Cleaning inside of P6 V8 petrol tank (1974 model)

DamianZ28

DamianZ28

Active Member
Any good tips on cleaning the inside of the tank, the sender was rusted and seized so the its not too pretty on the inside, more surface rust and bits, do these tank sealers work well, especially with the reserve sections on these V8 tanks?
Thanks & regards Damian
 
After 34 years lay up my tank was indeed grim, the PO has brim filled it with fuel and over the time this had whittled down to about 2 gallons of treacle.
I tried most stuff to break down the tar, which hardened on contact with air, the only stuff to soften it was acetone. In between acetone and a steam cleaner it did clean up.
There is no reserve section, the fuel sender unit is the device that sets a reserve with different height take offs, a tall one and one lower down.
A sealer sounds like a good idea.
 
Can't remember where I read it, probably on here once upon a time, ISTR someone suggested half filling the petrol tank with some gravel and whacking it in a cement mixer to go round and around for a while! o_O
 
With motorbike tanks you can use vinegar and ball bearings/nuts to slosh around inside for a bit. Just a bigger scale for a P6 tank. There are also commercial tank cleaning products available with similar acids.
 
Thanks for the tips guys, on closer inspection it doesnt look as rusty as I first assumed, more like 'rust colour' dirt so yes I'll try to get hold of some sort of cleaner, if no joy I do have some paraffin to slosh around. Thanks for the explanation on the reserve system too Cobraboy (sorry I don't actually know your first name) red faced!
Damian.
 
haha love it, well I've been with my wife 12yrs, first 8 years I still lived in my own house (bought with the ex) but we bought together in 2016 and married in 2017, so she knows my name :confused: but since selling my Red P6 in 2014 I did nothing but stick my bottom lip out constantly to annoy her and let her know how much I missed having a V8, she gave in and let me buy current project last year, I know some how i'll pay for it, city breaks holiday brochures keep appearing ......
 
Well, I am going to make you jealous now. My little treasure loves the cars, and loves to drive fast ! If she gets a hold of our Elan or Cobra and I am in another car, well she's gone !
It's my own fault, I built her an Elan for her 25th birthday, which she used as a daily driver for about 6 years. If I booked a track day we shared the car and day. I can be with her driving on a race track and feel perfectly safe, it is a great hobby, I cannot wait to get out again.
 
Yep that worked! that's great though and brilliant way to enjoy a hobby! Well I cant be to harsh on the wife as she does like old cars but not as passionately/obsessively as me but it's start, she will attend car shows as long as there is beer tent! she drinks pint for pint with me, think that's a good thing lol.
She wants a Triumph Herald one day but I'm not allowed to modify it ;-), she does appreciate my hobby bless her and knows it'll never change, I'd like to take her to Santa Pod one day to the HotRod drags/Dragstalgia show or Mopar nats show, my mate/MOT man has a big block supercharged 55 Chevy, I reckon I could pursued her to sit in for a blast down the 1/4 mile, think it runs in the 10's, quite a few yank motors local to m e here in Somerset, other mates have blown 59 Chevy Impala and a blown 59 Ford Anglia. What motor is the Cobra running ?
 
Cob has a warmed 4 ltr Rover.
Here's a nice story.
My boy is a power wheelchair user. We went to the Nats at Santa pod for the first time, the disabled viewing is not too great, it is down by the start and you cannot see f' all.
We were there and got approached by the big cheese at Santa, he asked how we were doing. Now without bitching or moaning I pointed out how from a wheelchair users view point of view things were not ideal.
Within a very short time frame a team of technicians showed up from one of the top fuel cars and we were invited to their facility. This involved manually lifting a 200kg+ chair and occupant up a flight of steps to a viewing platform.
The generosity of the team was so that it makes me well up many years later.
It is a great experience, you should take SWMBO.
 
That's a cracking story! Its one big petrol head family, the atmosphere is second to none at the pod, the same at Shakespeare race way before it was sadly closed. Your boy must have been absolutely thrilled to watch the racing from there, especially the top fuellers doing there burnouts and just the noise of them running is ground shaking with that distinct smell of burnt race fuel, is he hooked yet!
My lad is 15 and kinda into cars but not as much as me, he would like it at a big event at the pod, sure SWMBO would enjoy it too...theres the bar! :)
 
Yes he loved it. I could prattle on about lots of times when drivers and teams have spontaneously lept at the chance to give a kid in a chair a good day out. Best day out ever was a private visit to McLaren HQ at Woking.
He is into F1 and Moto GP, so much twiddling of thumbs at the mo.
Anyway fire up that cement mixer :eek:
 
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