More on the cub

[old]

So the gas tank is a big mess. Never seen a tank this bad before. If I didn't know better I would think some one put a couple of cups of dirt in the tank. It had old gas in it which I did get to drain after removing the sediment bowl assembly, but had to poke a drill bit up into the tank to get it to drain. Then O took a long handled screw driver and drug it around in the bottom of the tank and it has a layer of stuff a good 1/2 inch thick in the bottom. Not sure how I will get that out. I'm thinking I'll have to wash it out with the garden hose but hate to put water in a gas tank but may not be any other way around it. Any better ideas then water and the hose??
Thanks

On the valves I have them freed up on #1 and #4 cylinder but the exhaust valves on 2,3 are still sticking but getting better slowly

 

[MARK ROBKE]

Rich, I have steam cleaned a few fuel tanks out before and even put a hand full of nuts and bolts in the tank, and strapped it to the back tire of another tractor, and drove around. It does knock all the rust and crud loose. After I pressure wash the tank, possibly upside down so the dirt falls out the largest hole, I run a leaf blower or the shop vac blower function into the tank. The high volume of air flow will dry it out in a few hours. An air hose blow gun will NOT work. Mark.

 

[old]

Sadly a cub gas tank is part of the hood so no way to use the nut/bolt trick. I don't have a steam cleaner and to cold to fire up the pressure washer as of yet. I may just rig up a different gas tank since I have a could laying around

 

[DaveBN]

I used a garden hose to wash out a tank on a BN. It was real bad. I think it got sand in it when they sandblasted it. It turned out ok. I filled it with gas and dry gas and haven't had a problem for 5 years.
Dave

 

[Charlie M]

I bought a Super C with a gas tank like that - solid tar looking material. I don't know how long a tractor has to sit to get that way but its a long time. It was tar all the way to and into the carb. I cleaned it up with acetone and after I got out what I could I used a pressure washer to finish cleaning best I could. I guess the only good news is all the junk is in the bottom of the tank and not much up the sides or in the top. Tank came out pretty good when finished. Water is completely soluble in acetone so it can be used to get out the water.

 

[thdrduck]

I have had good luck starting with mineral spirits and 1/4 inch nuts. Dump a gallon of mineral spirits in, let is sit overnight and toss in a handfull of 1/4 nuts, agitate (which means removing the tank and hood), rinse, repeat. Once most of the stuff is out pour a pint of acetone in and do it again then remove the nuts the best you can (a small magnet poky thing works OK) let dry. Then anything you want like a stick with a rag wired to it like a mop. Last one I did had dead mice in it too.

 

[thdrduck]

Oh, one more thing... the gas tank hood combined thing is stupid.

 

[Brown Dirt Cowboy]

I cleaned out a steel diesel tank on my old road tractor with the pressure washer and ended up with all kinds of pin holes that were not there when I started cleaning said tank.

 

[old]

This tank appears to be in good shape other then all the mud like stuff in it. Bottom of tank looks very solid

 

[Old weldor]

My Farmall C sat for about 5 years. The tank & sediment bowl had a grey colored putty in them. I removed the tank and took it to a shop with a Hotsy hot water pressure washer. They cleaned the tank up really well for me, cost me 25 bucks!

 

[old]

No such places in this area that do things like that

 

[Ken Hansen]

(quoted from post at 18:46:55 03/31/21) No such places in this area that do things like that

Are there any car washes you know the ones you get out of the care and use the wand to wash your car or has every got lazy there!

 

[Ken Hansen]

On the valves I have them freed up on #1 and #4 cylinder but the exhaust valves on 2,3 are still sticking but getting better slowly

I will try to not comment on that part of the project any more!

 

[old]

Yes but all of the ones I know of have signs say you cannot use them on things like a gas tank etc. due to pollution. Gas down drains then to a city sewage plant is not good

 

[old]

Just one of those NO NO things at least in this area.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Sounds like that poor Cub sat for an eternity. That dirty tank reminds me of something the local IH dealer told me once, back when he was the sales manager. Had a customer that had just bought a new tractor, I don't recall what model but it was a utility. The guy used it for his spreader tractor as it was low enough to fit in the lean to under the barn cleaner & short enough to get the door shut. The new tractor owner called about a month later & said he couldn't keep his tractor running good for about the last week & then that morning, it wouldn't start at all. The dealer & the service manager took their turns on the phone trying to help the guy get the tractor running. No luck. So, the dealer went out to see what was going on & if it should be hauled back to the shop. When he got there, the guy was waiting by the lean to. He went in & the first thing he saw was manure on the hood of the tractor, all the way back to the steering wheel. The barn cleaner came outside close to the corner of the barn at one end of the lean to & with one door the tractor & spreader always got backed in. He didn't think anything of it at first & had the guy show him how he started the tractor when he needed to use it. Didn't see that he was doing anything wrong, so the dealer started looking over the tractor. Nothing looked out of place. Figured he would check out the wiring behind the dash & went to wipe the crap off of the fuel tank. There was no gas cap there. He asked the farmer where the gas cap was. He lost it about a week after getting the tractor & was hoping to find it out in the field. Then the dealer asked why he runs the cleaner with the tractor under it. The guy said he scraped down the alley, threw the switch & ran out the barn hoping to get there before the manure did. Sometimes there was a little left in the top of the cleaner & that would get there before he did.

I don't recall if the guy had to pay to have the tank cleaned out or not, but I do know my cousin wasn't too happy with him. Lol!

Mike

 

[old]

Well the stuff in this tank pretty much looks like mud with some very old gas mixed in with it. I have no idea how long it had been parked where it was. Plus the carb was missing when I got it. Tire where flat but seem to be holding air so far. There not very good but I'll run them till I can't do so. Just plan to use it to mow in area where a taller wider tractor will not fit well.

 

[golfcartman]

I have a good clean tank you can have if you want it. Has a dent in the top but doesnt effect the use of it just the looks. Not sure where you are but Im in central Ms. you are welcome to it if you can get it. I can send you some pictures if you want to see it. Larry

 

[old]

I'm in Missouri so your probably a good 500 miles from me. You say central MS as in where?? Back in 1974 I left Cleveland MS and went in the Navy after graduating form Cleveland High school. My dad was a Prof at Delta State U

 

[golfcartman]

I live in Forest which is 45 miles east of Jackson on Interstate 20. 150 miles southeast of Cleveland, ms.

 

[Brown Dirt Cowboy]

(quoted from post at 14:34:03 03/31/21) This tank appears to be in good shape other then all the mud like stuff in it. Bottom of tank looks very solid

thought my tank was pretty solid also. cleaned it because I was having a problem with algae in the fuel.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Sounds like it will make for a good mowing tractor. Unless they're peeling apart, the tires should be fine I'd think. Did you check the manifold to make sure nothing built a nest in there with the carb off?

Mike

 

[old]

Tire might if I am lucky last a year but not likely but I do have spares. Have not checked the manifold for a nest but it doesn't seem to have any either. Time will tell.

 

[old]

I've look this one over well and it is solid

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

Good luck on that project. Those Cubs are good little tractors.

Mike

 

[old]

I've wanted one ever since I did some major repairs to one some 10 plus years ago

 

[Rich'sToys]

I was also going to suggest taking it to a car wash, but if they won't let you..........

I've heard that E-85 is supposed to work good for dissolving that crap. Maybe get yourself a few gallons of that and pour it in there and let it soak for a while. Couldn't hurt.

 

[old]

If it was the normal crap I would agree but this is more like some one put a bunch of dirt or other such thing in the tank

 

[Brownie450]

Rent out a pressure washer for a day.
As noted, the hood--gas tank is a real
pain, but you won't get the tank real
clean without taking it off to clean &
drain it.
I use an old hair dryer to dry the cleaned
tank. Stick the dryer in the filler hole
& let it run for an hour or so.
If the stuff is actually dirt, solvents
won't do any good on cleaning. You need
water under pressure.
Jim

 

[grandpa Love]

'74 cub we bought had the nastiest gas tank I've seen in a long time. Bought 8 gallons of white vinegar (less than $25) filled it up and let it sit for several days. Drained it, saved vinegar.Then dumped a box of baking soda in it and rinsed it out with hot water and dawn dish soap. Blew all the moisture out with air compressor. Dumped in a quart of atf and rolled tank around to coat everything, prevents flash rust. Clean and shiney!!! Took almost a week to accomplish.

 

[old]

I have a pressure washer but don't have the weather to be able to use it yet. Don't want to fire it up then have the winterize it again

 

[old]

This tank has what looks like about a 1/4-1/2 inch of mud mixed with very old gas so I'll wash it out with the garden hose then go from there. Right now you cannot see the bottom of the tank due to the mud etc. in it