Hey gents,

I went to replace my front fuel pump yesterday and evidently it's been unused for many, many years. The fuel smells like varnish and water, so obviously I need to drain it. But also the pump assembly was missing the float and the filter sock, so they are in there somewhere as well.

Once I drain the tank, how do I go about flushing it/cleaning it? It's a 16gallon or so tank, so I can't use vinegar (at least cost-effectively) like I do on motorcycle tanks.

That or am I just money ahead buying a new tank? I had going from OEM parts to aftermarket when I don't have to.

Oh! And lastly, does anyone know the part number for the vent grommet for the tank? Mine appears to be nothing but crumbling foam.

Thanks very much!

S/F,

-Matt

 

Vinegar is pretty cheap, & you don't have to use it full-strength, just saying. Some people put chains or rocks in the tank and shake it, loosening up rust & garbage. If it doesn't leak or have any thin spots, the tank could still last quite a while. You can get a new Spectra tank for $60-$100 shipped or from the parts stores, I think I don't know about the grommet, but you might be able to look the part up on LMCTruck & then search for other sources for it as well. If you use the old tank, I'd not only clean the inside, but I'd clean up the outside & inspect it closely. If there are any rusty spots on the outside, it could start leaking sooner than you think. I hit my front tank with some rust converter and enamel to help slow down the rust, since it was still solid. My rear tank was leaking at the strap area, had to be replaced.
Also, there are products you can use to coat the inside of the tank to make it last longer, maybe Eastwood or another company makes a good one.

 

The front tanks last quite a bit longer than the rear, considering the rear gets more road grime abuse and suffers from more frame flex (straps constantly rubbing). If your front tank is spotless, it's worth cleaning. I've dropped tanks on these to replace pumps where a few weeks later they leaked...so I don't normally go through the trouble dropping them to replace pumps without replacing a 20-30 year old tank in the process.

 

Thanks fellas. This truck is a Texas truck so there is basically no rust anywhere on it. Aside from the gross stuff inside the whole thing is solid, no exterior rust. I'm going siphon out the junk fuel and see what I'm working with when the new pump assembly comes in. Really hoping that there isn't a bunch of sediment in there, but we'll see!