Just bought a M600 last week. (Came with a Case D100 backhoe). Just joined this site today. Already bought service, parts and owners manual. Anyway, I have lots of rust in the fuel tank. Looks like it coats the walls - looked at it with flashlight. I looked through all my manuals, and I looked online, but I can't find much info. Is the tank removable, or welded in? Any suggestions on how to get it cleaned out would be appreciated. Thanks.
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On the 600 the tank is part of the frame, meaning it is not replaceable and doesn't come out. I don't know what your best option is, but there are kits used by folks that restore cars to clean out and seal rusty gas tanks in cars that might help you. One company that might have something like it is a company called Eastwood there are several company's that have similar products. If it was me, I think I would get a handful of the cheap see through filters to keep a eye on rust getting in the filter so you will know it needs changing. And I would always have a filter or two and a screwdriver with and change it when it starts starving for fuel, but thats just me, probably not the best option. Here is Eastwoods kit, http://www.eastwood.com/ew-gas-tank-sealer-kits-for-cars.html?fee=5&fep=1080&srccode=ga220010&gclid=CjwKEAjwgMieBRCB3bqB94e9lD4SJABW3sTNZeEDJc2b8KWjRhlGf33S
shankatank58
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The kits won't work. To be able to use it you have to be able to slosh the tank and it puts a coating over the rust. I would just try to clean and flush it as best you can. Then do the inline filter suggestion.
6brnorma
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Mel....I view rust in the tank on the 600 series machines as a deal breaker when purchasing one of them. I have yet to find a 'good' solution to the problem. I only buy such a machine as a "parts" machine. That said, I've seen some success with the rinse and drain method in conjunction with multiple filters. I've also seen a new fuel tank added......I don't advise this one as it was suspended above the engine and I had nightmares about a fuel leak of any sort. This is a good lesson to 600 series (and similar) owners....keep fuel tanks full if they are going to set for long periods. With a fuel stabilizer of course.
Check and see IF you can still find a source for concentrated muratic acid. >50%% It will eat out a bunch of rust for not much money. Flush it w/ a box of baking soda and water when you are done. If there is an access hole (which I doubt........long shot, you can add some gravel (granite) with the acid. After that mount a temporary auxiliary fuel tank and go bouncing around for an hour or two. I have cleaned smaller tanks to shiney new with acid and rocks. Most of the pitting will be on the bottom and then the sides wherever the fuel level was most prevalent. No access, bummer but the agitation from driving around will still be workable, just not as good as with rocks. 93% baume acid used to be $3-4/gal. Look for some place that cleans concrete or marble.
Check and see IF you can still find a source for concentrated muratic acid. >50%% It will eat out a bunch of rust for not much money. Flush it w/ a box of baking soda and water when you are done. If there is an access hole (which I doubt........long shot, you can add some gravel (granite) with the acid. After that mount a temporary auxiliary fuel tank and go bouncing around for an hour or two. I have cleaned smaller tanks to shiney new with acid and rocks. Most of the pitting will be on the bottom and then the sides wherever the fuel level was most prevalent. No access, bummer but the agitation from driving around will still be workable, just not as good as with rocks. 93% baume acid used to be $3-4/gal. Look for some place that cleans concrete or marble. Edit Looks like acid is avail in AL for $60/5-gal here http://www.dudadiesel.com/choose_item.php?id=5ghydro The 32% strength would be suitable. Phosphoric acid is available from the same place to pickle it after acid cleaning, better than the baking soda but a little more money.
I appreciate the responses. I was already considering adding a fuel tank, but I also have the concern about where to mount it. If not above the engine (I don't like that place either), what about behind the counterweight? My thinking is that I could have a smaller tank, and fill the original tank with vinegar (perhaps) and keep trying to get it clean. I doubt that I will have many opportunities to use it for more than 3 - 4 hours on any given day, so a smaller tank may be okay. Any thoughts? Thanks.
I think the guys saying to put muratic acid in the tank and drain it and flush it out are on to something. Muratic acid will eat up rust. your local hardware will have it by the paint and thinner area. If not, any concrete company will have it, it is used to clean cement trucks and tools used in cement work. just rinse it out with like mentioned with baking soda ans plenty water. The baking soda will neutralize any acid and make it harmless.
6brnorma
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There are different degrees of 'rust'.....the machine I saw with a "new" tank must of had an inch or so of scale and flakes in the bottom of the original tank...half of which was much too large to pass through the drain hole. In lesser cases I've always wondered if electrolysis might not work..... I've seen some horrible looking tools brought back from the dead through that method. Not sure if it could be rigged up inside of the tank.
While we are on the subject of fuel tanks on M600/610s, how is the fuel pickup tube within the tank configured and is there a way to easily access it? I have misplaced my manual and am not sure how it is set up. My M610 quit feeding fuel to the fuel pump and carb- I put some vacuum independently on the fuel hose attached to the outlet fitting at the top of the tank and am unable to draw fuel and know the tank is full so assuming a pickup tube has broke. Any information would be helpful.
Has anyone ever considered just washing the tank out and then sawing a access hole on the side of the machine. Cant remember exactly but I think there is enough flat area there to do it. Then clean the rust out and make a cover with several screws and gas proof epoxy to reseal it.
I was going to do the same on a rusty tank i have on a generator, just never got to it.
6brnorma
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Tiger……this is a good question. There is an older fella in ND who knows more about these old machines then anyone I know……problem is he will ONLY communicate by FAX and it can take months to get a response and if he doesn't know you he won't respond at all. He and I talked about this very subject years ago and as I recall, he said they were a metal drop tube with no way to service them. I haven't talked to him in a year……maybe now is a good time to send him another FAX and ask the question again (sorry, my memory isn't what it used to be). I have a boat load of parts to send him again anyway.
If you get an answer from him that would be great- unfortunately it's sounding like I am going to have to tap the tank and install some type of flexible pickup tube into it or install an auxillary tank like others mentioned. I too don't like the idea of suspending one but if I built a sturdy secondary containment box for it maybe it wouldn't be quite as dangerous.
6brnorma
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I will FAX him today…….if you're not in a hurry you might wait to see what he has to say. I'm going to be interested anyway as I've seen lots of tanks with rust…..minor to just plain horrible. Also I'm wondering what he does about the tube issue.
6brnorma
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So …… we had two basic questions in this thread……I got a response from my friend a couple days ago and I'll address them one at a time. First the rust in fuel tank question; He says he takes it in three steps. First is to flush…..similar to what we had already suggested here. Second he opens the tank…..he does this by flushing throughly with water and then connecting the exhaust from another machine (running) into the tank and then cutting a 4" X 6" hole in the tank and cleaning by hand and welding the panel back into place. He says a 'needle scaler' does wonders in there but that there is a 4 gallon area of the tank that is impossible to reach. And then the last option is to abandon the fuel tank and mount a new tank somewhere on the body. Personally…..options two and three scare me to death………I don't and I'm sure administrators of this site don't recommend either of them but I do know some one who uses them on a regular basis.
6brnorma
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6brnorma
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Second question was the configuration of the fuel 'up take' tube. It is simply a steel tube welded at the top and ends about an inch short of the bottom of the tank. Any rust holes or cracks will suck air and no fuel will be available below that point. He tells me there is a simple way to remedy this. He drills a hole in the fuel tank about one inch above the bottom of the tank, places a (fine thread) elbow in the hole connected to a steel tube up to the (electric) fuel pump. He welds a stud or two to the body to support the steel tube from vibration.
