How to Clean Aluminum Fuel Tanks

[Ram]

I’ve pulled the Aluminum fuel tanks and would like to clean them , they have sludge on the bottom, what kind of cleaner can I use that will not harm the aluminum>?I am able to move these tanks around –my first thought was to pour in some Purple power but I read not to be used on Aluminum

[atoll]

engine cleaner works well and a wet and dry vacume cleaner

[Ram]

Originally Posted by atoll

engine cleaner works well and a wet and dry vacume cleaner

Im wondering will this harm the tanks- Purple power is a engine cleaner degreaser and its say dont use on Aluminum

[atoll]

some are more caustic than others,try find a detergent type that is not caustic,other wise normal dish washing liquid or soap powder works well,and easier on the hands.

[olepedersen]

If size allows,and you can access between baffles, then put in sand and little hotwater with dawn de greaser shake and rinse,should do it ' I have done it with 50 gallon tanks,I slung a rope over a treebranch to take the weight and sloughed back and forth Ole

[Vasco]

I took mine to a radiator repair shop. Don't know what they did but it came back sparkling clean. I thought they steam cleaned it but don't really know.

[beneteau-500]

ram i dont know where you are now but i use a product called kamco hyper flush it is designed for cleaning stainless/aluminium heat exchangers i use it all the time in my winter business

[rustypirate]

I probably did the totally wrong thing, but I used some paint solvents, Mineral Spirits, along with one of the brushes with very long metal shafts that are sold for cleaning out clothes dryer lint traps. The long flexible brush shaft allowed me to bend it as necessary to get into all the far corners and scrub the tank with the solvents sloshing around. When I drained the solvents they brought out the gunk along with them.

[motion30]

i have used pebbles shake shake shake

[David M]

Don't use anything with a high pH (highly basic).