Cleaning a Briggs fuel tank

sflem849 · May 31, 2012

I have a Briggs 5 hp circa 1990 give or take with the foam in the fuel tank. It hasn't run much in the last 15 years and the foam is not coming apart. I pulled all the foam out and flushed the tank with fuel and carb cleaner a few times. How else can you get that stuff out!?! The tank does have very light rust in a few spots as well.

guido · May 31, 2012

Hello sflem849,
A few shiny pebbles will work real good.
Put the tank on something that is moving, like a lawnmower, and the shaking will do the rest!
Guido.

timcasbolt · May 31, 2012

Shaking the heck out of it with some fine pea gravel and a little acetone will get it clean, but you may want to start looking for a new tank. Rust returns.

sflem849 · May 31, 2012

Those ideas would work out, but there are like 6 compartments from 4 baffles in the tank. I would guess it will be tough to get all the crap out.

I think I will take it off and pressure wash it. I will try muratic acid and seal it up with diesel. Might as well try some stuff before I buy a new tank.

Farmall200 · Jun 1, 2012

What I usually do to remove rust in a tank is put a
penetrating oil or better yet Rust-Mort (See link)
in the tank along with some copper BBs because
copper doesn't spark. Then I tape all the holes
shut on the tank and put it in a paint shaker for
about a half hour. The inside of the tank will look
like new when you take it out.
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Cleaning a Briggs fuel tank

sflem849

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guido

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timcasbolt

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sflem849

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Farmall200

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