Swilling out petrol tank.

[Atoll]

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.   

[Peter Gee]

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.

[duTch]

 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 ..

[lawnmowerman]

I bought a gallon of paraffin about a year ago and it was more expensive than supermarket gas.

Jim

[Triton Thrasher]

“Paraffin” in British manuals is kerosene.

Central heating kerosene is much cheaper than petrol (in UK) and much less likely to torch you.

[bsa-bill]

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

[Atoll]

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.

[lawnmowerman]

“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 
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

[Greybeard]

Strangely, thinners is now available at about £5 a gallon - a huge amount less than it used to cost.

Is that White Spirit?

[Triton Thrasher]

“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 
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.

[lawnmowerman]

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

[Greybeard]

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!

[muskrat]

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

[bsa-bill]

Thinners - think most shops use water based paint these days

[Atoll]

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.