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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / Maintenance and Repair / September 2007

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How can you get dirt out of a push lawn mower's gas tank?

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mcm4bw - 15 Sep 2007 03:05 GMT
Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower so I tried taking
out the dirty gas with a syringe.  I got a good amount of the gas out but
then the rubber plunger in the syringe kept coming off.  I guess the gas was
attacking the rubber.  There still was a small amount of gas in the tank and
still a lot of the dirt.  I tried soaking up the remaining gas with a paper
towel and tried to pick up some of the dirt also.  I was wearing disposable
gloves and the gas started weakening them and they started to split open.
Did I make it worse now by wearing the disposable gloves?  Some of the dirt
still remains in the gas tank.  How can I get rid of the dirt which is
settled on the bottom?  I called a lawn mower repair shop and the man said
that the only was is to bring in the mower because they have a vacuum that
will suck up the dirt.  I don't know if this is true or is he just trying to
make a buck.  Does anyone know what I could do?  The problem is that even
though I got most of the gas out the dirt still remains.  Any help you can
give would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks.
Noozer - 15 Sep 2007 03:21 GMT
> Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower so I tried
> taking
> out the dirty gas with a syringe.

Without knowing what kind of mower this is we can only guess.

Me? I'd just remove hose going to the carb, undo the two screws holding the
tank to the mower, and take the tank right off. That way I could just dump
the gas into a container and flush any dirt in the tank out with fresh gas.
news - 15 Sep 2007 03:55 GMT
>> Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower so I tried
>> taking
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> tank to the mower, and take the tank right off. That way I could just dump
> the gas into a container and flush any dirt in the tank out with fresh gas.

likewise - I washed all my gas cans out this year with soap and water
and let them dry thoroughly.  I see no reason why you can't just take
the tank off, swish some fresh gas in there and dump it into a suitable
container.

Ray
PauL - 15 Sep 2007 06:33 GMT
> Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower so I tried taking
> out the dirty gas with a syringe.  I got a good amount of the gas out but
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> though I got most of the gas out the dirt still remains.  Any help you can
> give would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks.

Why can't you take the tank off?
hls - 15 Sep 2007 13:29 GMT
> Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower ... Any help
> you can
> give would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks.

This happens from time to time, sometimes even when you think you are being
really careful to keep the gasoline clean.

Like some others on here, I take the tank off, and wash it really well with
soap
and water.  You can blow it dry with compressed air, let it air dry, or
disperse
the water out of the tank with WD-40.

If there is a fuel filter (and there often isnt on simple push mowers)
replace it
at this time.

You will often find that, when you are having problem with an engine of this
type related to fuel delivery, just cleaning the carburetor and replacing
the
diaphragm is not enough.  Fuel tank cleanup may also be needed before you
can make it run right again.
Comboverfish - 15 Sep 2007 20:56 GMT
> Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower so I tried taking
> out the dirty gas with a syringe.  I got a good amount of the gas out but
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> though I got most of the gas out the dirt still remains.  Any help you can
> give would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks.

Most small engines of that ilk have an easy to remove float bowl.
There will likely be one banjo style (hollow to be more precise) bolt
holding the bowl to the carburetor.  You may be able to take it off on
the engine, otherwise you'll need to remove the carb first.  Carb
removal is also fairly easy; just take a digital pic of it while
mounted on the engine so you can verify correct linkage orientation
etc. during reassembly.

When removing the bowl be aware that there is a plastic float assembly
inside just smaller than the bowl, so pull it off slowly and in a
straight line away from the carb so as not to contact the float.  I
would suggest you don't mess with the float at all.  Clean the bowl
out with carb clean and spray through the hole in the bolt also,
wearing safety glasses of course.

Remove the fuel tank and clean it out "upside down" in the same
manner.  All $$ included you could get a suitable Craftsman 1/4"
socket kit to do this for ~ $25ish.  $$ well spent if you consider the
future need to do small maintenance jobs around the house and save $$
to boot.

Toyota MDT in MO
Comboverfish - 15 Sep 2007 21:00 GMT
> Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower so I tried taking
> out the dirty gas with a syringe.  I got a good amount of the gas out but
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> though I got most of the gas out the dirt still remains.  Any help you can
> give would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks.

Also:  There may be baffles moulded into the bottom of the tank for
fuel slosh containment.  If so, you might as well be pushing water
with a rake as to try and get that tank clean using your current
method.

Toyota MDT in MO
cuhulin@webtv.net - 15 Sep 2007 21:40 GMT
I have never had dirt in any of my lawn mower gas tanks before.Many
years ago, one of my lawn mowers got so old, vibration and fatique
caused the carburetor to crack in several places.
cuhulin
Mike Romain - 15 Sep 2007 21:40 GMT
I have filled the tank and used a siphon hose to suck the stuff out of
the bottom of the tank.  Sometimes you need to fill the tank twice or
more depending on the dirt.  I use a coffee filter to recycle the
siphoned stuff.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos:  Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

> Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower so I tried taking
> out the dirty gas with a syringe.  I got a good amount of the gas out but
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> though I got most of the gas out the dirt still remains.  Any help you can
> give would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks.
John S. - 15 Sep 2007 23:19 GMT
> Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower so I tried taking
> out the dirty gas with a syringe.  I got a good amount of the gas out but
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> though I got most of the gas out the dirt still remains.  Any help you can
> give would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks.

Take the tank off, rinse it thoroughly with a little gasoline and put
it back on.  It is really a simple job.  But if you do not feel
comfortable working around gasoline (many people do not), then take
your mower to a local repair shop and let the experts give it a tuneup
along with cleaning the gas tank.
melee5@my-deja.com - 16 Sep 2007 13:23 GMT
> Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower so I tried taking
> out the dirty gas with a syringe.  I got a good amount of the gas out but
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> though I got most of the gas out the dirt still remains.  Any help you can
> give would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks.

Best results will come with removal of the tank and washing out of the
dirt while held upside down.  But I would use soap and water for the
washing with thorough air drying before mounting the tank again.  I
really doubt the vacuum story as the vacuum machine would have to
accept gasoline and that is just too dangerous for any device stored
inside a building.  Odds are they would use compressed air to blow it
out and that would take place well outside their building(s).  Upside
down with water would still be the best for dirt removal, IMO.
Mike Romain - 16 Sep 2007 16:11 GMT
  I
> really doubt the vacuum story as the vacuum machine would have to
> accept gasoline and that is just too dangerous for any device stored
> inside a building.  

Have you ever owned a tropical fish tank?  They sell 'vacuum systems'
for those that work really well to clean the gravel at the bottom of the
tank.

They are simply a siphon hose with a large clear end on one side so you
can see the stuff you are picking up and hopefully stop it in time to
not suck up a fish.

Any small siphon hose will 'vacuum' out the bottom of the gas tank
easily, I have done a bunch over the years.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's - Gone to the rust pile...
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos:  Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
Steve - 18 Sep 2007 21:53 GMT
> Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower so I tried taking
> out the dirty gas with a syringe.  I got a good amount of the gas out but
> then the rubber plunger in the syringe kept coming off.  I guess the gas was
> attacking the rubber.

Why not just remove the gas tank, fill it with some gas, slosh it
around, dump, repeat till clean?
Bob Flumere - 18 Sep 2007 23:09 GMT
>> Help!  I noticed dirt in the gas tank of my push lawn mower so I tried taking
>> out the dirty gas with a syringe.  I got a good amount of the gas out but
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>Why not just remove the gas tank, fill it with some gas, slosh it
>around, dump, repeat till clean?

Tip the mower over (upside down) into a flat drain pan???

Bob
Marsh Monster - 19 Sep 2007 03:45 GMT
a firecraker.....should work very nicely.
aarcuda69062 - 19 Sep 2007 04:36 GMT
In article
<1190169928.965844.113270@o80g2000hse.googlegroups.com>,

> a firecraker.....should work very nicely.

You over complicate...

All that's needed is a match.
cuhulin@webtv.net - 19 Sep 2007 04:52 GMT
Tip the mower over,,,, At first, that is what I was going to say.He
could drill a hole in the bottom of the gas tank and let the dirt run
out.
cuhulin
cuhulin@webtv.net - 19 Sep 2007 05:00 GMT
You can drain the oil out and then turn the mower over and flush the
dirt out of the gas tank.Replace the oil and put gas in the gas tank.It
won't hurt anything, might smoke for a little while when you crank the
mower back up.
cuhulin
 
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