Can anyone suggest a method for cleaning a below deck aluminum fuel tank? The only access is through the sending unit hole and the uptake tube fitting. If all the gas is siphoned out of the tank and the tank vented until all liquid has evaporated, can a vaccum be used? Access mentioned above hard to get to, in small console and then through 6" deck plate.
I would think a vacuum or anything electrical would be risk. How would you really know if it was all evaporated. what is in the tank that would need vacuumed? maybe dump some rubbing alcohol down in the tank and pump it back out.
I have a lot of trash and water in my tank. I saw on thehulltruth where someone used marsh marine in goose creek. They are coming to my house, draining and filtering the gas, cleaning the tank, and putting the gas after its been cleaned back. He told me it is going to cost $140-$150. My 30gal tank is full so even if I drained it my self it would cost me $90 to fill it back up. He is coming Friday. I’ll let you know how it works
Thanks, Please let me know what he does other than removing, filtering and returning the gas. Most interested in the actual tank cleaning. Keep me posted.
Marsh Marine worked out well. They drained, filtered, washed, my fuel before they put it back in the tank. They also added a chemical and sucked out all the trash in the tank. Came to my house on JI and did all of this for only $115.00
How did he suck out the trash…vaccum or the same pump he removed the gasoline with? What was the chemical he used?
Got the same problem with trash in my tank on the old Whaler - clogged the quick connect fitting coming out of the fuel tank twice last weekend on the way back from Rockville and shut the engine down because of a lack of fuel getting to the motor. Looks like shellac or something, probably from old fuel that hardened on the tank walls and came loose when we hit some big wakes and went up the pick up tube. I disassembled everything in the middle of the ICW and cleaned it out with a piece of wire and got going until we hit more wakes from the “rocket boats” on the way back and clogged it up again. Wonder if there is anything that would disolve the stuff that I could add to the gas? My tank is under the seat and would be tough to get to as well without disassembling the console.
Mike Austin
“HATTERASER”
mike
hate to tell you this, but you need a new tank
the old whaler tanks were made by “pace”, and they are fiberglass
ethanol dissolves them from the inside
if you dont replace it, you are going to have constant carb issues, and it wont be long, and it will have a hole in it
That sucks! It is a fiberglass tank that I put in about 25 or 30 years ago that came from Miami Tank down in Miami. (I had it custom made to fit under the old bench seat that’s in the boat) That tank cost over $800.00 even back then so I can’t imagne what a new aluminum tank would cost. 
I’ll give you a call to see what’s available to replace it. Thanks Chris-
Mike Austin
HATTERASER