Re: Clean the fuel tank?

["Harold McElraft" <hmcelraft@xxxx>]

9 months usually will not be enough for the gas to go bad if it was 
sitting in a garage out of direct heat and weather. You can also 
tell if the gas has turned bad by the smell - you indicated it 
seemed ok - how did it smell? Since it is at half tank I would think 
it is low risk to fill the rest of the tank with fresh gas and start 
it. Max I would do based on your comments is just do a hand pump 
drain (there are plastic pumps available for less than $20) then 
fill it with fresh gas and get going.

Harold McElraft - 3354



--- In dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, "jberam1" <jberam@xxxx> wrote:
> While I was away at school, my Delorean sat with about 
> a half tank of gas. This was probably since around 
> November/December, a little bit over nine months (I originally had 
> arranged for someone to drive the car every two weeks but that 
fell 
> through after I'd already left for school and, unfortunately, I 
> never had a chance to drain the tank or put a fuel stabilizer like 
> Stabil in it).
> 
> Today I removed the baffle in the luggage compartment and took the 
> fuel sending unit out and the gas itself looks alright, it hadn't 
> turned into tar or anything (although I guess that doesn't really 
> mean much as there could be sludge at the bottom of the tank). I 
> think I read somewhere on these boards that gas can sit around for 
> at least six months without getting contaminated and screwing the 
> fuel line. I was wondering if this was a conservative estimate; do 
> you guys think that my car has been sitting long enough to justify 
> doing the fuel tank drain/clean at all, or is it unnecessary?
> 
> And if I do decide to go through with the draining/cleaning 
process, 
> (and I'm using the DMCNews thread at 
> http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/dmcnews/message/32116 for my 
> reference) how exactly do I "go after it" with my Berryman's B12? 
I 
> understand the whole process fine up until the point where I have 
to 
> clean the tank through the 3" fuel sending unit hole. I can't 
really 
> fit my hand through it. Any advice would be much appreciated. 
Thanks.