Red W124 fuel tank horror show

What a horrific sight to see, but not unexpected!

[@tony66au]

My 124 TE Tank was a doozy, I think the previous owner only ever put in 1/4 tank at a time and the fuel gauge was stuffed also, the dead giveaway was the 2 fuel filters I replaced in 2000 km before the pump went bye bye and it had a nice caramel sludge in the bottom with only the top 1/3rd of the screen filter clear-ish. I dropped the tank and while waiting for the parts I cleaned it out with ball bearings and a light acid rust converter solution to get the scale loose. Apart from running exhaust gas through the tank to remove the fuel fumes the smell of the goop was enough to make me nauseous but when i was done and the tank rinsed a few times a dose of redcote (Ive used this before with great results) re coated and sealed the tank nicely. Im fairly sure that it was E10 fuel that absorbed water and started to rust the tank out at the bottom and every time I've bought a cheap Benz or Volvo thats had Ethanol fuel in it the fuel pump, screen and tank where worse for the use.

[@MMWA-DAVE]

tony66au which solution did you use? Im thinking of giving this a go, it looks a hell of a lot better after pressure washing just now. Only problem is the areas that the nozzle cant access are still coated with rust.

[@tony66au]

@@MMWA-DAVE either some lengths of gal chain or ball bearings with AFT or brake fluid as its slightly caustic and then shake it on 4 axis. I left mine to sit for an hour after the initial agitation and then gave it another 5 or 10 minutes before draining the crud and rinsing it clean, you dont have to bang the chain or bearings about but more slide them around and into the corners then turn the tank upside down and repeat.

[@clickireland1113]

Thanks for the videos. You're some craic too. Very nice to have a down to earth instructable video for the 124. Best car in the world I think. Mine's sat for over two years. Just starting it. Drove it for three years prior to parking with no issues. Four air-out tires and it's time to do a renovation. Gel present in the strainer area. Not too much but enough. Tank (Diesel) good inside bar some rust up maybe a half foot. But looks totally cleanable and renewable.

[@Djwally13]

The only thing I can think of is take it to a radiator shop and have it submerged in caustic soda tank. Let it cook for a couple of days and see if that will remove all that rust and crud in the tank. They also sell kits to clean and coat the tank with and epoxy or some type fuel resistant coating. Hope this helps a little.

[@Viperin98]

I wouldn’t go with epoxy... I’ve seen motorcycle tanks with the epoxy and it just flakes off and becomes another horrible mess

[@aaronsjesus]

The soda should seal it no? if you put gas inside within a few weeks and run an extra see through clear 3 usd filter... to make sure all the flash rust is finished being problematic... just back flow that filter after drainijg a near empty tank every y weeks... for 1 year... done..

[@firsttodie7013]

oh crap, now im kinda worried what's inside mine :O gl with your project man

[@firsttodie7013]

@@bradenprinceton326 exactly as you say, no-one fkin cares about you and yours buddy instagram. Get lost chump.

[@heimatliebe116]

Could sand-blasting/media-blasting the inside of the tank be useful?

[@vmlelectronics]

brazilian gasoline has 27% of ethanol; time to time I put 250ml of 2 stroke oil in the tank and feel that the car runs better

[@yant8777]

wow ! I only have diesel w124 s and have never seen a tank anything like this ! Would it be an option for you to use a tank from a diesel ? I believe they are the same.

[@clickireland1113]

"Sound proving strips with MB universal adhesive ..." These are factory-present and REALLY stick the F***ing tank to the wall behind it. The reason the tank won't budge during removal after the four nuts are off - are these strips. I used a wonder (pry) bar wrapped in bubble-wrap so as to not score metal work. Start on the o/s (UK passenger side) to pry. Its a fair tug but its needed. (I heard that) No forum or video mentions these strips. They make sense, but they can stump you to think you are missing nuts somewhere. You are not. Good luck and mind your knuckles. W124 1995 E250D sedan by the way.

[@joranverhoeven8833]

Thanks for the tip mann i think my tank needs some good cleaning too

[@clickireland1113]

@@joranverhoeven8833 Welcome Joran hope saves you time

[@MMWA-DAVE]

I wont lie, this is starting to demoralise me. I must have the single worst w124 on earth to work with.

[@racerforever9084]

My w124 250D doesnt wanted drive well, always slow... I checked whole fuel system, and I ended in fuel tank. I unscrewed filter, and what happened ? I had about 1 inch deep layer of "mud" inside the fuel tank. I cleaned it by my hand and stick and i got almost 1 litre of this "mud". Now car works fine :)

[@MMWA-DAVE]

Racer Forever i am wondering where all this crap comes from perhaps its the fuel retailers underground tanks that are full of rust and contaminating our cars

[@w124250d1992]

Don't give up ! You are already doing an amazing job !

[@ka130258]

If there is anyone that will take on the toughest challenges it will be you MM. Its time and money but will be tremendously rewarding when you finally drive it!

[@TOONACEDRELA]

E10 is death. Ethanol is hygroscopic...it absorbs water. The worst case scenario is a machine that sits around full of this stuff and is rarely used. A toxic gell forms and causes rust and clogging of the fuel system. I have learned the hard way on my property. I have had to remove it from chippers, ride-on mowers and a whole host of 4 stroke machines. It's curtains if it gets into the fuel distributor of KE-Jet.

[@kevinblanchard611]

Bummer! Entire fuel system needs replacement for sure. Good luck

[@MsLiextreme]

In my diesel was little rust too but not like this.car stay in garage 4 months or more but with full tank.sometimes i just drive for fun meybe 50km,make engine hot and again go to garage for few months.after one year dont matter how much distance i made i just change fuel filter.

[@amgjens]

Do you have to remove the fuel tank to replace the level sender?

[@michaelschneider-]

+1. .. An unexpected horror show the w124s aging fuel tank. .. If the fuel tank weren't readily available there's a number of the many home remedies as you know. .. A time-honored favorite is a couple of bead-shot bags into the tank with rigorous tumbling to follow. .. Empty the now corrosion infused bead-shot, rinse the fuel tank clean with a few pints of alcohol. .. Lastly, coat the fuel tank interior with a suitable epoxy primer followed by the epoxy bladder coating. .. The process is time-honored. Cheers, M/S

[@frankrene-jacquesguillard5083]

Almosy every diesel fuel tank from W124 and W201 do that. Idk if yours is a diesel. But yeah the materials inside + the diesel create an ecosystem 100%. You must use a biocide product frequently. Espacially if you are driving on vegetable oil ! I guess the same happens for petrol tanks but slowly.

[@aammadmustafa5985]

Do you have a video on how you remove this?

[@LopuDesigns]

Where did you source the replacement? :O

[@revtec4267]

I think the kids filled up daddy's car with the hose

[@robertorochamartinsrocha7041]

Mine was full of a black mater (slicone) lots of it and sand...

[@quincylongman7469]

I just got my hands on an 86’ 300e that was parked for 12 years in a garage (tho not temp controlled) here in the Canadian prairies. Car is in great shape inside and out, i have new plugs and filters coming for it. The tank doesnt smell like varnish, i have yet to pull the fuel sender out to inspect the tank; im hoping i can get away with trying to start it (after lubing cylinders) without pulling the tank. So my question for you is, what kinda conditions and for how long did your w124 sit to have the tank like this? Cheers

[@MMWA-DAVE]

definitely pull the sender before doing anything and have a look in there. I would be surprised if the pump(s) even still work as the moisture sits at the lowest point and rusts them solid. As to your question, Red probably sat maybe 5 years baking in the sun so many many hot and cold cycles and opportunities for moisture to get in. I threw that tank out in the end and replaced it, it was too far gone.

[@quincylongman7469]

@@MMWA-DAVE i appreciate your reply. Yeah i expect to probably have to replace a pump and maybe the relays as well, my friends 190e 2.6 had a relay that was bad from sitting from what he read. I will inspect the tank via the sender and see what kind of shape its in. Im going to pump out any remaining fuel, inspect tank, if its clean put 4L of fresh fuel in and one can of sea foam and see if she goes

[@TCOSONs]

hi there, i have merc 1980 the fuel tank rust and need cleaning, can you tell me what is the job for the pipe attached to the tank and going around it please, my fuel tank have same pipe and air blocked is the that supposed to be? thanks

[@MMWA-DAVE]

xazi Mo you are going to need to remove the fuel tank from the car to have it cleaned correctly if it can be saved. There will be an electrical connection for the level sender, the large suction line, a return line plus ventilation line(s) all will need to be disconnected and obviously the tank unbolted from the car and removed. It’s not hard but it is akward.

[@TCOSONs]

@@MMWA-DAVE i have already remove the tank to clean it, the pipe tube one side weld in the tank the other side point out next other pipe head, i try blow air in it is blocked, i wonder is already blocked? or rust has blocked it?

[@MMWA-DAVE]

xazi Mo old fuel turns into a tar like substance. You should take it to a professional for inspection, they will be able to tell you if it can be saved or not. Since its blocked it cant be used like this

[@hpwan2]

was there water in the fuel tank previously??

[@Djwally13]

Most likely condensation, hot gas tank plus cold nights equals water in tank.

[@hpwan2]

DJ Wallick makes me think maybe we should put e10 fuel in the tank like once a year or so just to get rid of the buildup water

[@w124mercedes7]

The best and cheapest way to make that tank like new is pour 5 gallons of cider vinegar in it. Let it sit 3 days. Rotate it and repeat. Cider vinegar can be found at any grocery store for $2 a gallon or less. I have used it for decades and saved well over 100 tanks for cars and motorcycle. Remove rust to bare metal and wont harm tank.

[@forgotten320]

What is done after the cider vinegar? Or is that the complete process? Thanks

[@w124mercedes7]

@@forgotten320 after the cider vinegar rinse well with warm soapy water. And try it asap. After its dry inside you can use a tank coating or leave it bare metal. Personally I try not to use tank coatings. Hope this helps.

[@micheledirocco4994]

Hi, what kind of problems were you having with your car? I'm having a hard time getting my 1992 W124 started properly, the car has been sitting for some years in a garage without ever being used. Do you think a bad rusty fuel tank could cause my car to be very difficult to get started? I've already changed injectors with rubber seals, fuel pump (can't find a fuel accumulator, I'm looking for that), fuel filter, Ke-JET filter, spark plugs with cables, distributor cap and brush... once I manage to start the engine it runs perfectly, but it takes a lot of cranking, I just don't know what else to do

[@MMWA-DAVE]

The tank could definitely be rusted out if the car sat for years, has the screen filter in the tank been taken out and inspected? The quick and dirty way to see if there is fuel pressure on a k-jet car is the behaviour of the air flow meter flap. If it sags down and does not spring back when depressed, you got no fuel pressure.

[@micheledirocco4994]

@@MMWA-DAVE I'll look into that right now. I remember the k-jet filter was literally clogged in rust, so I suspect I have a rusty tank so I'll take it out the car anyway and hope to solve my problem that way. I just won't surrender till I'll hear the engine fire up beautifully at first try, just as it did way back when I was a kid

[@MMWA-DAVE]

@@micheledirocco4994 the new pump(s) will get destroyed if a rusty tank is in use by the way.

[@micheledirocco4994]

@@MMWA-DAVE I will fix this as soon as I can. Thank you for the advice

[@micheledirocco4994]

@@MMWA-DAVE just for the record, I checked and found that my tank and tank screen were literally mint after 29 years

[@pinzgauernorcal]

try adding oil to the gas in small amounts to prevent the next tank from rusting

[@darcyguerinhanlon3916]

Caramel flakes anyone?

[@mplewp]

try some coca cola ^^ followed up by diesel shake up and drain worked on alot of tanks

[@skylercrise5938]

where did you get a new gas tank

[@MMWA-DAVE]

this was retrieved from a donor car, a 1985 300E. It was daily driven and mint condition (the tank anyway) rest of car was trash.

[@raitshots]

Oooo mennn .... very bad .... metal tank fuel w124 model car Next aluminiun tank fuel

[@revtec4267]

I will happily donate you a fuel tank ;-)

[@MMWA-DAVE]

Are you by any chance in Western Australia? I've been offered one from South Australia where they seem to be plentiful, but fuel tanks are considered hazardous goods and getting them transported anywhere can be a real issue.

[@revtec4267]

@@MMWA-DAVE sorry Albury NSW

[@clickireland1113]

Just got round to tasking th 124's fuel tank today. Started with a wire brush, then sandpaper. Then figured out fuck it and opened up the compressor and sandblasted the damn thing. Delighted with the results and have it primed. Thanks for the videos How can I sponsor you an orange juice or a world's strongest circlip ?

[@MMWA-DAVE]

you sandblasted inside of the tank? how on earth did you do that

[@palsennerud9992]

The W124/S124 it’s good Cars for rebuilding for more modern car. I have rebuilding my 300E 4matic, and still doing it. It’s all from bodywork, brakes from AMG, engine, transmission, interior, electrical, front and back axels. Mostly all. I use parts for engine and transmission from www.turbobandit.com It’s give much more HP, but much better Combustion of the fuel and much lower with CO2 emissions. I have M103 engine, but M104 3,2 - 3,4 or 3,6 liter have been better. If you have 4matic it’s a automatic transmission from Jeep 5 speed, who are MB transmission, better to rebuild and use. It’s have the axel out from the front of left side. Then you can use the gearshift on the steering wheel, and have a over-gear, and lockup. It’s will give you a good car with 600-1500 hp

[@LopuDesigns]

My tank is the same 😭

[@MMWA-DAVE]

its all too common these days. The only source for a replacement tank is from a parts car. And you better hope its not even worse 😂

[@LopuDesigns]

@@MMWA-DAVE I don't think it could get any worse 😂 When I pour fuel down the filler I have to do it a litre at a time otherwise it bubbles back up.. 😳

[@MMWA-DAVE]

@@LopuDesigns wow, that tank is junk. Take it straight to the tip and find another 😂

[@michaelharrison500]

Mate Get another tank Not worth the pain Also your fuel lines maybe as bad too Been there done this on a Ute that ran E10 killed the tank

[@MMWA-DAVE]

Easier said than done in western Australia - w124's arent easy to come by in any variant here and there is literally 1 being parted out at the moment. The problem with any car thats been sitting around is that its tank will be just as crap as this one too. It would need to come from a recently crashed, loved and well maintained vehicle. What are the odds of that happening.

[@michaelharrison500]

I’m hearing ya I was lucky to get a near new one out of crashed Ute in Victoria and sent to Tassie Mine was cactus beyond repair

[@aaronsjesus]

@@MMWA-DAVE buy me a ticket from los angeles I will pack my tank tools and clean that.

[@MMWA-DAVE]

Ribs Mcjermy i ended up giving up on this tank, I was fortunate to be given an absolutely mint one from a donor car. It looks absolutely brand new inside with zero corrosion at all! Things have come a long long way since i made this old video

[@forgotten320]

@@aaronsjesus where you located? I'm about an hour from LA and need my cleaned from my 87 300sdl

[@mustaphamohamed333]

Combien de litre de don

[@rfbu]

this video should have been rated H for "horrible - not for the faint of heart".

[@user-er7bp3do1l]

Можо на казахском 😜