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Triumph TR6 - Slushing the Gas Tank

After 2 plugged fuel filters in 6 months I'm thinking it's time to clean & slush the ol' gas tank. Any pointers or pitfalls out there from those that have done this?

Brent
Brent B

Before you go and buy all the stuff, check with your local radiator shop. Mine would clean, slush and paint the tank for about what buying the stuff what have cost me to do it myself. Talk about a no-brainer decision.....

"Now let's see, I can spend just as much money and have to fiddle with all of that stuff myself or I can can get them to do it and other than taking it to them and writing a check, I have to do nothing. Nothing, yea, I'm capable of doing that."

It took me much longer to type the thought above than it did to make the decision.
SteveP

Good idea. I'm usually capable of nothing myself. I bought the POR-15 kit, however, so I'll be spending a week or so on the job. Just put in a BIG fuel filter, too, to take me 'till the tank's empty.
Brent B

While we're on the subject, when I pulled my tank the brass line off the bottom of the tank that goes to the rubber fuel hose cracked. I knew I would need to replace this but the problem is the brass nut that connects the tube to the threads on the tank is totally seized (and now rounded off). I am sure the brass sacrificed itself to the steel threads (cathode/anode).
Question: what is the best way to get this nut off? I can grind it but I still hear a little bit of liquid in the tank even though it has been sitting open for the last 4 weeks, and I am concerned I may singe my eyebrows or blow the tank across the street.
Last question, is there a test you can do to the fuel level mechanism to make sure it is working while the tank is out? I don't want to re-install this and find out it needs to be replaced.
Thanks,
TC
Tom C

Brent - you are too modest....!

I figure there is far more work in taking the tank out and putting it back. Cleaning and sloshing it is the easy bit. I also know that if I do the job, it is (usually) done once and done right.

The best lining is "Fuel Tank Sloshing Compound" made for, and used in light aircraft fuel tanks. It is a one-part, viscous liquid of thin honey consistency which is poured in, sloshed around and left to dry to a slightly flexible coating. It will skin over small areas of corrosion and fill small pinholes and seams, all of which are hard to find and impossible to get to.

For suppliers, a local flying club should point you in the right direction if they don't have it themselves.

Dowels or something similar must be put into the smaller outlets to prevent them getting blocked.

R
Roger H

Brent,
I just finished doing my gas tank. It was a chore that I had put off too long and finally had no better excuses than to just do it. I had purchased the kit months ago. I noticed that in using the etching wash (Rust Remover), it was difficult to get a completely clean surface so I redid it a couple of times and rinsed thoroughly; then the muriatic acid wash also required longer than anticpated. The sealer was messy so make sure you have a large area and plenty of newspaper or better yet, the roll paper painters use. I experienced some difficulty in "returning" used solutions to thier original container and be careful when adding baking soda to the muriatic acid. It's not a good idea to shake that up to speed up the reduction!!

I also painted the outside of the tank (after bead blasting to clean metal) with a zinc based coat, then a coat of POR-15. It's now sitting in the attic awaiting it's turn for reinstallation...sometime!!!

Be sure to leave the appropriate openings open so that the sealer does not seal off your lines. A dowel, the right size will work well.

I'll email you my home-devised directions and sequence of steps.
db

Doug Baker

Tom - You can measure the ohms to test the gas guage sender. Ust the two terminals at the top and it should show about 70 ohms when full (float arm level) and about 280 with the arm down (empty). You may have to carefully bend back the three metal "ears" that hold the variable resistor guts together and clean it up if its 'gunked' from sitting. Be careful, because there's a spring in there and it has to all go back together the right way.
There are external tabs that act as stop limits that you theoretically use to set the full and empty readings. I found that it won't change the ohms much, but will readily allow the float to bump the top of the tank when full, and the sides when near empty. Hopefully yours will be OK...

Jeff
CF13816U
JB Fetner

I priced out a repair for the tank in the TR3A that I'm restoring now. They wanted several hundred dollars, about the same price as a new one. So I bought the POR-15 tank slushing kit. It went fine. I did it about 3 months ago and just today, I put about a gallon of gas in the tank to check for leaks. It's fine and only cost about $70.00.
Don Elliott

I used the POR-15 gas tank kit on my TR3 tank about a year ago. The only major problem I had was with the vent tube. I put a steel cable in it to prevent it plugging up. It has to go around two 90 degree bends and was very difficult to get in. Afterwards it was easy to remove however. Maybe the TR6 tank does not have such a vent inside the tank. Good luck.
hjr
hjr

Ok - Yesterday pulled the tank, cleaned it, etched it, and set it up to dry with a computer heat sink fan blowing in the nozzle, out the level sender hole. Got relaxed, took my shoes off, and had a beer. In 2 hours the tank was completely dry so I slipped on some sandals and poured in the POR-15 sealant. Slushed it around then drained per instructions. Getting that last bit out is a real PITA. Set it back up with the fan to aid curing and took a shower. The whole thing went well, but I found that a drop of the sealant apparently landed on my foot during the process - 2 toes are stuck together. I guess rubber socks are in order, too.
BB
Brent B

Make sure that the threaded holes for the fittings don't have any residue blocking them or you won't get any gas to flow. I read on one BBS that the owner found that he had left a "flap" of this over the hole for the gas line and he went crazy trying to find out why he would "sort of like run out of gas". It was because the flap had closed down over the hole.
Don Elliott

This thread was discussed between 02/04/2006 and 15/04/2006

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