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Technical (Descriptive Topic Titles - Stay on Topic) => Frame => Topic started by: Atoll on 01.10. 2018 22:35

Title: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: Atoll on 01.10. 2018 22:35
To cut a long story short I need to swill out my petrol tank as flecks of paint have found their way int it. I have been told to use paraffin to do this, is that correct? I intend the remove the tank and I will also fit new petrol taps I have ordered with lever turns in place of the pattern push-pull type currently fitted.  Thanks.   
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: Peter Gee on 02.10. 2018 08:22
Not sure about that! Paraffin and petrol combined can be a pretty bad mixture. You could use it as it's cheaper but then need to  follow with a few swills of pure petrol and let the tank dry. That removes the paraffin residue.
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: duTch on 02.10. 2018 08:40

 In my world the  price of kero (paraffin) blew out years ago,  so petrol is now much cheaper, so (I) just filter and re-use it ..
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: lawnmowerman on 02.10. 2018 09:51
I bought a gallon of paraffin about a year ago and it was more expensive than supermarket gas.

Jim
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: Triton Thrasher on 02.10. 2018 10:11
“Paraffin” in British manuals is kerosene.

Central heating kerosene is much cheaper than petrol (in UK) and much less likely to torch you.
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: bsa-bill on 02.10. 2018 13:32
I recently found how good filters for coffee machines are at - well filtering, cheap, disposable, will filter fuel and oil.

Oil takes a little while but generally you have this if for instance taking off the sump and draining the oil that comes out, if it's a lot then use it again if just a bit filter and see what was suspended in it
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: Atoll on 02.10. 2018 13:56
I recently found how good filters for coffee machines are at - well filtering, cheap, disposable, will filter fuel and oil.

Oil takes a little while but generally you have this if for instance taking off the sump and draining the oil that comes out, if it's a lot then use it again if just a bit filter and see what was suspended in it

good idea. thanks.
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: lawnmowerman on 02.10. 2018 13:58
“Paraffin” in British manuals is kerosene.

Central heating kerosene is much cheaper than petrol (in UK) and much less likely to torch you.
I have it on good authority that the two are quite different. I would not recommend using heating oil for anything other than heating oil. I used some a few years back for cleaning engine parts and ended up at the doctor with severe dermatitis on my hands which took loads of ointments and about three months to clear  *sad*
I have never had any similar trouble using paraffin or avgas if you can get it for parts cleaning. Supermarket fuel is ok for cleaning but no good if you need to get all the oils off for painting.
Strangely, thinners is now available at about £5 a gallon - a huge amount less than it used to cost.

Jim
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: Greybeard on 02.10. 2018 16:51
Strangely, thinners is now available at about £5 a gallon - a huge amount less than it used to cost.
Is that White Spirit?
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: Triton Thrasher on 02.10. 2018 17:01
“Paraffin” in British manuals is kerosene.

Central heating kerosene is much cheaper than petrol (in UK) and much less likely to torch you.
I have it on good authority that the two are quite different. I would not recommend using heating oil for anything other than heating oil. I used some a few years back for cleaning engine parts and ended up at the doctor with severe dermatitis on my hands which took loads of ointments and about three months to clear  *sad*
I have never had any similar trouble using paraffin or avgas if you can get it for parts cleaning. Supermarket fuel is ok for cleaning but no good if you need to get all the oils off for painting.
Strangely, thinners is now available at about £5 a gallon - a huge amount less than it used to cost.

Jim

Don’t be surprised if petrol or any variety of mineral oil gives you dermatitis,  but the heating oil sold in the UK as “gas oil” is diesel and is possibly worse for your skin than the more common no. 2 kerosene.
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: lawnmowerman on 02.10. 2018 17:28
Strangely, thinners is now available at about £5 a gallon - a huge amount less than it used to cost.
Is that White Spirit?
Hi GB.
No it is cellulose thinners or a close approximation.

Jim
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: Greybeard on 02.10. 2018 20:42
Strangely, thinners is now available at about £5 a gallon - a huge amount less than it used to cost.
Is that White Spirit?
Hi GB.
No it is cellulose thinners or a close approximation.

Jim
Cellulose thinners for five quid a gallon!? Please tell me where. I've been buying small tins at Halfords. They are expensive!
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: muskrat on 02.10. 2018 21:20
G'day Atoll.
All purpose thinners (take extreme care of external paint) then flush with metho then petrol. I put strong plastic (beer six pak plastic) over filler hole then the fuel cap. Do all filling and empty through tap holes.
Cheers
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: bsa-bill on 02.10. 2018 21:24
Thinners - think most shops use water based paint these days
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: Atoll on 02.10. 2018 21:25
G'day Atoll.
All purpose thinners (take extreme care of external paint) then flush with metho then petrol. I put strong plastic (beer six pak plastic) over filler hole then the fuel cap. Do all filling and empty through tap holes.
Cheers
y
Sounds a plan. Thanks.
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: lawnmowerman on 02.10. 2018 21:59
Strangely, thinners is now available at about £5 a gallon - a huge amount less than it used to cost.
Is that White Spirit?
Hi GB.
No it is cellulose thinners or a close approximation.

Jim
Cellulose thinners for five quid a gallon!? Please tell me where. I've been buying small tins at Halfords. They are expensive!
Hi GB
I bought mine from Kempton Park about a year ago. I have a small Halfords can which ran out and I now top it up from my gallon can.
I have not checked ebay - perhaps there are some deals there but may not be possible to send it through the post.

Jim

PS How about this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TETROSYL-5L-STANDARD-CELLULOSE-PAINT-THINNERS-CLEANER-5-litres-5liters-5lt/142947486594?epid=10009833190&hash=item2148558b82:g:MZUAAOSwFCpbpTEW
Title: Re: Swilling out petrol tank.
Post by: Slymo on 03.10. 2018 03:08
If you are pulling all the taps I'd use the garden hose to flush it then rewash with meths then allow to dry somewhere warm. If you use kerro/parafin snd tip it all out before refilling with petrol the dilution will be such as to make no difference to the bike at all. I had a mate who ran his Standard Vanguard on kerro for a bit before changing the the cheaper mineral turps. Smelt lovely running. He just had to get the motor hot on petrol before flicking to the alternative fuel.