BX fuel tank cleaning surprise

At 200 hours I decided to remove the fenders and maybe the fuel tank. Reason is that this BX has had many stoppages and partly plugged fuel filters and the most recent stoppage was at 20 hours on new filters, with a half filled tank. Fill the tank and it kept going, as had been the practice before. Color of filter guts (paper folded) is always rusty colored ,but no flakes. Fuel comes from a place selling a lot of fuel and I have had not had any problem with that fuel for two blue tractors. All filling is via a funnel fitted with so fine a screen that that screen stops water(a test for screen continuity requires just trying to pass water)

In addition to frequent fuel fiulter replacements, I replaced the tank cap and the fuel pump, to no avail.

I drained the fuel (was a full tank) and early on it stopped and drained sporadically, as if stuff apparently was plugging the drain hole. Final draining went good.

So today I figured other posts here finding rusty fuel sender unit was my problem with this 5 year old tractor. So I ordered one from Messicks to get one on the way before I tore things apart.

So upon removing the fender and exposing the top of fuel tank, I removed the fuel sending unit. BINGO To my surprise it appeared brand new, not a spec of rust and its interior also seemed good, as best as I can tell, so I cancelled the Messnick order, in time. Interior of tank as visible, looks great.

I am at a quandary. Should I remove the tank (big job at that) and see about cleaning it somehow, perhaps turning it upside down to shake out any blockage stuff.? Before trying that will see about snaking a clean rag around on a stout wire tie. Also will blow compressed air via a length of plastic hose 1/2" dia. around inside to shake loose any stuff. Also will try to suck out any loose stuff with same hose on my shop vac,.

Since I had removed a fuel pump that seemed to run OK, maybe I'll install that instead of the second fuel filter to give some boost to the current pump. Reason is that once the level of fuel in tank gets down to the elevation of the injectors, and the engine quits. Adding of fuel then has things up and running. never had it stop with more than 2/3 full tank. On a set of fresh filters the engine runs well down to tank level below 1/4. But not long after the 1/2 full level is the limit.

I am of the opinion two fuel filters are not needed, since second one in line usually shows little stiff and my tests for passing ability shows only slight reduction compared to new filters. Thus the reason for the second pump.

So what advice can you guys send my way now, before I close things up?

Triple R: Hey, I was hoping maybe I'd not have to do that. I have photos of the supports, etc. but any other hints would be appreciated. Keep em coming guys. "At 87 years age, I found some muscles that didn't like my yard working a few days back so it will be a few more days before I crawl around under and over the BX. Snow is coming this weekend, but my snow blower still works.

Triple R: Thanks much. Was that a fitting manufacturing defect? or stuff caught there? I have been wondering about crud in the tank due to mishandling in the factory. I recall a case where workers at an auto factory were too lazy to return pop bottles after lunch, but left them in the car doors at the assembly line. Could be the case where gum wrappers and such were easily dropped in the open tanks as they went down the line. Maybe mad at the boss that day.