I think there is rust in my gas tank......???

[Maria]

Ok, so while I am driving my 56 chevy it starts sputtering out, like it is out of gas. Then it just stops. When this happens there is fuel in the in line filters, my bf checked the bowl in the carb and that was empty. He also hecked the carb and he said it appears fine. Thought maybe it was the gas lines getting to hot
I had put an additional inline fuel filter on before the fuel pump and it does have sediment in it already.
If it is the gas tank and it is full of rust, can it be cleaned and used again or should I just get a new one. And could this be the cause.

[bob p]

this is a common problem for cars that haven't been driven regularly, especially if they are stored for a prolonged period of time without full tank of gas. condensation gets in the tank and condensation above the fuel level causes the parts of the tank above the fuel level to rust.

the in-tank filter won't catch everything, so your inline fitler between the tank and the fuel pump catches a lot of it. you might also want to check the inline paper filter insert at the inlet to your carb.


i recently took my car out of storage. i had to drain the tank (drain plug at the bottom), rinse the tank out, and inspect the tank with a bore scope. the tank looked OK, so we put it back in service and flushed the lines by disconnecting the lines at the inlet to the carb. my mechanic also installed an additional see-through inline filter between the fuel pump and the carb so that we could monitor any potential problems like those you've described.

i had problems with vapor lock in the supplementary fuel filter that was placed near the carb. if you search for vapor lock you'll find a good description of the problem.


as a first step, i would drain the tank, flush it out and inspect it. if it needs repair or replacement, its probably better in the long run to replace the tank if its one that is commonly available. most tanks aren't very expensive, and the cost of repairing one can be pretty high.

[carls 56]

hi maria! it sounds like the tank or the lines. i would get a new tank (if its the tank). under $2oo. tank kits ( inludes tank, sendig unit, straps, ect.) $270 at ecklers.

[Maria]

This car had been sitting for about 18 years when I bought it. So the tank is probably full of gunk. I put two inline filters on the fuel line, one before fuel pump and one before carb. Could that be a problem also?

[Gregs210]

Sounds like the needle valve in the carb is stuck shut.

[bob p]

i have had inline fuel filters that have been added near the carb cause vapor locks. here is a link to the vapor lock thread i was talking about:

http://www.trifive.com/forums/showth...ght=vapor+lock

18 years is a long time. mine sat for 10. here's what i did:

1. drop the tank, flush it out and inspect it
2. discard the old fuel
3. flush out all of the fuel lines and replace all of the fuel filters
4. rebuild the carb.

my car was running well after doing that. except for the fact that Bozo the Clown lost some of my carburetor parts when he did the rebuild.

[jerrspud]

there is a filter on the sending unit that is probably blocked as well.

inside tank did look much better.

I had similar problems like you are stating. Drive and die, but had fuel in filter by carb. I had replaced carb and fuel pump, though it could be vapor lock.. drove me crazy.. and it went away when I replaced the lines, sending unit, and tank.

[jeffs55]

I see you have a wagon.
Pics are always a good thing, BTW.

You've gotten the best advice already. Nothing more I can suggest.

[craig32]

Maria, put a gas can under the fuel pump, disconnect the pump from the tank and put a short hose from the gas can to the fuel pump and try it. I wish I had thought of it. . . even tho I do it on a regular basis on my 'project vehicle' This will bypass all the crud in the tank and the lines.

[r66ss]

Originally Posted by Maria

Ok, so while I am driving my 56 chevy it starts sputtering out, like it is out of gas. Then it just stops. When this happens there is fuel in the in line filters, my bf checked the bowl in the carb and that was empty. He also hecked the carb and he said it appears fine. Thought maybe it was the gas lines getting to hot
I had put an additional inline fuel filter on before the fuel pump and it does have sediment in it already.
If it is the gas tank and it is full of rust, can it be cleaned and used again or should I just get a new one. And could this be the cause.

Maria

Have you solved this problem yet,