# Varnished Fuel Tank

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/varnished-fuel-tank/14623>\
**Category:** Power/Fuel\
**Tags:** gas-tanks, gasoline\
**Created:** [May 30, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/varnished-fuel-tank/14623 "2008-05-30T00:26:37Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![390bigblock-power](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/390bigblock-power/32/549_2.png) [@390bigblock-power](https://community.cartalk.com/u/390bigblock-power)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 12:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/varnished-fuel-tank/14623/1 "2008-05-30T00:26:37Z")

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What is the best way to clean a gas tank with varnished fuel in it? I have a 14 gallon tank that had about one gallon of gas in it from eight years ago. I drained it and put new gas in but it just turned that bad too. I am looking for a way that is cheap to clean (possibly if there is some kind of solvent that will clean it.)  
  
 Thanks for helping me on this!

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**Author:** ![Roadrunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@Roadrunner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Roadrunner)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 1:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/varnished-fuel-tank/14623/2 "2008-05-30T01:04:51Z")

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Should be steam cleaned and dried. Cheap? I haven’t a clue to cost.

Save money in labor, remove the tank and do the cleaning job yourself with a car pressure washer.  
Make certain the fuel/water goes into a sealed container and NOT into the ground.

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**Author:** ![390bigblock-power](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/390bigblock-power/32/549_2.png) [@390bigblock-power](https://community.cartalk.com/u/390bigblock-power)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 2:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/varnished-fuel-tank/14623/3 "2008-05-30T14:37:55Z")

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Alright, thanks for helping me on this!

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**Author:** ![Scudder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scudder](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scudder)\
**Post date:** [May 30, 2008, 2:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/varnished-fuel-tank/14623/4 "2008-05-30T14:51:52Z")

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Acetone.

Remove the tank and pour a pint into the tank, slosh it around and drain into an oil drainer - recan it in STEEL cans, repeat twice then flush with hot soapy water.

I use POR15 products on any gas tank before I refit : [http://www.por15.com/](http://www.por15.com/)

Well worth the few dollars to prevent further corrosion problems, a good coat of Hammerite or Rustoleum finishes the job. You can install the tank and forget about it after that.