cleaning fuel tanks

Can anyone give me some tips on cleaning gas tanks?

Take it to a radiator shop and have it boiled out They will also be able to check for leaks and repair.

Place about a dozen 1/4" square nuts (from a 1/4-20 stovebolt) in the tank, add about one cupful of lacquer thinner and shake vigorously. You will need to repeat 2 or 3 times, or until the liquid is clear when you pour it out. Be sure to count the nuts so you are certain to remove them all when cleaning is finished. It will be easy to fish them out through the filler cap with a magnet. I've done this on numerous rusty tanks; it works. You can protect the cleaned tank with a liquid sealer available from Lee Pedersen.Check his ad in GEM.

The best way I found to clean fuel tanks is the same way the motorcycle guys clean their fuel tanks when restoring. They use muratic acid like the kind used in swimming pools. You can purchase this at any pool supply place or I think Walmart or Kmart also sells it in gallon jugs. This will clean your tank like a new one. You must be very carful! wear gloves eye protection and have extra bottles to poor the old acid back into. Also should use a large tub of some kind to place the tank in when doing this. You can use the acid full strength or deluted depending on how bad your tank is rusted. After you let the acid set for about 10 or 15 minutes poor the acid out into a container, look inside the tank with a light, If it is not all clean put the same acid back in the tank & keep repeating this if needed until the tank is clean. Then rinse the tank with mineral spirits & you done. Unless you plan on sealing the tank with a tank sealer then you will want to rinse the tank with what ever the manufacture of the tank sealer recommends, then seal the tank. Most of your Harley motorcycle shops sell a kit for cleaning & sealing tanks that cost between $30.00 to $40.00 dollars. I have found that the acid in these kits do not clean as good as the muratic acid for swimming pools does.. This method will clean your tank like it was new! No other method of cleaning a tank compares to this method that I know of.. So remember be safe & have fun!..