# Proper way to flush fuel tank?



## EvanHammer (Aug 14, 2015)

I would just fill it up and run it but you could put a couple gallons of acetone in there and slosh it around a bunch before you pump it out


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## predacious (Sep 1, 2016)

sounds "fishy"...the 2 stroke oil in the fuel will NEVER cause any harm,cause that Honda to run rough,or absolutely anything...

do not add acetone to a fuel tank !

pumping the fuel out - take a sample of it - determine if it's got water in the fuel.

if the tank has water in it - find the source of that water !


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## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

Sea Foam add to the tank it will clean the issues


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## predacious (Sep 1, 2016)

No Bait / Lures Only said:


> Sea Foam add to the tank it will clean the issues


please explain this to me ?


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## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

predacious said:


> please explain this to me ?


I witnessed an amount of sludge in my portable semi transparent gas carrier, returned to the gas station where it was purchased and watched the owner pour 2 cans of sea foam into my tank of 15 gallons of gas, the sea foam dissolved the residue and it cleaned the tank.


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## predacious (Sep 1, 2016)

No Bait / Lures Only said:


> I witnessed an amount of sludge in my portable semi transparent gas carrier, returned to the gas station where it was purchased and watched the owner pour 2 cans of sea foam into my tank of 15 gallons of gas, the sea foam dissolved the residue and it cleaned the tank.


so a gentleman,poured 2 cans of seafoam,into a tank containing 15g of fuel and you watched it dissolve the residue ?


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## No Bait / Lures Only (Apr 10, 2011)

predacious said:


> so a gentleman,poured 2 cans of seafoam,into a tank containing 15g of fuel and you watched it dissolve the residue ?


I thought it would be B.S., but I was proven wrong it did indeed dissolve the residue in my tank as I watched. My Yamaha mechanic also uses seafoam in his daily projects.


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## Jim Lenfest (Jul 20, 2016)

Most I have ever seen in a bad fuel tank is a little grit, which the filter can handle that if you cannot get it out and some water. It is the water that causes the most problems. Unless you have a water separator, it will likely pass through the filter and hang out in the carb bowl. Caused by condensation and the alcohol in the fuel, I am told, just sucks it out of the air, over time. We try to pump out or dump out as much as we can. Then use a small hand pump to suck out small areas. After that, I like to make a swab out of pieces of an old T-shirt or old terry towel and a metal coat hangar wire and swab out every last drop of water. If I miss a little clean old gas as in a few ounces, I never worry because I figure that a tank full of new fuel will absorb that easily. As for an inboard tank that you can not see in it....one might grab a cheap camera from Harbor Freight and take a peek inside that way. Also handy to check for scored cylinders if you are looking at a second hand motor.


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## MAK (Dec 15, 2017)

Jim Lenfest said:


> Most I have ever seen in a bad fuel tank is a little grit, which the filter can handle that if you cannot get it out and some water. It is the water that causes the most problems. Unless you have a water separator, it will likely pass through the filter and hang out in the carb bowl. Caused by condensation and the alcohol in the fuel, I am told, just sucks it out of the air, over time. We try to pump out or dump out as much as we can. Then use a small hand pump to suck out small areas. After that, I like to make a swab out of pieces of an old T-shirt or old terry towel and a metal coat hangar wire and swab out every last drop of water. If I miss a little clean old gas as in a few ounces, I never worry because I figure that a tank full of new fuel will absorb that easily. As for an inboard tank that you can not see in it....one might grab a cheap camera from Harbor Freight and take a peek inside that way. Also handy to check for scored cylinders if you are looking at a second hand motor.


I got the tank siphoned and replaced with fresh fuel. I used my inspection camera to check for sludge, etc prior and it looked good. I’ve got a fuel water separator in place. Motor was running ok in the driveway and then a few miles from ramp to my dock. Thought I was in good shape. Next trip was running rougher and I noticed top carb was leaking fuel and didn’t appear to be passing any fuel. On trip back to boat ramp to get to mechanic the head gasket blew...


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## Jim Lenfest (Jul 20, 2016)

MAK said:


> I got the tank siphoned and replaced with fresh fuel. I used my inspection camera to check for sludge, etc prior and it looked good. I’ve got a fuel water separator in place. Motor was running ok in the driveway and then a few miles from ramp to my dock. Thought I was in good shape. Next trip was running rougher and I noticed top carb was leaking fuel and didn’t appear to be passing any fuel. On trip back to boat ramp to get to mechanic the head gasket blew...


Wow, "one of those days". Hope nothing major in that head gasket replacement. The carb should not be too big of an issue to get fixed.


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