Cleaning gas cans

R

Rich Ronning

Member
I've got a number of gas cans sitting around, both metal ones and plastic ones, that have crud in the bottom of them that doesn't rinse out w/ fresh gas swirled around in the can. Anybody have a recommended solvent to clean the inside of gas cans? I had thought about trying carb cleaner but thought I'd ask here first as carb cleaner could get a little spendy. Thanks for any thoughts.
 
First things first, on the metal cans, if there is ANY rust, I'd save the effort and throw them out...or use those to store used oil to take to the recycler.

As far as actually cleaning them, I have not done this, but you could try Kerosene. My cousin used it to clean out a fuel system on a gas engine...cleaned up the tank, fuel line, fuel pump, and carb...actually ran the kerosene through it. He said it ran really, REALLY fast. He only ran it a few seconds if I recall. I'd give that a try (in the gas cans, not your engine), put enough in one can to submerge the crud, let it sit for a day, do the same swish around, then transfer it to the next can and let that sit (assuming the first one cleaned up). You might have to get some kind of brush on a stick or something to work the surface...that is obviously resistant to solvents. Maybe steel wool over the end of a stick wired on? Also (hopefully obvious again) make sure to rince any steel wool remnants.

If that doesn't work, carb cleaner should. Old gas cans (assuming no pitting) are well worth saving...I heard the new "safer" cans don't hold the volume that the old ones do...some nonsense of keeping an air void at the top, which sounds like more of a hazard as gas vapor is FAR more dangerous than a full can of liquid.

Chuck
 
Along with Chuck's advice I'll add, acetone as a solvent and steam cleaning as methods for removing the residue.

Are you talking about gas tanks or just plain gas cans? If "tanks" then yes it may be cost effective to try to save them. If "cans" then I'd strongly consider replacing them with a current style "can". I'm old school and the newer cans with their new safer designs were a bit foreign to me and I wasn't sure I'd like them. I resisted buying any till I had too. Now I like them, mostly. I still don't like the fact that they don't vent, while just sitting around. Temp swings will bloat them up and cave them in, so I try to store them where the temperature changes will be the least.

That said, I like the new style cans and don't miss the spillage issues (when pouring out of) associated with an old style cans. Besides, the price of a new can may be offset by the savings from any engine fuel related repairs due to dirty fuel cans.

Oh, if you decide to clean, don't use steel wool. Dump in some large steel shot (not lead) that can be rolled around like the steel ball in a can of spray paint. The steel shot can be easily dumped out when done or retrieved with a magnet.
 
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Along with Chuck's advice I'll add, acetone as a solvent and steam cleaning as methods for removing the residue.

Are you talking about gas tanks or just plain gas cans? If "tanks" then yes it may be cost effective to try to save them. If "cans" then I'd strongly consider replacing them with a current style "can". I'm old school and the newer cans with their new safer designs were a bit foreign to me and I wasn't sure I'd like them. I resisted buying any till I had too. Now I like them, mostly. I still don't like the fact that they don't vent, while just sitting around. Temp swings will bloat them up and cave them in, so I try to store them where the temperature changes will be the least.

That said, I like the new style cans and don't miss the spillage issues (when pouring out of) associated with an old style cans. Besides, the price of a new can may be offset by the savings from any engine fuel related repairs due to dirty fuel cans.

Oh, if you decide to clean, don't use steel wool. Dump in some large steel shot (not lead) that can be rolled around like the steel ball in a can of spray paint. The steel shot can be easily dumped out when done or retrieved with a magnet.
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You are hot lately Dave, I was just about to say marbles or large shot!
 
Along with Chuck's advice I'll add, acetone as a solvent and steam cleaning as methods for removing the residue.

Are you talking about gas tanks or just plain gas cans? If "tanks" then yes it may be cost effective to try to save them. If "cans" then I'd strongly consider replacing them with a current style "can". I'm old school and the newer cans with their new safer designs were a bit foreign to me and I wasn't sure I'd like them. I resisted buying any till I had too. Now I like them, mostly. I still don't like the fact that they don't vent, while just sitting around. Temp swings will bloat them up and cave them in, so I try to store them where the temperature changes will be the least.

That said, I like the new style cans and don't miss the spillage issues (when pouring out of) associated with an old style cans. Besides, the price of a new can may be offset by the savings from any engine fuel related repairs due to dirty fuel cans.

Oh, if you decide to clean, don't use steel wool. Dump in some large steel shot (not lead) that can be rolled around like the steel ball in a can of spray paint. The steel shot can be easily dumped out when done or retrieved with a magnet.
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Steam cleaning will add water, and with metal cans, rust will begin immediately. You will need to dry sufficiently, and before you can get gas into said can the rust will be there.

I do however like your idea of putting steel shot in the can.

Chuck
 
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You are hot lately Dave, I was just about to say marbles or large shot!
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Tod,

I am limited to using steel shot,,,,,,,,,,, I've already lost all my marbles. :>) :>)
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Chuck
Couldn't steel wool in a metal can ignite any residual fumes?
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And here I was trying to think of a whitty joke about Dave unloading a load of steel shot into a can full of gas vapors...

Steel wool is highly combustible, but unless you worked it really hard to either build up static or actually make heat, I don't think that would happen...but like I said above, I haven't actually done this, was more thinking of a practical way to get the crud worked off the surface, and once I heard it, I think shot or marbles is a better idea. Of course I, like Dave, lost my marbles a long time ago...

Chuck
 
Chuck,


I've never worried about the vapors. Heck when I used to fix holes in gas tanks for small engines, I'd just run the torch over the opening a couple times. Only once did I ever have any actual flames shoot out of the opening. :>) :>)
 
Chuck,


I've never worried about the vapors. Heck when I used to fix holes in gas tanks for small engines, I'd just run the torch over the opening a couple times. Only once did I ever have any actual flames shoot out of the opening. :>) :>)
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Hehe...better you than me, especially with my luck of lately. We have an weldering contractor that was adding to the natural gas pipe at work...he used a torch to purge the line so he could work on it. He just stood there with a $4!+ eating grin on his face while the pipe was just houling...not my idea of fun.
 
I have seen guys use rocks get the jagged ones put a few handfuls in and shake the crap out of it.
 
I cleaned up an old merc tank last year. Search on motorcycle websites as they do it to save old vintage bike tanks. I first used keroscene and a pound of drywall screws and shook it around for a couple of days to loosen the rust . Poured it all out and used the electrolisis method where you use a battery charcher and a piece of rebar. Hook one end of the charger to the rebar and the other to the tank. The tank is filled with a solution and the rebar gos in the opening. The negative chare pulls all the rust and it sticks to the rebar. It works good.
 
When Ethanol was introduced to the gas supply a few yrs ago' " HELLO GAS", (sorry my Ed Norton impression) I spent 2 yrs changing filters on gas pumps/dispensers. All the crud that adheres to the walls of the tanks ended up in the filters. I would try some E-85 and see what that does for u.

Good luck. Fixing Hurricane damaged gas stations from Shelter Island, to Coney Island....1 pump at a time.
 
If the cans are not rusty and have some built-up crude that looks like varnish, you can use some lacquer thinner. It does a good job with varnish build-up.
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