Cleaning plastic diesel containers and ensuring a clean fuel system

[RSlater]

Well, this might be too simple of a problem for many of you, but for some reason I'm struggling to find the best way to do this, so I thought I'd throw it out here. Recently, I've discovered some foreign particles/substance in my spare fuel "cans" (the typical, yellow plastic 5-gallon containers) that remain despite my best sloshing efforts. The foreign substance appears black and although I've been able to remove some of the particles through progressive screening/filters, some pieces remain. Unfortunately, the design of these containers doesn't provide much cleaning access. I'm not really sure what the stuff is, but I know I don't want it in my truck's tank and I'd like a way to thoroughly clean the gas cans. I'd appreciate any ideas here.



Also, I'm a bit concerned that some of these particles may have found a way into my vehicle's tank and I'm not sure how to approach the potential problems they can cause. Obviously, the filtration capabilities of my stock system aren't ideal, but if I was trying to re-establish the integrity of my fuel system (without going to extremes - which I'm sure will be open to interpretation), what steps would you guys recommend? Contemplating the options...

 

[SCClockDr]

How to clean the yellow containers

I was faced with this cituation prior to our 2008 AK trip.



I used Dawn dish detergent and water. 2 applications sloshing with Dawn in HOT water, then several rinses.



I then inverted the containers and let them dry. They came out looking like they once did on the Wal-Mart shelf.



YMMV

 

[TLane]

If you have access to a pressure washer, that might help. Insert the wand into the can and spray around as much as possible with soap. Then switch to rinse, invert the can and rinse it out. Allow the can to hang upside until dry. If you don't have a pressure washer, do they still have the old style car washes in your area?

Don't spend more time/money/effort washing old cans than what new cans cost.

If you think there's a lot of stuff in your truck's tank, then it's time to drop the tank and clean it. Otherwise, I think there's lots of threads here on additional filters; everything from DIY to store-bought systems. I'm contemplating an additional fuel/water separator and a finer (2 micron) filter for mine, but I'm still contemplating.

 

[MVenditti]

Use spray nozzle on hose, holding the can upside down to flush it out then let dry.

 

[tkerrigan]

Add some bleach to the above cleaning mixtures to kill any potential algae.

 

[Wingate]

yep... . the black stuff comes from the bulk fuel source. I keep 10 gal. of fuel in the back of my service truck as a "just in case" and it tends to have a small amount of black stuff and water in the bottom of the can. It doesn't float so when I have to pour it in my tank, I do it slowly and don't completely invert the can. I would NEVER pour any of this fuel into my personal truck... ... . but the service truck... well... I don't have to work on it!!

 

[Skydiver]

The HOT water and dawn will work. If I'm in a hurry I will add 3-4 oz of gas to the plastic cans and shake the (insert your own word here) out of them. Seems like the gas displaces the water.

I like the "leave it in the sun to dry" idea.

 

[rbattelle]

I suspect the black crud is some kind of heavy hydrocarbon (asphalt?), but I'm no chemist. I believe I've found it on the dirty side of my fuel filter bowl before.

What did you use to filter the fuel from the cans? One thing you could do is attach a piece of scrap cotton cloth over the nozzle and pour through that.

But bear in mind that even the "crappy" OE filter is good to at least 10 micron, which I believe would be an invisible particle to the naked eye. So I would suspect your fuel filter can easily remove the stuff.

I suppose there's danger of the pickup screen getting clogged, however there would have to be quite a lot of stuff for that to happen. What I'm saying is, I wouldn't be worried about anything that got into your tank - that's what the fuel filter is for.

I suggest retrieving some of this black stuff so you can try to determine what it is. Or at least whether there's any chemicals that will dissolve it. Obviously it's insoluble in diesel, but I'd try dosing it with some fuel system treatment and see if it dissolves. It could be algae, in which case a dose of biocide will render it harmless.

Ryan

 

[RSlater]

Sorry for not responding earlier - work has kept me away from more enjoyable tasks. I really appreciate the tips everyone has offered. I'll take the advice and should be good to go with cleaner cans. It sounds like the stock fuel filtering system will prevent any issues, and I have stopped buying my fuel from the previous vendor. I was using a mechanical filtering cloth during any fuel transfers, but I kept finding these particles and wasn't sure they were coming from the fuel station. But apparently, others have experienced the same problem. Thanks everyone! Just another reminder of how helpful the TDR is! :O)