BX fuel tank cleaning surprise

Daren Todd · Nov 20, 2015

I found grass, leaves, and bugs in my fuel tank when I got it. Doesn't start too well with a grass hopper blocking the fuel line

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cerlawson · Nov 20, 2015

Great comments, especially 85 Hokie: My college chemistry didn't mention this stuff. Even organic chem, not mentioned. I've been using the diesel treatment to kill "bugs" and algae. Maybe not effective.

This tractor had been on sales lots for unknown period, before me, New.

Anyhow here is my plan so far. Draining the full tank via the first filter may have caught some crud. I will first cut it open and examine. It might be sufficient for me to stop there.

After getting tank out, assuming filter shows nothing special, I plan to dump in about a quart of diesel along with about 8 (count 'em) small nuts. Then will switch that around by fhysically shaking the tank. Carefully dump via one route to clean large pan, examine it. Try again, and again.

If any stuff sits above the valve (I installed that wayback) blow compressed air in to dislodge any. Repeat agitation with 8 nuts,until no debris appears for a few trys.

Finally will wrap a clean heavy nut with clean intact cloth securely and get to roll around in there. Examine it for stuff.

Hope that does it.

cerlawson · Nov 20, 2015

Opened up the first filter. Photo shows the folded paper stretched out with one fleck of something. I had assumed the orange color was rust. Maybe just the new color. No crud in the input side shell.

cerlawson · Nov 21, 2015

Keep it up guys. I will follow the lead also. Thanks. Still nursing sore muscles, so it will be a while before tank is yanked and will see what happens then.
Am contemlating the best way to scrub inside of fuel tank.

Hillbilly Engineer · Nov 22, 2015

cerlawson said:
Keep it up guys. I will follow the lead also. Thanks. Still nursing sore muscles, so it will be a while before tank is yanked and will see what happens then.
Am contemlating the best way to scrub inside of fuel tank.

I've used a piece of chain to clean inside a fuel tank. Works well and easy to fish it out. It really broke up the gunk inside the tank on an old tractor that had been sitting for years.

Tooljunkie · Nov 23, 2015

I have used a chain also, but it was about a 3 gallon tank. Strapped it to tractor wheel and jacked up tractor. Put in low gear and idled it for a few minutes. That cleaned up a rusty tank.

jmsteel · Nov 25, 2015

As was suggested earlier, some kind of scope or camera would be great if you could get your hands on one. It's amazing and sometimes bizarre what can be found in a fuel tank. Might be able to locate and remove a foreign object without pulling the tank.

Also suggested earlier was the lift pump. Often fuel passes through the lift pump before the fuel filters and could be plugged.

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schweitz_man · Jan 20, 2023

TripleR said:
Hopefully it won't come to that. We tried new fuel, fuel additives, two filter changes, blowing back through the line lines and everything else we could think of as removing the tank and outlet is a bear. This turned out to be the culprit:

This elbow (out of the bottom of the fuel tank) was my issue as well. I went thru the process of removing the fuel tank and then removing the elbow fitting from the tank in order to clean it. Wish this was a sweep as 90 degree fittings like this are places where clogs can develop. I wound up hand turning an appropriate sized drill bit to clean out the gunk from the fitting.

07wingnut · Jan 20, 2023

No matter how careful you are, sooner or later some piece of crap is going to get into your tank. Use a filter at the fill port of the tank, either from the dealer, or Mcgyver something like this yourself.

skeets · Jan 20, 2023

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.

Yeah welllll really you do. The first one takes the hit of everything and of course clogs first, the second filters fuel going into the injectors, also the first one protects the lift pump as well. Its your machine ys wana only run one OK,, I know the bigger machines only run one filter, but you do what you feel is best for you.

whitetiger · Jan 21, 2023

skeets said:
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.

Yeah welllll really you do. The first one takes the hit of everything and of course clogs first, the second filters fuel going into the injectors, also the first one protects the lift pump as well. Its your machine ys wana only run one OK,, I know the bigger machines only run one filter, but you do what you feel is best for you.

The main purpose of the second fuel filter to protect the injection pump from shrapnel in the unlikely mechanical failure of the electric lift pump.

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BX fuel tank cleaning surprise

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