaris5376]

Great video! For years I have tried all kinds of chemicals. MEK is what I’m going for

[@johnpaulgarrett1]

Thanks for doing the legwork for all of us. I'm getting the MEK!

[@lilTryhard]

This was extremely helpful! I just bought an old '79 Suzuki and the varnish buildup in the gas tank is unreal. Not quite as bad as yours though lol

[@ryry8552]

Oh wow...so I just went and bought muriatic acid to do my take. Pulled the petcock and since I do glass work I had denatured alcohol and I was blown away at how clean I got it with that. Good video 🤘

[@stoolie10]

Denatured alcohol works amazingly well at removing old varnished gas from a generator gas tank. 👍 👌

[@bobedigi]

Life saver because Acetone was working but not good enough. Thanks

[@717Jeepin]

This is the first video I can find with heavy varnish. I'm restoring a 1994 Jeep Cherokee that sat for about 10 years with a half tank of gas and the fuel tank looks terrible. I'm hoping that this helps clean it out

[@r6blaze]

Did it work? I have a 10 year old gas tank I’m about to use this on as well

[@nathanturner6523]

Thanks for the help man I’m gonna pick up some MEK today to clean out my Harley tank!

[@gabrieltrevizo6088]

Nathan Turner did it ever work?

[@wengsiongsai2815]

how?

[@brucelampe6062]

That looks like a 1983 Ch80 Honda scooter. 2-stroke. I had the same model. Flipped it doing wheelies, I would sit way back on the seat and punch it and when it shifted to 2nd, up and over it went. I sold it to pay bills, wish I still had it. It was $799 brand new, man I miss those days.

[@laprepper]

Dude that varnish toupee was nasty! Gonna grab some mek today!

[@joyceflorida7111]

You are awesome to have done this. Can I run it in the gas tank to clean out the carburetor with the Denatured ETOH? My Toro keeps stalling out after 15 minutes. I let it cool and it will start right up. Seems to be when it gets hot. I changed the refuel filter, figure it is the jet valve choking off the gas.

[@michaeldvorak5556]

Are you sure that was varnish you pulled out, looks more like fuel tank liner used to prevent rust.

[@jamesessex3554]

used MEK and looks like a new tank! thanks

[@1995dresser]

If you have ever used Berkebile 2+2 gum cutter carb cleaner I think one of the ingredients is MEK I have used that for over 40 yrs it works great butmany years ago they used to sell it in quart cans but no longer do but still sell the spray cans

[@TheRoadTaken]

How would you get MEK or the denatured alcohol through the gas lines, or would you just replace the gas lines? In my case I'm trying to get an old lawn mower started

[@kevinchamberlain7928]

I have an extreme case of gummidge in a CBR900rr tank and the carbs are completely mutha fukkered in heavy brown gunge - seized utterly solid!!! I have a good sonic cleaner and will fill it with denatured alcohol for the carbs and will try your suggestions on the tank! Thank you, my American pal! PS, I truly think my tank is worse than that!

[@t_sodo8745]

I went through this. Thick black tar in the tank. 31years the gas polymerizes, it’s turning to plastic. Lye (NaOH) drain cleaner. Get the stuf that says “100% Sodium Hydroxide” Worked great, fast and turns it water-soluble. Its kinda dangerous, it dissolves your skin. But it eats that tar!! (It eats steel same as Muriatic) so don’t leave it on steel any longer than necessary. Also laquer thinner cuts the tar. But the Sodium Hydroxide did the deed, just ate all that black tar. It was thick and then it hosed off with a garden hose.

[@mikeschuler2946]

I was thinking Noah but I have an aluminum tank 😞

[@viscose808]

Thanks dude! Trying this on my 1960 falcon tank!

[@kerryyeroyan8212]

Those prescription bottles are handy now. I use a lot of them myself.

[@tysonernst9657]

Thanks for that fantastic post....i have very severe case also ....and have spent days looking at this dumb phone .........

[@Blizake54]

My project is a miller welder with a plastic gas tank....any thoughts on the impact of MEK or Denatured on the plastic tank?

[@johnnyrizzo8057]

MEK for the win. I have a 100 gallon diesel tank that had 1/4 inch of tar. MEK broke the sludge right up. Tomorrow I will add 25 gallons of diesel fuel to the MEK and pump the debris out of the tank.

[@davidshettlesworth1442]

Very helpful video. Thanks, I learned a lot.

[@joelquaintance9025]

EXCELLENT; BRING THEM ON!

[@jefflambert7513]

Very nice, thank you...just the info I needed. Very much appreciated ... Thank You !!!

[@neozero9929]

You're so right. Denatured Alcohol work out very well to clean out my lawnmower gas tank. Thank You.

[@vsvnrg3263]

ive been trying to clean injectors on a car without removing them. carby/throttle body cleaner works okay but it looks like i should use alcohol or even better,. mek.

[@sylesneski9176]

Great video sir

[@simoncorporation3]

Thanks man, will try.

[@periloushydrous6606]

Great video, thanks!

[@warrenpeas]

you should test 45% vinegar it cost the same as the denatured alcohol. mek cost too much when trying to clean a 12 gallon tank

[@tomasnokechtesledger1786]

WD40 worked fine for me in a fuel pump prefilter that was dark and sticky. Have you tried it on this varnish of yours? Plastic and rubber safe.

[@themotofixery]

Well turns out MEK is getting hard to find in most areas. I might be using one of the others. Booo! Thanks for the fantastic video! Thumbs up!!

[@doctorfeinstone6524]

What about lye? I've heard it works too but not sure how good

[@garycotz563]

What about the Carona? No go?

[@wadebelcher5167]

That was the. Liner that you got from the Honda gas tank .they coat tanks from the factory.

[@202vaughn]

Never heard this before. Are you saying the black bubbly goo on the bottom of my tank is a factory coating? Mine looks just like the one in this video.

[@rlgrunden9540]

I assume this treatment ALSO filters into the carb to clean it as well, therefore avoiding a carb rebuild or replacement? If so, I'm thinking that draining it out of the carb is the best option for draining. Thoughts?

[@paulpaintshop103]

MEK wreck's aluminum, be careful.

[@backwoods6050]

Many thanks for the comparisons. I've been fighting to clean similar varnish off a steel '69 Rokon tank. Couldn't I use heavy-duty carb cleaner i.e., the stuff they sell in gallon cans for dipping carburetors in?

[@tjames3372]

That’s a good question. I also clean a lot of carburetors and don’t have a lot of luck on varnish in the short term. However it might work well after letting sit awhile.

[@backwoods6050]

@@tjames3372 Update: I've let a half gallon of straight carb cleaner sit in the tank for four days now. It did absolutely nothing. Next I'm going to try MEK.

[@DanielS-pu4eu]

I had my tank lined several years ago but I forgot some gas in the tank and varnish has built up. Would the MEK or denatured alcohol strip the lining? The lining is the POR-15 product and I highly recommend it if doing a restoration.

[@tjames3372]

I would not be as worried about the denatured alcohol on any lining like I might the MEK. You might do a tailgate test and setup some of the liner then try both chemicals on it

[@masmainster]

I found it doesn't really like water very much, I'm not sure about that dried shit you have there, but if it's just that really sticky stuff that gets in the bottom of the fuel tank, it pretty well just washes off with water.

[@RetrocarStyle]

Is the fuel tank plastic or metal?

[@tjames3372]

Metal. It does have a plastic float inside although I don’t know what type of plastic. This particular float was not effected by either of the chemicals

[@justinsane7128]

Does mek take out rust too?

[@steven.h0629]

Dying to see the follow-up on the inside of the gas tank.. How'd that work out?

[@tjames3372]

Worked great. I got the Honda back to my friend but next time I see it I’ll get some pictures with a fish camera.

[@Laughinghawg]

@@tjames3372 I appreciate the comparisons where you can see the effects of each type of potential fix and the effectiveness of each. I would love to see a follow up as well. I have an aluminum boat tank that has been sitting for 10 yrs I need to take care of.

[@alanyoshida45]

Good info

[@johnmorse8434]

You didn’t say how the Corona worked.

[@paulpaintshop103]

Careful with MEK it destroys aluminum.

[@NortheastVintage]

Has anyone tested vinegar?

[@Tree-feller]

Thanks for the helpful information!!

[@Driven_Dragon]

Does anyone know where to get MEK? Thanks in advance.

[@johnnyrizzo8057]

Sherman Williams, they call it reducer 10

[@donnfl]

Don't get MEK on your skin or Paint. Use the Alcohol recommended by Red Kote fuel tank sealer.

[@eduardomargutti]

So could this Mek stuff remove the clear coat inside metal fuel tanks ?

[@junkazama9149]

would the M E K eat plastic gas tank

[@anagennao]

My guess is this dude knows how to make some good drugs.

[@yesdeere1376]

The corona helped too I’m sure

[@kerryyeroyan8212]

You have to be in the chemical business? Those prescription bottles are a dead giveaway.