Varhunter

How do you guys clean your fuel tanks? Just dump anything out and spray some carb or brake cleaner in there?

phmaximus

WD40 works a treat....

Dont know about using carby cleaner with plastic, Ive never had much luck with that

Clmbngfrk18

I used wd 40 on a buddies tank it had sat for a fews years sprayed it in let it sit over night and dumped it out the next day risned it with water and let it fully dry before doing anything with it

Varhunter

Great, thanks guys.

1QwkSport2.5r

The best thing to use for cleaning out a fuel tank (of old oil residue, dirt, etc..) is fresh fuel itself, or you could use denatured alcohol. Denatured alcohol takes a little more "swishing around" to get all of the gunk dissolved into the alcohol, but it works. I mix my own fuel and have buckets of pure methanol so I just use that, although methanol is hard to find in some parts of the country, and probably overkill.

Using petroleum based solvents and oils like WD40 and chemicals like brake cleaner or carb cleaner are not wise to use as the o-rings in the lid will swell up from petroleum chemicals and the plastic can be weakened by the brake cleaner and carb cleaning solvents. I know from previous inexperience - I ended up with a tank that started to leak where the solvent ate a hole in the bottom of the tank. Of course not all fuel tanks are made of the same kind of plastic, so it may not affect your tank specifically. I just wouldn't do it to be safe.

Varhunter

Thanks, I already tried the WD-40 method but I took the take all apart to do it and I didn't use much.  Do you guys use fuel filters on your cars?

Anthoop

Many fuel tanks have a filter where the fuel pick up is.

1QwkSport2.5r

I use filters on all of my cars. The fuel tanks in my cars don't have built in filters like some tanks do.

Varhunter

Thanks, do those filters need to be replaced? or can you add a inline filter to it?

1QwkSport2.5r

I personally have never had an RC car with an in-tank filter, but I would imagine they would be a simple mesh screen. Back flushing the tank would clear it out I'm sure. The inline filters I use can be opened up and cleaned out. I usually use DuBro filters. My LHS has them in the airplane section.

Anthoop

The tank filters are not replaceable...simply flushing it should be sufficient. You can add a inline filter also if you see fit. Most of the inline car filters I have would be pretty pointless using along with a tank filter...one or the other is adequate.

Varhunter

Awesome, thanks guys.

SLAYERDUDE

The filter in the tank is similar to a bubble stone in a fish tank, you need fresh fuel as 1QwkSport2.5r suggested, then flush and backflush the stone filter in the tank, dump fuel, repeat.
Use a long fuel line and your mouth for lol suck and blow action for flushing/loosening up debris in the filter.
Always worked great for me.