gas tank inside line

[jrocco49]

The inside fuel line in the gas tank appears to be plugged.  The truck sat for a long time and although I thought there was no fuel in the tank there must have been some left in there.  

I have cleaned the outside fuel lines and they are open.  Next I dropped the tank and can see the inner fuel line, but I cannot blow air through it.  It runs to the bottom of the tank and acts like a pickup tube.  I have tried to push a small wire through it but it has two sharp bends that prevent the wire from going through.

It's kind of frustrating right now, the tack look's really clean inside, just the lines are plugged.  Wondering what liquid solution I could place in the fuel opening on the tank to see if that could get the line open.  What came out of the fuel line along the frame rail was black and smelled like old gas, but really sticky and hard to clean off.

[DJ194950]

Got some gas welding wire?

 

I took a piece of gas welding   (1/6" or 1/8" ) wire approx. long enough to reach into the tank and put a small angled bend in the very end of it. Then I hooked up a variable speed drill and slowly pushed it in the tube as the drill was turned on slow. Up and down and repeat many times. May want to add small amounts of some solvent to tube and gradually speed the drill speed up until it was cleared.

 

Worked for me.

 

DJ

[Tooljunkie]

Had a tank that gas had solidified in. Acetone softened it. 
1/8” wire rope, in a drill. But only spin it in the direction that keeps it twisted. And only a few inches longer than tube. 

[kencombs]

1 hour ago, Tooljunkie said:

Had a tank that gas had solidified in. Acetone softened it. 
1/8” wire rope, in a drill. But only spin it in the direction that keeps it twisted. And only a few inches longer than tube. 

The red part is very important.  DAMHIKT!

 

An old speedometer cable core works well too.

[Jerry Roberts]

A choke or throttle cable works well too , in a drill . 

[JBNeal]

If your tank is out, stand it up so that the majority of the pickup tube is vertical, then fill that tube with diesel, acetone, lacquer thinner, carburetor cleaner, brake cleaner, any strong solvent should work...for best results, plug the bung so the solvent cannot flash off right away...might need more than one application...stiff wire to snake it out afterwards, chase that with some compressed air, rinse out with diesel, might not hurt to plug bung then fill tank with diesel to submerge that pickup line for a few days...if ya could introduce some vibration into that pickup line, that might help shake the crud loose

[jrocco49]

Never though about acetone!  My brother has some welding wire so I will try that later this week.  Speedometer cable is also a good idea.  Carb cleaner didn't do the trick but maybe acetone will.

Thanks all.

Jim