Fuel storage

[ford farm boy]

A friend of mine is offered to give me a old diesel fuel storage drum about a 100 gal. The thing is it has rust and some old oil in the bottom of it ( it has not been full of oil for years).What is the best way to clean it out ? Or should I just dump it out and just use a good filter or 2 ? I will be putting the fuel in a new tractor and I don't want any problems .

 

[Diamondpilot]

I would drain, power wash out, drain again, dry, wash out with a few gallons of diesel, drain, then fill full of fuel and go from there with a in line filter.

Chris

 

[gkh7890]

FFB,

For what is worth.....DON'T DO IT!

Did that very thing this past summer. Rec'd a 330 gallon fuel oil tank w/ approx 85 gallons of #2 diesel ( & water) for free! I managed to "pull" about 45 gallons of fuel out of it. There's a good 5 gallons of water in what I pulled out though!!!!

In my case, the tank was and is useless!!!! I wasn't comfortable with the fact that there was alot of debris from rust and dirt and though I tried to clean it out, it wasn't worth the risk of ruining my new tractor!!!

Go online on Craigslist and find yourself 2 (or more) 55 gallon plastic drums. Should cost you around $10 - $15 a piece. Wash them out & dry them out and you are set!!! I got the "white or clear" plastic so you can see the fluid level.

That's what i did (2 for $24). Washed & dried them out and transferred the 45 gallons into 1 of them.

I went to Harbor Freight and got a $25-$30 hand pump (rated @ 8 to 10 gallons per 100 rotations), went to TSC and got a Goldenrod fuel filter (water block), added an 8ft. hose and some fittings......I'm set!! Have it setting on a pallet out of the weather so it is accessible and I can use my forks to put it in the truck to go fill it up at the station. Not a bad setup, and its relatively cheap!!

If you're adventurous and have the tools/welder, weld a nut on the end of the crankshaft or make an adaptor and use a cordless drill to pump your fuel.....works pretty well!!:thumbsup:

 

[Ken45101]

Go online on Craigslist and find yourself 2 (or more) 55 gallon plastic drums. Should cost you around $10 - $15 a piece. Wash them out & dry them out and you are set!!! I got the "white or clear" plastic so you can see the fluid level.

That's what i did (2 for $24). Washed & dried them out and transferred the 45 gallons into 1 of them.

I was afraid of rust in any used metal tank. I first went the 55 gallon drum route, but I used enough fuel that it was a hassle loading and unloading it to get it filled. I then went to one of the 200+ gallon plastic cubes with the wire frame. With that, I can get home delivery of the fuel for the same (or cheaper) price than I can buy when I went to the gas station.

Of course if you only use small amounts, the 55 gallon drum is sufficient. But I have several tractors and equipment that take 20-25 gallons at a time.

Ken

 

[Gary Fowler]

I gave one of the 275 gallon plastic wire frame containers away. I wasnt sure a fuel truck would fill them. I have a 110 gallon steel tank with 12 v electric pump with inline filters that I use so I didnt need the plastic tank anyway. If you decide to go that route, many chemical manufacturers receive bulk products in those containers and they clean them out and will gladly give them to you for the asking. Mine came complete with a bottom shut off valve and a little 90 degree spout that you could hook to the valve. There wasnt an easy way to put a pump in it though as the lid was about 12" diameter on top and that was the only opening.

 

[Ken45101]

I gave one of the 275 gallon plastic wire frame containers away. I wasnt sure a fuel truck would fill them. I have a 110 gallon steel tank with 12 v electric pump with inline filters that I use so I didnt need the plastic tank anyway. If you decide to go that route, many chemical manufacturers receive bulk products in those containers and they clean them out and will gladly give them to you for the asking. Mine came complete with a bottom shut off valve and a little 90 degree spout that you could hook to the valve. There wasnt an easy way to put a pump in it though as the lid was about 12" diameter on top and that was the only opening.

FWIW, I have two suppliers who fill mine without a problem.

I mounted my electric pump on a board that spans the top, cut a hole for the pump pipe and sealed around it.

When I bought mine, it still had some syrup in it. I took it to a self serve car wash and thoroughly washed it out, brought it home, rinsed it some more, drained it, then let it sit for a day with a fan blowing into it to to make sure it was dried out well.

I have a spin on filter (water and debris) on the outlet.

Would I prefer a new steel tank? Sure. But those would be very expensive and eventually might rust anyway. I've seen some used tanks on Craig's list but I'm afraid of what the inside condition might be. Besides, steel is more likely to attract condensation than plastic.

Ken

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have a 275 gallon plastic tote with the wire frame around it sitting on top of my shop in my pole barn. I have had it since 2004 and get it twice a year by my fuel delivery guy. I use gravity to do all the work. I picked up a 2' piece of 3/4" fuel hose that goes from the tanks ball valve to a filter then a 10' piece of 3/4" fuel hose going nozzle. Have about $50 in the setup and its been trouble free.

I do put a gallon of Howse (my preferred) or Power Serve when its filled along with enough biocide to take care of things. Never a issue.

On top of the tank I built a vent out of a piece of PVC and a 180 deg piece with screen wire zip tied over it.

Chris

 

[LastSTRAW]

Great advice. I have old steel tanks that my uncle used for 40 years. They still work but I think I am pushing my luck every summer when I use them.

Sounds like a new plastic tank is a good way to go.

 

[Jay4200]

A friend of mine is offered to give me a old diesel fuel storage drum about a 100 gal. The thing is it has rust and some old oil in the bottom of it ( it has not been full of oil for years).What is the best way to clean it out ? Or should I just dump it out and just use a good filter or 2 ? I will be putting the fuel in a new tractor and I don't want any problems .

I wouldn't take it.

JayC

 

[Gary Fowler]

Some people have reported good results cleaning out old tanks like that by putting some crushed stone in it and rolling them around to let the sharp edges rocks scour the inside clean. I guess this depends on the shape of the tank and if you can shake it or roll it enough to clean it. Follow that with a good high pressure wash(after removing the rocks) I guess it depends on how rusted up it is. With a good filter system, you shouldnt have any problem keeping the contaminants out, just may have to change the filters out often. I suppose you could always cut the ends off, sandblast the inside and then weld them back on if you had the capability. Sounds like a lot of work though for a 100 gallon tank. I would vote for getting one of the free or nearly free plastic tanks, build a frame for it so it is elevated above your tractor tank height and then let gravity feed your system. It may be slower than a pump, but surely cheaper.